Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
“What is with you and deals?” she teases but adds, “I’m listening.”
“I help you get everything in motion, and you can give me whatever you were going to pay them when we celebrate after a successful grand opening.”
Layla purses her lips, eyes narrowing, but then her smile spreads wide, and she flails her hands up. “Holy shit, I’m opening a business!”
We squeal, jumping up and down like girls will do.
Willie comes around the corner just then, stealing his wife from me with a quick tug of her top. “What did I walk into?”
“None of your business.” Layla winks my way.
“That means she’ll tell me after I spread—”
“Okay, time to go!” She waves, leading her man out the door.
I drop back onto the cot turned fluffy dream nook and fold my hands beneath my head with a smile.
God, my life.
A few weeks ago, I was alone, mentally and physically, and now?
I have friends, a boyfriend, and something real to look forward to.
Something more.
I may not know where I’ll be professionally a year from now, but I hope to hell, on nights like this one, I’ll be lucky enough to be in this exact spot… waiting for my man to take me home.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Davis
I’m not sure what time it is when I wake to the warmth of Crew’s lips trailing over my skin, but I don’t open my eyes until he tells me to, finding him bent beside the bed with a grin. His room was the one of choice last night. By some miracle, we were able to sneak out of the bar by three this morning, and we fully intend to take advantage of his one day off this week, the same one I, somehow, scored off as well.
“Time to get up, Sweets. Your bath’s getting cold.”
I quirk a brow, my face still smashed against the pillow. “Bath, you say?”
“Oh, yeah. All the bubbles and shit, too.”
I fight a smile. “I didn’t have any bubble bath stuff.”
“Shampoo, Sweets. Even I know that.”
Chuckling, I push up, stretching my arms over my head.
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping still?” I follow him into the bathroom, smiling when he undresses me.
Crew smacks my ass hard enough for it to sting, and I frown playfully at him. “Don’t worry about me. Get in the water. Relax. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“You’re not getting in with me?”
“Don’t tempt me.” His gaze tracks my skin inch by inch as it disappears beneath the water.
Only when he’s satisfied I’m settled does he walk out.
Dropping back, I let out a small sigh, weaving my open palms through the water.
I don’t even have words for how incredibly shocking my new world is.
When the boys left home, I didn’t know what to do with myself, but I held on to the fact that I’d see them every break and have them home all summer long. It lasted the first couple years, but then Crew kissed me and never came back.
That’s when I turned my thoughts of following them here into an actual plan, one my parents were thrilled about, until they realized, Memphis or not, this was still where I wanted to be. Deep down, I think they knew what Crew was to me, but like me, I doubt they ever imagined we would be more, and then I got here, Crew not but a few blocks away at the time, yet somehow, he felt farther than before, until eventually, there was no denying he was.
The distance between us was Grand Canyon wide, and I saw no chance of crossing it, not when he grew so angry at the world for reasons I never knew.
When I called him to try and make my deal, I had secretly hoped it would take a while to get to the endgame, allowing me time with him, but when he denied me, yet again, I was a mess of emotions. Sad he couldn’t seem to stomach the thought of touching me, but thrilled he was willing to find time to be around me, even if it was just to help me find another man—something I now know he never had any intention of doing.
He said he wanted to put a pause on my rush to rid myself of my virginity, and he’d figure out what to do about it later, but his possessiveness, his inability to hide how he hated other men anywhere near me, was too potent for the man he grew into.
He was a boy before who fought an onslaught of temptation, as all boys must at some point, but Crew was no longer a boy when I came to him, and while some learn patience with age, he was not one of them. My man has little self-control when it comes to me, and I swear I could choke on the flutters knowing so gives me.