Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 86052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
He pushes a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my face. “Yes, you would have,” he tells me. “That was all you, Charli. You just realized that you’re not the same frightened girl she made you believe yourself to be. You’re strong, and you’ll never allow another person to treat you like that.”
“You really think so?” I question.
“I know so,” he says, leaning in and giving me a gentle kiss on my lips, making butterflies soar through my stomach. Before I know what’s happening, he releases me and makes his way into the kitchen, searching through the cupboards.
He finds a glass and fills it with water before searching out painkillers and indicating for me to get a move on. I step up to the counter and gratefully take them from his hand, my fingers brushing across his and making electricity spark between us. After swallowing the painkillers, I place the glass down on the counter, and the second I do, he takes my hand and leads me into the bathroom.
Xander pulls a first aid kit out of the vanity and instantly gets to work cleaning up the wounds on my back. I can’t help but wince as he applies a cream, even though he’s being as gentle as a big guy like him possibly could. He takes a look at the cut on my head, but there really isn’t much we can do for that apart from cleaning it up and putting an icepack on it.
He finishes up and goes to make his way out of the bathroom. “Wait,” I say quietly, still a little nervous around him, even though he hasn’t given me a reason to be. Xander turns and looks back at me with a curious stare, but I order him to sit on the edge of the bathtub before he gets a chance to tell me no.
He does as he’s told and I grab a washcloth out from under the sink, soak it under the tap, and make my way over to him. I take his hand in mine and gently wipe the dried blood off his knuckles, terrified that I’m going to hurt him.
Once I’m finished with his other hand, he stands before me, and my gaze lifts to meet his, the silence so heavy between us. His body brushes mine, and he gently takes the washcloth from my hand before tossing it toward the sink, neither one of us looking to see where it lands.
Xander raises his hand and twines it around the back of my neck as nerves pulse through my body. My eyes close briefly with his touch, but I don’t want to miss a moment. His other hand wraps around my waist and he slowly pulls me into him, as those lips come down on mine in the softest kiss.
I moan into his mouth, melting into him as his lips move against mine, overwhelming my senses with the sweetest pleasure. Needing more, I bring my hands up. One snakes around the back of his neck while the other takes possession of his strong chest, my fingers splayed wide, claiming as much of him as I can.
His fingers slip beneath my tank, sliding across my skin and making me crave more. He sets my body alight with every touch, and a moan slips from between my lips, so desperate to feel him all over me.
Our kiss grows heated, hungry, and intense as the nerves continue bubbling up within me. Am I ready for this? What’s he going to expect of me? Is he going to fuck me and then I’ll never see him again? He declared he was my boyfriend barely ten minutes ago, so maybe this is as serious for him as it is for me.
“You’re thinking too much,” he murmurs against my lips, his fingers tightening around my waist.
“I can’t help it,” I tell him. “Boyfriend, huh?”
“Yeah, babe,” he confirms. “Boyfriend.” Xander pulls back slightly and looks me in the eye. “Do you need to stop?” he asks as his hands both come to rest on my hips.
Stop? Hell no.
If Xander is confirming he wants to be a part of my life as my boyfriend, then why the hell would I hold back? Hell, I’d be stupid to pass up an opportunity like this. I just wish I could guarantee that he’s never going to hurt me.
Oh, hell, I’m going for it. I’m ready for this. I’m a grown-ass woman, and it’s about time I took complete control. I don’t know why all of a sudden, but I know it has something to do with Xander. It’s his very presence, the way he draws me in and makes me feel things no other man has ever done before.
I shake my head and his eyes flame with need. His hands lower around my ass and he picks me up with ease, his lips fusing to mine. My legs lock around his waist and he walks us out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.