Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Sometimes it felt like she spent her entire life upsetting people. The only person who never got angry or upset with her was Rhodes.
But Ethan didn’t get upset at her either. He guided her. Told her when she was doing something he considered wrong or impolite. However, he never made fun of her. Or sneered at her.
Samantha and Kevin seemed to think she wasn’t very smart. She heard the comments they made when they thought no one was paying attention.
Cate did struggle with social cues. And she was certain that many of their insults didn’t register with her.
But that didn’t mean she missed all of them. Or that she didn’t notice how different they acted toward her when Rhodes was around.
However, she’d never once had that with Ethan. Or with Seth or Brody for that matter.
They’d all treated her just like they treated Rhodes.
“Do you also like the idea of me kissing you?”
“I’ve been kissed before,” she told him, straightening her shoulders.
He raised his eyebrows. “Have you?”
“Yes, I wanted to know what it felt like, I’d read about it in books and it sounded so . . . nice,” she finished lamely.
“Nice? I would hope that kissing would feel better than nice.”
She blinked. “Really? It can feel better than nice? I mean that was my bar . . .”
“Your bar was too low,” he said in a low voice. “Please tell me that he at least made it nice for you.”
There was something dark in his face.
“Are you upset at me for kissing someone?” she quickly asked.
“What? No, baby.” He ran a hand down his face. “I could never be angry at you for what you’ve done before we met, understand?”
“I’m guessing you’ve done more than kiss someone,” she said.
Hmm, she felt surprisingly upset by that.
“Hey.” He put his hands over hers and she realized her hands were clenched into fists. “Yeah, I have. But I’m here with you, now. No one else.”
She guessed that was true.
“And I suppose you having experience could be a good thing,” she said. “It might mean that kissing will be nice.”
He frowned. “How bad was the kiss?”
“It was wet and slobbery. Much like kissing a dog, I’m guessing. Not that I’ve done that.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Yes, I thought you might be. His teeth kept banging against mine. I didn’t know where to put my hands. He said it was my fault. That I was stiff as a board and didn’t move and that I had no skill.”
“I’ll fucking kill him,” Ethan growled.
Her eyes widened. “You can’t kill him. Wait, you weren’t being literal, were you?”
Of course he wasn’t, Cate. You idiot.
“Oh no, I was being completely serious.”
“I don’t think you can murder someone for being upset that I was a bad kisser.”
“I can murder someone for being an asshole to you after your first kiss. Did they know it was your first kiss?”
“Um, yes.”
“So they should have made it good for you. Or, at the very least, not have blamed their shortcomings on you.”
“Oh.” She was certain that it was her fault. But it was nice of him to say that.
“I’m going to need the name of that douche.”
Um. After he’d just threatened to kill him? She didn’t think so.
“No.”
“I’m not going to kill him, baby.”
Cate gave him a skeptical look.
“Just make sure his life is miserable.”
“And if it’s not?”
He grinned. “It soon will be.”
Cate pointed a finger at him. “No.”
“No pointing fingers, Little one,” he scolded. “That’s how Little girls end up in the corner.”
The corner?
This was starting to feel overwhelming.
The sexiest, kindest, steadiest man she’d ever met wanted to kiss her.
Her.
Bad-kisser Cate.
“I need to take care of you, baby. And I want you to be comfortable with that because I intend to do it often.”
Shock filled her at his words. “You do?”
“Oh yes, sweetheart. I don’t do drugs. I don’t smoke. I rarely drink. But my drug of choice, the thing that makes me feel good and gives me a high, is being needed.”
She worked so hard at not needing anyone.
Except Rhodes.
And now, maybe, Ethan.
“You like to be needed.”
“It makes me feel good about myself. It makes me feel seen. Secure in a relationship. The problem I’ve had with past relationships is that I liked it a bit too much. To the point where I wanted my partner to need me for everything and I smothered them. I’m going to try not to do that with you. But I want your promise that you will tell me if I get too much.”
“I’m not sure I could ever imagine someone taking care of me being too much.”
“It might be. So I need that promise.”
“I will tell you.” That was something she could do. “Sometimes I overshare without realizing that I’m oversharing. So tell me if I become too much. Also, as you know, I’m not good in social situations, with meeting new people, at reading people, understanding sarcasm, and being touched. Although I seem to be all right with you touching me. But people I don’t know well. I also have no experience with any of this and am likely to make a lot of mistakes. Will you get angry at me?”