Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Blade is still sleeping on the couch. I let myself take a moment to enjoy how fine he looks in those gray sweatpants with no t-shirt on. I can see all the ink that wraps around his skin, and I long to trace it with my tongue.
I shake my head at the strange urge and tiptoe into the kitchen. I find his coffee maker then quietly search the cabinets for his mugs. Just as the old machine starts a sizzling drip, he wanders in.
I love how he looks with his short, messy hair and the way he’s sleepily blinking. There’s an obvious bulge between his legs, and I can’t help wondering if his dreams were as filthy as mine.
“Hi.” I smile brightly at him and try to remind myself of my promise to be his friend. He’s lonely, and he needs someone to care. “I’m glad you’re up. Today is soulmate day.”
He grunts and his gaze rakes over me, taking in my outfit. I picked another short skirt today, and it had more to do with the hungry look in Blade’s gaze than it does any desire to impress Landon. The t-shirt with the sarcastic quote on it is tight around my breasts while the V-neck shows off a generous amount of cleavage, thanks to help from my favorite push-up bra. Along with my red heels, I’m pretty sure I look downright fuckable.
He turns away from me quickly, tossing over his shoulder. “I’ll be back and dressed in ten. Be ready to leave.”
“I thought we were past the bossiness,” I mutter to Alvin as I watch Blade’s retreating back. The fact that he looks that sexy just rolling out of bed should be a crime. No man should look that good in gray sweatpants.
Fifteen minutes later, we’re on the road and headed into Courage County. Alvin is still at Blade’s cabin. He’s probably planning to get me in trouble later.
“Where are we going to start our search?” I ask and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. There’s so much tension in the truck. Does Blade regret agreeing to help me? Does he wish he’d just left me stranded on the side of the road?
“Sinful Desserts,” he grits out. Why does he seem so angry with me this morning? Won’t he be glad to be rid of me? He can go back to his quiet life here on the mountain.
“Why there?” A dessert shop seems a strange place to start our search, unless he knows something about Landon that he isn’t telling me. I try to remember if Landon mentioned having a sweet tooth.
He doesn’t answer, and we spend the rest of the drive in silence. Did I imagine the chatty guy from last night? The one who opened up to me just a little bit?
When he finally stops the truck in front of a quaint shop with a red and white awning, I smile. This looks like something out of the small-town romance books I read. “It’s an ice cream shop.”
“It was, but the owners needed to find a way to keep business going year-around, so the place started focusing on desserts,” he explains as we leave the truck. We’re instantly engulfed in the warmth of the late spring in the south. It’s a sticky humidity that will last from now until nightfall.
“And Landon works here?” I ask hopefully. A lot of people working in the book industry work another job. Sometimes, it’s a necessity to keep the lights on. Sometimes, creative people just like having other work to do.
He blows out a frustrated breath, and I can feel the tension rolling off of Blade. The man is wound so tightly. “The book club women of Courage are here at this time of day.”
“Meaning…?” I’m still having to take two steps for every one of his. When he realizes that, he slows his pace. But not before I’m thinking about his legs and how his thick thighs fill out those blue jeans of his so nicely. I imagine what it would feel like to sit on his lap, to have my thighs pressed over his.
“If you want to let Landon know you’re in town, the gossip mill will be the fastest way to get it done.”
“Smart thinking,” I mutter. What will Blade say when Landon shows up? More importantly, what will I say? Will I ever see Blade again after I meet my soulmate? The thought sends a pang of loneliness through me.
“Also, the honey buns here are the perfect way to start the day,” he adds, as if he knows I have a sweet tooth. But Blade can’t possibly know that.
“Wait.” I reach out and touch his arm, my fingertips brushing against his inky tattoos. I want to trace all of them, to spend hours exploring every single one on his body. “We can still be friends once I meet Landon, right?”