Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Clay sat up. “I’m not kidding, if you wanted to be my agent, I’d take you in a heartbeat. I bet Zeke, Riley, and Holden all would, too. Maybe even Leo — if the showboating sonofabitch doesn’t try to represent himself.”
My heart zipped in my chest at the thought, but I waved him off. “We can talk about that later. Right now, let’s focus on getting your mom the help she needs.”
Clay sighed, pulling on my hands until I was collapsing into his arms as he laid back against the headboard again. “You’re too good to me.”
“No, you’re just not used to being in a relationship where the love and care is reciprocated.”
“It’s going to take some getting used to.”
“Good thing we have all the time in the world.”
He smiled, kissing my hair.
“Is… is Maliyah okay?”
Clay shook his head. “Only you would ask if my ex-girlfriend is okay.”
“I mean, you told her everything, right?” I frowned. “That wouldn’t be easy for anyone to hear.”
“It wasn’t,” he agreed, his gaze lost between us. “She cried, a lot, and I held her and tried to soothe her as best I could. In the end, though, she said she understood. She said she’d hurt me just as badly — which isn’t wrong. I think she was most upset by her dad,” I admitted. “And I know he isn’t happy that I told her what happened.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. She deserved the truth.”
“She did. And, weirdly… I feel like we could maybe be friends now. Not close friends,” he amended quickly. “But… friendly. Cordial. I don’t know that I could say the same for Cory, though. I think his days of acting as my stand-in dad are over.”
I smoothed a hand over his bicep. “What about your real dad?”
He blew out a breath. “That I haven’t even begun to tackle yet. But… I owe him an apology. I see now better than I did when I went off on him that he was just trying to help me.”
“To be fair, he could show up a little more.”
“He could,” Clay agreed. “Maybe now… he will.”
I smiled, nodding as I watched where my fingertips drew lines on his skin.
“I am a little pissed off at you, though,” I admitted after a moment.
“As you should be.”
“Not for this whole mess,” I said, waving a hand as if it was on the foot of my bed. “But you’ve known for almost two weeks that you messed up, that you wanted me back, and you waited to tell me?”
“Hey,” he said, popping up long enough to lean over and grab his book off my nightstand. “It takes time to write and print a book, okay? Even one this shitty.”
I snatched it out of his hands, smiling as I flipped through. “It really is horrendous.”
“I know.”
“But you didn’t need the book to tell me how you felt,” I pointed out, peeking up at him.
“I needed a grand gesture,” he argued. “I couldn’t just show up here with my tail between my legs.”
“You could have.”
“It wouldn’t have been nearly as romantic.”
“Or public,” I said with a laugh.
“Now everyone knows you’re mine.” Clay grabbed the book out of my hands and tossed it aside before pinning me in the sheets, kissing all up and down my neck as I laughed and wriggled under the ticklish touch.
After a moment, he stopped, balancing on his elbows above me. His jade eyes scanned my own, and he swallowed, shaking his head.
“What?” I asked.
“I just… I thought I’d lost you. Forever. I thought I’d never get to be here again, holding you like this, touching you, kissing you.” His face crumpled in pain. “I was miserable without you.”
“I don’t want to talk about how many bags of Cheetos I ate.”
He smirked, brushing my hair out of my face before he gently removed my glasses and set them aside. Then, he pulled me into him, lips pressing against mine with tender warmth.
My body sparked to life under that kiss, under his massive hands as they pinned my hips beneath him, and he rolled into me. He was already growing hard beneath his briefs, and I whimpered at the feel of him, nails digging into his back.
All conversation ceased as those kisses ran deeper and deeper, until we were panting and moaning and stripping what little clothing we had put on since our first round. When we were fully bare, Clay rolled onto his back, helping me climb onto his lap.
Except then, he pulled me up higher.
“What are you doing?” I breathed.
“I want you to ride my face.”
I balked, but I didn’t have the chance to scurry away or argue against him before he yanked me up, positioning the back of my thighs against his shoulders, my pussy hovering right over his face. He slid his hands down my ribcage, gripping my ass in both palms as he pulled me to him.