Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 61576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
I want to badger her into explaining to me where this rule comes from and why she has it. I want to grab her and pin her down on the bed and hold her there until I’ve forced her to reveal the depths of her soul to me.
But I can’t. That will only make her retreat from me. We’ve only just met, and I don’t want her to run away. I want to bring her closer.
“Thank you, Jake,” she says. I can see some of the hurt fading from her eyes as she takes a tiny step toward the bed. “And you should still feel special, because even if I have a no-relationship rule, that doesn’t mean I’m not okay with doing something casual…if you get my meaning.”
“Something casual?” I get her meaning, but I’m going to let her elaborate.
“Mmm-hmm.” She nods, taking another step forward. “And remember—I haven’t had anything with anyone in two years, so you should still feel special that I am willing to do that with you.”
Right. So special.
She leans in against me and takes my hands and places them around her waist. Yeah, she knows exactly what she’s doing. My body instantly comes alive for her. I may be angry right now—disappointed—but when I feel her, smell her, look at her, there’s no doubt in my mind that I want her. Badly.
For some reason, she’s holding back, and I need to know why. I need to conquer her, and I will. And nothing excites me more than a challenge.
“So what do you say, mister?” she asks, playing her fingers across my chest. “You wanna do something casual with me?”
She’s just expecting me to say yes, because that’s what us men do. And I don’t like that. Sadie needs to understand that it’s not going to just be that easy with me. I want more with her, and this is going to be the moment that I plant that idea inside her head.
“I’m not sure,” I say, removing my hands from her waist. I stand and begin putting my clothes on.
“You’re…not sure?” she asks. I can hear from the tone in her voice that she’s off-balance. That’s definitely not the answer she was expecting to hear.
I nod, keeping my eyes on the floor like she was doing moments ago. There’s a moment of silence, and only once I’m fully dressed do I look up at her.
“I’ll let you know.”
14
Sadie
I don’t know what to think of the way the grass looks now. Everything looks perfect. It looks like my house is ready to be put on the market now. I can’t remember the last time it looked this nice. I had to cancel the landscaping service after Howard left me, and I don’t know how to operate one of those weedwhacker thingies. It took me weeks to learn how to manage the lawnmower.
But the fact that Jake is the one who cleaned things up and made them look so nice, and now may have rejected my offer, has me feeling…well, I guess strange would be one way of putting it.
Another way of putting it would be embarrassed, hurt, upset, rejected.
How many guys turn down a girl’s offer of casual sex? Because I’ve never heard of that. All I’ve ever heard from guys is that that’s their perfect scenario. Sex with no strings attached.
But apparently, Jake isn’t interested in that.
Apparently, Jake wants more.
“I’ll let you know?” I say again as I look out at the well-landscaped front lawn. It looks so nice thanks to Jake. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I guess I should be flattered. That means he wants to actually date me, but what was he thinking saying what he said to me? Reminding me I’m no longer a twenty-year-old? That sounded exactly like what my mom says to me.
If I was some kind of conspiracy theorist, I’d wonder if the two of them were working together to try and teach me a lesson or something.
Still, he did apologize, and I appreciate and respect that. But that doesn’t change the fact that he still said he wasn’t sure about my offer.
“Wasn’t sure,” I scoff, throwing myself down on the couch. My discussion with my mother comes pouring back over me like an invading army marching into my brain.
Was she right? Should I have listened to her?
I thought it would be easy to find a great guy and start something casual with him, but the first time I try, this happens.
“No!” I grumble. I have gotten in enough arguments with my mom lately that I am not willing to accept that this one single setback is enough to prove her right and me wrong.
I’m sure there’s still hope for Jake and me. After all, he hasn’t said no just yet. All I have to do is convince him. I just have to make a stronger case and show him what he’ll be missing out on if he decides to turn me down. After all, he is single right now.