of a challenge.
Pushing myself up in bed, I pull my journal out of my nightstand and begin writing. Nothing like a little sexual frustration to get the words flowing.
My night is riddled with dreams of Holden. His lips, his firm grasp holding my body, his teeth teasing my breasts. I awake on multiple occasions drenched in sweat. Once the sun is finally up, all I want to do is get dressed and try, once again, to find Chawton. I don’t trust myself in this building with him lurking nearby.
I slip on jeans, a t-shirt, and an off-white cardigan, pushing up the sleeves. Making my way down the stairs, I don’t linger. I’m out the front door in a matter of seconds. Once on the gravel path I let out a sigh of relief. I’d made—
“Where are you headed, beautiful?” Before I can even finish the thought, I hear Holden’s voice above me. I turn and look up to discover him leaning out the window at the end of the upstairs hallway.
“I thought I’d go for a walk,” I answer, lifting a hand up to my brow to shield the morning sun.
“Don’t move,” he shouts before disappearing.
A few seconds later he emerges from the front door. I wonder how a pair of jeans can hug someone so perfectly. He’s wearing a faded blue t-shirt and a gray button-up that hangs open. His hair still shows evidence of his morning shower, and the image of his bare chest consumes my thoughts.
I squeeze my eyes closed, and when I reopen them, he is standing in front of me.
“Did you really think you could ditch me that easily?” He flashes me a mischievous look.
“I wasn’t—” I start defensively, then laugh. “Okay, maybe I was.”
“I was waiting for you to get up; there was no hope of you escaping me,” he says to my surprise.
“You were?”
“I was hoping I could convince you to spend the day with me.” He glances down at the ground in front of me, kicking the dirt around with his toe, and the moment of vulnerability makes him even more endearing to me.
“That’s a great offer, but I was kind of hoping to visit Chawton, since I didn’t make it yesterday,” I reply, remembering Kenzie’s words of wisdom about playing hard to get, but never too hard.
“Perfect, because that is exactly what I’d planned. Be right back.” He doesn’t wait for me to respond. In a flash, he’s inside, but minutes pass before he emerges, tossing keys into the air with one hand and holding a basket at his side with the other.
“Whatcha got there?” I inquire.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” There is a flirtatious tone in his voice, and the day I was looking forward to just got ten times more exciting. I turn and walk in the direction of the truck. He sets the basket in the bed, then rushes to beat me to the handle, pulling open the heavy metal door.
“Why thank you.” I grin and nod with a slight curtsy, hoping I look adorable and not like a complete dork.
He walks around and climbs in, gripping the steering wheel as he does, causing his arm muscles to flex and my stomach to flip. I lick my lips, remembering the explosive kiss the night before, shifting in my seat as a slight ache begins to rise between my legs.
“All right, confession time. I’m actually glad you’re with me,” I begin.
“Oh yeah?” he asks; a single eyebrow lifts in anticipation.
“Yeah.” I laugh, slapping his arm. “I’d hate to get lost again.”
“Nice, thanks a lot. You just want me for my tour guide skills.”
“Just being honest.”
“Well, you’ll be glad I came with you by the end of the day,” he says, starting down the long gravel drive. My imagination is going wild with what he might mean by the statement. Is it because he planned a repeat of last night? “I’m the best damn tour guide in Hampshire.”
“Oh …” My disappointment is obvious.
“Hey, dirty bird, what did you think I meant?” he taunts. Strangely, I like it when he does this.
“I guess I can’t help myself.” I’m flirting … I
Pushing myself up in bed, I pull my journal out of my nightstand and begin writing. Nothing like a little sexual frustration to get the words flowing.
My night is riddled with dreams of Holden. His lips, his firm grasp holding my body, his teeth teasing my breasts. I awake on multiple occasions drenched in sweat. Once the sun is finally up, all I want to do is get dressed and try, once again, to find Chawton. I don’t trust myself in this building with him lurking nearby.
I slip on jeans, a t-shirt, and an off-white cardigan, pushing up the sleeves. Making my way down the stairs, I don’t linger. I’m out the front door in a matter of seconds. Once on the gravel path I let out a sigh of relief. I’d made—
“Where are you headed, beautiful?” Before I can even finish the thought, I hear Holden’s voice above me. I turn and look up to discover him leaning out the window at the end of the upstairs hallway.
“I thought I’d go for a walk,” I answer, lifting a hand up to my brow to shield the morning sun.
“Don’t move,” he shouts before disappearing.
A few seconds later he emerges from the front door. I wonder how a pair of jeans can hug someone so perfectly. He’s wearing a faded blue t-shirt and a gray button-up that hangs open. His hair still shows evidence of his morning shower, and the image of his bare chest consumes my thoughts.
I squeeze my eyes closed, and when I reopen them, he is standing in front of me.
“Did you really think you could ditch me that easily?” He flashes me a mischievous look.
“I wasn’t—” I start defensively, then laugh. “Okay, maybe I was.”
“I was waiting for you to get up; there was no hope of you escaping me,” he says to my surprise.
“You were?”
“I was hoping I could convince you to spend the day with me.” He glances down at the ground in front of me, kicking the dirt around with his toe, and the moment of vulnerability makes him even more endearing to me.
“That’s a great offer, but I was kind of hoping to visit Chawton, since I didn’t make it yesterday,” I reply, remembering Kenzie’s words of wisdom about playing hard to get, but never too hard.
“Perfect, because that is exactly what I’d planned. Be right back.” He doesn’t wait for me to respond. In a flash, he’s inside, but minutes pass before he emerges, tossing keys into the air with one hand and holding a basket at his side with the other.
“Whatcha got there?” I inquire.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” There is a flirtatious tone in his voice, and the day I was looking forward to just got ten times more exciting. I turn and walk in the direction of the truck. He sets the basket in the bed, then rushes to beat me to the handle, pulling open the heavy metal door.
“Why thank you.” I grin and nod with a slight curtsy, hoping I look adorable and not like a complete dork.
He walks around and climbs in, gripping the steering wheel as he does, causing his arm muscles to flex and my stomach to flip. I lick my lips, remembering the explosive kiss the night before, shifting in my seat as a slight ache begins to rise between my legs.
“All right, confession time. I’m actually glad you’re with me,” I begin.
“Oh yeah?” he asks; a single eyebrow lifts in anticipation.
“Yeah.” I laugh, slapping his arm. “I’d hate to get lost again.”
“Nice, thanks a lot. You just want me for my tour guide skills.”
“Just being honest.”
“Well, you’ll be glad I came with you by the end of the day,” he says, starting down the long gravel drive. My imagination is going wild with what he might mean by the statement. Is it because he planned a repeat of last night? “I’m the best damn tour guide in Hampshire.”
“Oh …” My disappointment is obvious.
“Hey, dirty bird, what did you think I meant?” he taunts. Strangely, I like it when he does this.
“I guess I can’t help myself.” I’m flirting … I
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