Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 120631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 603(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 603(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Unbelievable. “Are you happy now? You disrupted everyone’s evening.”
Soren looked undisturbed by his decision to chase everyone off. “I’m happy you’re here.” He reached for her hand.
“I said, don’t touch me.”
“Fine. What do you want to order?”
“I’m not hungry.”
Ignoring her, he flagged down a waitress and ordered the crabcake dinner, the fish-and-chips platter, and a second round.
“That’s a lot of food for one person.”
“Knock it off. One’s for you.” He sipped his beer as the conversation stalled. “I was going to order some oysters, but I figured we don’t need an aphrodisiac.” When she didn’t laugh or make a snarky remark, he sighed. “Joce, I’m sorry about this morning.”
“What happened this morning?”
“Come on. Us. Arguing. Fucking.”
“Must have been forgettable because I’ve already forgotten.”
“God, you’re such a bitch,” he muttered under his breath.
“Speaking of bitches. I ran into your friend.”
Soren stiffened. “Who?”
“The Shalimar princess, Olivia. She’s in town. But you knew that. It was you, after all, who begged her to stay.”
“What?”
“She told me how much you wanted her close by.”
“I never asked her to stay.”
“Oh, that’s not what she thinks. And, according to the precious princess, she knows you better than anyone.”
“You two talked?”
“Of course. We’re old friends now. Knitting club, couples’ Pilates, candle making, pottery class… We’ve got a full fall schedule of gal-pal outings planned together.”
Soren didn’t look amused. As a matter of fact, he looked furious. “What did she say to you?”
“Why does it matter?”
“Because you matter.”
It should have landed like the perfect line, but instead it hit like a low blow. “You know, I think I’ve lost my appetite.”
He caught her knee before she could escape. “Don’t. Don’t go running the second things get a little real. We’re just talking.”
“Soren, let go.”
“No.”
“You’re going to make a scene.”
“Then I’ll make a scene.”
She met his stare and realized he wasn’t bluffing. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I’ve thought about it and I think Wren’s right. We need to see what this actually is between us.”
“It’s nothing. It’s sex.”
“It’s not nothing. Nothing doesn’t feel like this. Nothing doesn’t keep you up at night. If it was nothing it wouldn’t be this heavy.”
“People are staring.”
“Let them.”
She thought about who he was and everything he was on the path to becoming. He might live here now, but his career was in Portland. He could up and leave any time he wanted, but this was her home, and she wanted to stay. Her privacy was important to her and she didn’t like being the center of town gossip.
But before she could remind him that she had her own reputation to protect, he turned her chin and kissed her.
She jerked back. “Are you crazy?” It was only for a split second, but it was enough that people saw. “People can see us.”
“I don’t care anymore. I’m not ashamed of us.”
“Since when? I’m not some stage you get to go through, Soren. I’m a fucking person.”
“I know that, Joce.”
“No, you don’t. Not really. Because while you’re sitting here pretending there might somehow be more than good sex between us, you’re not making any promises.”
“I haven’t slept with anyone but you in over a year.”
“So? You’re still hedging your bets and setting up dates with all your little East Coast heiresses—”
“Is that what you want then? Some promise of monogamy?”
“It would be a start.”
“Fine.” He sat back and flung out his hands in surrender. “Consider it done. No more seeing other women. What else?”
She gaped at him. “Give me a break.”
“I’m serious. Name it, and it’s yours. I want to try this my way for a change.”
“By prowling around my house at night and slipping in the back door like a stray?”
“No, that’s your way, Joce. That’s what you’ve forced me to do since you’ve been the one setting the rules.”
“Oh, please.”
“You know I’m right. You’ve had control this whole time, Jocelyn, deciding when we see each other and when we don’t.”
“I don’t even have your phone number!”
He snatched her phone off the table. “What’s your password?”
“Soren Hawthorne’s a little bitch.” She snatched it back. “You’ve lost your mind.”
“Maybe I have. Yesterday, I would have thought something like this was insane. But the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced it’s the right move.”
“You’re delusional.”
“No, I’m finally thinking clearly. Last night, I saw red when I saw my brother’s hands on you. Why would I respond that way if I didn’t have any real feelings?”
“Because men are cavemen and think the world belongs to them.”
“Tell me what you felt when you saw Olivia.”
Bitter cold settled in her chest as her shoulders tightened. She was silent, unwilling to name the emotion, even to herself.
“Tell me how it felt, Joce, here.” He pressed a hand to her chest, no doubt feeling the way her heart raced. “What did you feel when you saw her holding my arm? When she walked up to us yesterday? When she kissed me goodbye—”