Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85484 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85484 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
This Pippa is kittenish—playful and intentionally coy.
She crosses her arms over her chest like she’s negotiating a multimillion-dollar deal. “You’ll try to take me to dinner.”
“You don’t know that.”
Her arms fall to her sides. Surprise is written across her face. “Then what will you want to do?”
Fuck your brains out. “Day one is spend tomorrow with me. Sunday dinner at my parents’ house.”
She balks. “I’m not going to their house for dinner.”
“Why not?” I ask. “You know them. You know my entire family. It’s not like I’m asking you to meet a bunch of strangers.”
“You don’t think that’s weird? What are you going to tell them? They won’t think it’s odd that you bring this random chick to dinner?”
I smirk. “No. I do it all the time.”
A streak of surprise mixed with horror ghosts her features.
“I’m kidding,” I say, chuckling. “I’ll tell them that their boy got a fake wife for a few days.”
She’s not amused.
“Come on, Pippa. Spending a few days together will help you relax and not worry about the trip for the next week—because you know you’re going to. I’m doing this as much for you as I am for me.” I’m such a liar.
Her fight wanes.
“Come over tomorrow around eleven?” I ask. “My house is the one with the giant ten-foot-tall rooster in the yard.”
She bursts out laughing. “What?”
“Long story. We can talk about it tomorrow.”
She sighs. “Fine. But I’m only coming to see the rooster.”
“That’s fine,” I say, grinning. “I’ll tell Banks you’re coming to see my cock. It’ll drive him crazy.”
She tries not to smile—not to appear as amused as she is, but a grin peeks through anyway. “Thank you for helping me.”
“I told you I’d do anything for you.” And to you. If you’re willing.
God, I hope you’re willing.
She holds my gaze for a long moment and then takes a step back. A long, lingering grin that holds way more than a goodwill gesture plays along her lips.
My body tenses as reality hits. How am I going to be around her for an entire weekend and not break down?
But just as the thought crosses my mind, something shifts. As she backs away toward the door, her grin deepens. A twinkle flashes through her eyes. Mischief creeps across her features.
Despite the added distance between us, the room is smaller. The air thicker. The humidity hot and pregnant with so much tension that it threatens to explode.
I lift a brow, inviting her to act on it. Give me a reason to break this spell you have over me, Pip.
“I need to get home and scrape the rest of the tomatoes off my countertop,” she says, seeming humored by the transition. “I should’ve done it this afternoon, but I paced instead while I waited for you to email me back because that was a good use of my time.”
“Yeah,” I say, chuckling. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.”
She leaves me with a flirty smile and walks out the door.
11
PIPPA
I whistle softly, squinting into the late morning sun as I turn my car onto the street. The weather is perfect and beautiful. It’s not too ungodly hot, and there’s not a cloud in the sky.
My stomach twists and bubbles. Instead of pulling so tight that I wince, which is the stress reaction I’m used to, it reminds me of being young. Excited. Happy.
I painted my nails at midnight as opposed to my normal staring at the ceiling and fretting about life. My laundry was freshly folded by two o’clock. By five, I was at the kitchen table, researching things to do in Silver Springs—looking for things to add to the itinerary that Jess may enjoy.
Jess. We’ve spent more time together in the past week than we have since we were teenagers. And although our dynamic is fun like it always has been, it’s different too.
My insides flutter again.
The more time I spend with him, the more I find myself leaning into it. I feel good when I’m with Jess Carmichael. I like the person I am when he’s around. When we’re together, I’m confident and self-assured—and no one could convince me that I’m not pretty, thanks to his constant reminders. And that’s a whole new feeling because I’ve never been told that before.
But even more, I like him.
He’s always been the smoking-hot guy who I can pluck out of a crowd with very little effort. But he’s so much more than a great set of shoulders and a smile that melts me from the inside out.
Jess is kind. He’s funny and sweet. The way he came to my aid with Chuck, whether I needed it or not, spoke volumes. So many people are content to stay in their own world until they can get something out of it. I’ve turned Jess down more times than I can count, yet he was there for me—just like I know he’d be for anyone he liked. Even Banks.