Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
He brushed his thumbs along the soft skin of her inner wrists before reluctantly releasing her hands. He pulled out a stool from the counter and pointed to it. “Sit,” he ordered, and when she was seated, he settled into the stool next to hers, facing her.
She sat primly with her legs together, her hands folded in her lap, while he did the man-spread thing so that his knees bracketed hers. It was meant to make sure she couldn’t easily leave, but sitting this close, in such an intimate way, only amped up his awareness of her as a beautiful and, yes, sensual woman.
Growing up with Ben as his best friend, and with four years separating him and Jessica in age, Derek admitted that he’d never seen her in that way, even during her flourishing teenage years. She’d never been on his radar—not during high school, and when college girls had flocked to him, yeah, he’d had his selection of casual sexual encounters. Of course, he’d picked the ones with the best tits and ass, because why not? Intellect, or even her personality, hadn’t figured into the equation when it came to getting laid back then. He hadn’t been thinking with his brain but his dick, and it reflected in his choice of bed partner.
Now, being older, wiser, and more discriminating—especially after his unpleasant relationship with Claire—he found himself seeing Jessica in a whole new light. As a woman, he’d always found her tempting, and honestly, there was just something about a female with real curves that appealed to him as a grown man who only saw that as part of a whole package. Add in a smart, sassy, confident woman comfortable in her own skin and being true to herself, and yeah, the word sensual applied on every level and made his attraction to her that much stronger.
And he wasn’t quite sure what to do what that revelation.
He exhaled a deep breath and forced himself to focus on the discussion at hand. “Now, from the beginning. What payback are you referring to?”
Her face flushed, but she didn’t avoid the question this time. “Do you remember the summer before my senior year in high school? When Avery and I snuck out to a party and overindulged, and I called you to pick us up because I didn’t want my parents or Ben to find out?”
He chuckled. “As if I could forget. The two of you were wasted.”
“The first time, for both of us,” she admitted with an adorably impish smile. “Avery and I were always outcasts at school, so getting invited was like we finally cracked the cool-kid code or something. But actually, the party sucked, because we both felt this pressure to drink and smoke weed to fit in, and let’s face it, Avery and I were not party girls. It was incredibly awkward, and some of the other more popular girls there tried to embarrass us around the guys, making fun of us and the way we . . . looked.”
He frowned. “What was wrong with the way you looked?”
She picked up her glass of wine and took a long drink before answering. “We were the fat chicks; therefore, they didn’t want us in their little clique or getting friendly with the boys they liked, so they were cruel and callous and did their best to ostracize us.”
Learning she’d had to endure that kind of treatment made his jaw clench in anger. As a mature adult, there was no hint of insecurity in Jessica’s voice or expression, just a vulnerability that made her human. “Meanness is a mask for insecurity and is usually a form of narcissistic behavior. It’s a way for a person to feel superior over someone else, and it’s a shitty thing to do.”
A small smile tipped up her lips. “And you know this how?”
“I’ve seen it.” For one, Claire had been a prime example once she’d dropped all pretenses and showed him a glimpse of her true nature and personality. And another . . . “I know Nikki dealt with that a lot during her modeling career, other girls being catty and cruel. Those nude pictures of her that were recently leaked? It was a competitor who wanted to destroy Nikki’s career so she’d be the one to take her place in magazine shoots and fashion shows. Didn’t end up that way, though. Instead, they found out who was responsible for the photos and it ended up costing the girl her career.”
“Ahh, poetic justice. I love it,” Jessica said, raising her wineglass in a mock toast before finishing off the rest of her drink.
“So, back to your story,” he encouraged, not wanting her to get distracted.
She nodded, licked the remnants of wine from her lips—which he had the urge to do himself—and set her empty glass back down on the island. “Remember how I swore you to secrecy about Avery and me sneaking out to the party and getting drunk and stoned? Well, a few days later, my mother overheard you telling Ben the story.”