Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 17808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 59(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 59(@300wpm)
We made homemade pizzas together and ate on the porch. Afterward, we stayed outside and talked, but there was a sort of heaviness to it. The longer it went without Mickey telling me, the more nervous I got.
“Want to watch a documentary?” he said. “We should watch a documentary.”
“Let’s watch a documentary,” I joked, using the word again and hoping it made him smile. Point for me because it did.
It was late, after eleven, when he switched off the TV and turned sideways on the couch to look at me.
“This seems serious.” My stomach tightened, my chest too. I’d never been so nervous to hear what a boyfriend had to say to me before.
He took his glasses off, chewed the end, then sighed and shoved them on again. “I’ve…I’ve been lying to you.”
My spine stiffened. “Okay…about what?”
“Adrian Raynes.”
I frowned. “The erotica author?” How in the hell had he been lying to me about him? “This isn’t making any sense.”
“You know how I work on my laptop for hours on end…and how I don’t want anyone to know what I’m working on? And how I got nervous when you mentioned his books…”
All the pieces began to fit into place. “Noooooo,” I said, not because I had a problem with it, but because if I’d been standing, I would have been knocked on my ass by this truth.
“Oh God. You hate it, don’t you? You’re mad I didn’t tell you.” He covered his face with his hands.
“What? No. God no. I’m just…holy shit. You’re Adrian Raynes? Baby, that’s nothing to be embarrassed about. This isn’t a big deal at all. It’s fucking awesome. I read your books. How could you think I’d be upset about this?”
“Because I knew you read them. You did a podcast about them and mentioned them, and I never told you it was me. Because I’ve been writing filthy sex in your coffeehouse, half the time imagining those things were happening between us, even before we got together.”
Warmth spread through me. Just earlier today I’d been surprised to acknowledge I loved him, but there shouldn’t have been any surprise at all. “Only half the time? I’m crushed.”
“Oh my God! Shut up!” He leaned closer and buried his face in my chest. “I wrote a book about a geek and a coffeehouse owner…and another about a geek and someone who had a podcast.”
“That’s fucking hot. I read both of those and never put it together. Freckles, I’m honored you fantasized about me. Hell, I fantasized about you. And the reality is even better.”
“How?”
“Because I’m crazy about you, like I said. You’re…perfect. You’re smart, creative, sexy, funny, kind. You inspire and challenge me. I love how sweet you are, but seeing you drop to your knees to blow me in public… This just makes you even more amazing. My boyfriend writes hot erotica about me. I’m gonna pretend it’s all about me. This is the coolest thing ever. How can I not be falling in love with you?”
His eyes widened. “Love?”
I nodded. “That’s what it feels like to me. That this could lead there…or already has.”
“For me too,” Mickey said softly, then…well, shit, then he basically jumped me. He was on my lap, straddling me, his tongue in my mouth, my hands running up and down his back, in his hair, tugging at his clothes before he pulled away. “Wait. Not yet. I want that. I soooo want that, but…I’m not done. There’s one more thing I need from you first.”
I nodded, not even caring what it was. “Let’s do it, then.”
He stood, took my hand, and pulled me outside.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Mickey
Ronan let me drive his car, but I didn’t tell him where we were going. Nerves were playing chase in my belly as I thought about everything that had happened tonight and over the past few weeks.
Ronan knew I was Adrian Raynes.
He knew I wrote books about him and imagined him when I did.
Ronan was my boyfriend.
Ronan was falling in love with me…maybe already had.
I knew I had.
And now, now I was taking him to the swimming hole outside of town where I’d stood up my first crush, the boy I’d left there waiting for me all those years ago, and I was going to take that night back with Ronan.
“Half an hour so far…I have to admit I’m curious where you’re taking me,” Ronan said from the passenger seat.
“We’re almost there. You’ll see soon.” I just hoped he didn’t think it was stupid.
“Is it kinky? I have a feeling it’s kinky.”
“Oh my God. Stop,” I said, hoping my tone conveyed that I didn’t want him to stop at all.
“You want me to be good? I don’t think so, Mr. Raynes. I think you like it when I’m bad.”
“I do, but it’s better if you’re bad when I’m not driving. I’ve been hard since we left home—I mean, not my home, but yours. You know what I meant.”