Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“Yes. I have a few other places we can stop if we have time, but we have no schedule. We can stay here all day if you want.”
“Did you know that I love the aquarium?” She turns to look at me, and her smile has my heart doing this crazy thumping thing inside my chest.
Reaching over, I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “No, I just thought it might be something fun to do.”
“Man, I wish I had my camera.”
“Cell phone?” I ask.
“Oh, for sure, but it’s not the same.” She looks kind of bummed, and I instantly want to fix it.
“I’ll just have to bring you back.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
I shrug. “You tell me when and we’ll make another day of it.” The thought of another day like today, when it’s really only just begun, excites me too.
“You’re the best.” She leans over the console and places a loud kiss on my cheek.
“You ready to do this?”
“Yes.” Her excitement is contagious. I wasn’t sure how she would feel about the aquarium. I wanted something inside so we weren’t sweating our asses off. There were a few options, some of which we might explore later, but this is the one that I kept going back to.
Hand in hand, we make our way inside to purchase our tickets. With a wave and a thank you to the man behind the counter, we start the tour. Palmer’s eyes light up as she takes in all the fish, the sharks, the turtles, and all the other marine life that swim around us.
“Will you take my picture?” she asks. She steps off the conveyor, hands me her phone, and poses in front of a school of fish.
Before giving it back to her, I step beside her and hold my arm out in front of me to take a selfie. “That’s a first for me,” I say, handing her phone back. “Will you send me those?”
“Both of them?”
“Yes.”
She nods, and her fingers fly across her screen. “You’ve never really taken a selfie?”
“With Blakely, but she’s usually the one running the show, so I don’t count that. That’s the first time I’ve ever initiated it. How about that?”
“Aw, Brooksy, I’m your first,” she teases.
“Come here.” I slide my arm around her neck, pulling her into my chest. I kiss the top of her head before releasing her. “You ready to keep moving?”
“Yes.” She grabs my hand and tugs me back to the conveyor belt, and we continue on. Over the next two hours, we take more selfies than I can count and share just as many kisses. Today, I wanted to spend time with her, not being worried about looking over our shoulders, and we accomplished that here.
That’s not all that we accomplished. The more time I spend with her, the harder I seem to fall. With each moment between us, I question more and more why we can’t make this thing between us real. We get along great. We laugh and have a good time. We have the same interests, and our chemistry is off the charts. She’s never given me any hints that she wants to change the rules, but after today. I know that I want to.
“Now where to?” she asks, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“Well, we have a couple of options. We can go see a movie, ride indoor go-karts, go bowling. We can go to the mall and shop, or we can even go home. My place or yours, but whatever you choose, just know that we’re doing it together. You promised me all day, and I intend to collect.”
“So needy, Kincaid.”
“When it comes to you, yes, yes, I am.”
She grins and pops up on her tippytoes to kiss the corner of my mouth. “I vote the mall and a movie. If that’s okay?”
“It’s our day. We can do whatever you want. I already told you my one rule.”
“I’ve been wanting a new pair of tennis shoes.”
“Then we’ll start at the mall. Are you hungry yet?”
“No, but we have to get pretzels from that place in the mall. I don’t care how full I am. I can never pass those up.”
“Shoes and pretzels. Got it.” I walk her to her door and open it for her, waiting for her to climb inside.
“Brooks,” she says before I get the chance to close the door.
“What’s up?” I ask her.
She chews on her bottom lip. “Thank you. For today I mean. It’s been so much fun.”
“The day’s not over yet, beautiful.”
“I know, but just in case I forget to tell you, it’s been a great day.”
How can I not kiss her after that? I can’t. So I move in close, lean into the truck, cradle her face with my hand, and kiss the breath from her lungs. At this moment, I couldn’t give a fuck if someone sees me kissing her. I need to. It’s not a want at this point. It’s a need.