Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
“Hello.” She returns my smirk. “Nice to meet you. Again.”
I bite my lip. “When are we gonna do this again? Tomorrow at eight, my place?”
Marnie’s smile fades. “I don’t know if that’d be a good idea.”
I start pulling up my pants and putting myself back together. “Sure, it would. As long as we’re both clear this is gonna be about sex and nothing else. Lots and lots of sex.”
Marnie begins putting her panties back on. “I’ve kind of sworn off casual sex since the last time we hooked up.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“This was a moment of weakness.” She smooths down her dress. “I’ve been working really hard on myself. Despite this one little slip-up, I’ve been doing really well.”
“I’m a slip-up?”
“A set-back. In terms of the goals I’ve set for myself. It’s nothing personal. I realized after our night together it was time to forego the dopamine hit of casual sex in favor of something more meaningful. In favor of searching for a life partner. Someone stable and kind. Someone who wants a serious, lasting relationship with me.”
I snort. “Good luck with that.”
She looks deeply offended. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you just fucked the living hell out of the guy you refused to even look at a mere fifteen minutes ago. It means whatever work you’ve been doing on yourself obviously isn’t working all that well.”
Anger flashes across her face. “It’s been working. Like I said, this was a moment of weakness. Failure isn’t falling down. It’s not getting back up.”
“Oh, so now I’m your failure? Nice, Marnie. You really know how to make a guy feel special.”
“That came out wrong. I’m trying to tell you I’m not looking for something casual, that’s all.”
“Great. Fine. Good luck with that. As far as I’m concerned, however, you could look for something serious while fucking me, casually, now and again. I don’t see the harm in an arrangement like that. Not when the sex is this fucking good.” I’ve got her attention now. That much is clear. Not to mention, I’ve got my own pulse racing at the thought of getting to fuck this woman again, on a regular basis. “Look,” I say. “My condolences about your mother and whatever panic attack you had at my place, out of nowhere. Glad you’re working on yourself. More power to you. But the truth is I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you and I don’t particularly like you, either. You’re obviously heartless. Probably, a sadist, like I said before. So, I promise you wouldn’t have to worry about me catching feelings for you. That’s literally impossible. Not only because you’re a mind-fucker of epic proportions with a screw loose, but because I still don’t have time to invest in a serious relationship. Not that I’d pick you, if I did. But that’s beside the point.”
“What’s the point, again? I’ve lost track of it through all the insults you’ve been hurling at me like bullets from a machine gun.”
“No bullets intended; I’m just being honest. For reasons I can’t understand, you’re the best sex I’ve ever had. Like, by a long mile. No pun intended, Marnie Long. So, I’d very much like to have sex with you again, whenever our schedules align. Keep looking for Mr. Right, if that’s what you want. Good for you. Until you find him, however, or until one or both of us can’t stand the sight of the other and the thrill is gone, then let’s get together, now and again, and fuck each other’s brains out.”
She smirks. “You wouldn’t mind having a fuck buddy who’s a sadist?”
“Not if she fucks like you.”
Marnie touches the spot on my neck where she bit me in the throes of passion a few minutes ago—and my traitorous skin electrifies at her touch. “Speaking of me being a sadist, I got you pretty good here. I broke the skin. Does it hurt?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was hot as hell.”
“I’ve never done that before. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Don’t play blushing ingenue with me. Please, sweetheart, it doesn’t suit you.”
She narrows her eyes. “You truly can’t stand me, huh?”
“Correct.” I shrug. “Not sure what, exactly, there is to like about you.”
In response to that, she steps forward and does something that shocks the hell out of me: she kisses me tenderly, and every neuron inside my brain, every nerve ending inside my body surges, all at once. Fucking hell. Am I that transparent? Does she know full well what she’s doing to me, despite everything I’ve been barking at her?
“Okay, I’m in. As long as we both understand this is nothing but hedonism. And the minute I find Mr. Right, I’m gonna drop you like a bad habit. Which is exactly what you’ll be.”