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)
She arched an accusing brow, and he grimaced. “My bad,” he muttered, still feeling a tad guilty about that. “I was just being protective and wanted to make sure that Ben kept an eye on you so you didn’t do it again.”
She rolled her eyes. “I had one older, protective brother, and I didn’t need another. And as a result of your big mouth, my mother ended up grounding me for the rest of the summer.”
He winced. “Yeah, I remember your brother mentioning that.”
“And the worst part?” she went on. “My mother deliberately made sure I was grounded during the two weeks I was supposed to go with Avery and her family to their lake house. My mother knew how much I’d been looking forward to that vacation. It was like my one escape, and I loved being with Avery’s family because they are so kind and accepting and treated me like their own daughter. And instead, I was stuck at home with a list of chores to do every single day as punishment. I honestly think my mother was hoping that all the sweating would help slim me down.”
“What?” He was certain he’d heard that last comment wrong.
She shrugged indifferently, but there was a pained look in her eyes he didn’t miss. “My mother wasn’t exactly happy with my weight issues, either. She found it embarrassing that she had a chubby daughter, and I was always made to feel that I was just never good enough because of it, even though I’d been diagnosed with PCOS and that was a known symptom.”
“PCOS?” he asked, confused, since he’d never heard the term before.
“Polycystic ovary syndrome,” she explained. “It’s a female thing. There are issues with hormonal imbalances and a woman’s metabolism, which can make it difficult to lose weight and keep it off.”
Jesus, her mother was a piece of work . . . just like his own was, and he hated that she’d had to endure that kind of criticism. Probably still did.
“So, anyway,” she said, bringing the conversation back around to their original topic. “I might have saved you from spending a weekend with Claire at the bachelor auction, but I’ll admit that I was looking forward to payback for that summer of being grounded because you blabbed to my brother. You owe me for that.”
He chuckled. “Okay, I get it.” And now, he really did.
An idea came to him, and without thinking, he leaned forward and placed his hands on her knees, his fingers caressing the soft, bare skin there. “I know a lot of the items on the list are nearly finished, but what I missed doing in hard labor, how about I make up for in other ways?”
Her lashes fell half-mast, and a sultry smile curved her lips. “Other ways?” she asked in an intrigued tone.
He nodded, then stood up, refilling her wineglass before helping her to her feet. With one hand clasping hers and the other holding her drink, he asked, “Which way to your bedroom?”
Her eyes widened, not in shock but in a way he found much too tempting. Like she was thinking dirty thoughts, about them, together, in said bedroom. And God help him, he wasn’t opposed to the idea, despite knowing it was a line he shouldn’t ever consider crossing.
Her tongue skimmed across her full bottom lip and he blatantly watched it. “My, uh, bedroom?” she repeated. “Why?”
His grin was deliberately slow and sexy, his words equally seductive. “Because I think you need to relax, and I have just the thing in mind.”
Chapter Six
With every inch of her body hyperaware of Derek leading her upstairs to her bedroom, his big, warm hand engulfing her smaller one, Jessica’s mind ran wild with all the various ways this gorgeous, hot man could make her relax.
Maybe a back massage to ease the tension in her muscles? Or an orgasm or two to alleviate her stress? Or what if his idea of a payback included hot, toe-curling sex? Mmm, she wasn’t opposed to the idea, and the thought almost made her moan out loud. It had been way too long since she’d been pleasured with anything or anyone besides her battery-operated boyfriend, and the image of indulging with Derek, the one man who made her entire body hum with desire, had her stomach flipping with anticipation.
Why else would he be taking her to her bedroom?
“I assume you have a connecting bathroom and a tub?” he asked as he followed her directions down the short hall until he reached the double doors leading into the primary bedroom.
“Yes,” she replied.
She’d fallen in love with the porcelain claw-foot tub the previous owners had installed during a renovation, especially since it was big enough for two, not that she’d ever shared it with anyone. But taking a long, luxurious bath was one of her favorite indulgences.