Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
“Let’s see what Allie says and how you get on.”
“Oh, I’ll get on just fine. Don’t you worry.” Stefan stands straight, puffing out this chest and we all laugh.
“I can see this turning into some kind of weird fucking contest,” Gabe says, rubbing his thick beard.
I dump my string on the counter and stretch my arms above my head, craving to run even more now. “I’m going to go grab my sneakers,” I say. “Then I’m hitting the sand if anyone wants to join me. But first, I’m going to update Allie, okay?”
A murmur of approval follows me up the stairs. The music from Allie’s room spills through her open door and into the hallway. When I knock, she tells me to come in and turns the music down immediately. I let the door swing open and stand in the doorway, bracing one arm against the jamb.
She’s sitting at the desk, computer open, hair tied into a messy bun and bikini swapped for a cute hot pink tank and shorts set. She has a pen through her hair, holding it in place, and a pair of the cutest librarian glasses I’ve ever seen. “Jonas?”
“Yeah. We’re all set. I just wanted to let you know. Stefan’s your first…” I pause, racking my brain for the right word. “Candidate.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know.” When her eyebrows raise and her lips part, I can’t work out how she’s feeling.
“This still what you want?” I ask, needing to make sure before I leave the house that everything is in order.
“Yeah,” she says. I expect her eyes to lower, but she holds my gaze, and that confidence is what makes me sure.
“I’ll see you later, then. I’m going for a run.”
She smiles, her pretty eyes lighting up like fire embers. “See you later.”
I glance at her still rumpled bed and my cock vibrator, which rests apart from the others on her nightstand. I’d pay good money to see her play with it again. Maybe that could be part of our time together. Maybe she’d enjoy that too.
Her gaze follows mine and then she pushes her thighs together like she remembers and damn if that isn’t the sexist thing I’ve seen in a long time.
“Soon,” I say, leaning into the room enough to make my muscles bulge against my own weight. “Soon you’ll get to see if the real thing is better than the replica.”
“Get out of here, Jonas,” she laughs, blushing profusely.
And I do, strolling down the hallway with a whole lot of swagger.
After my run, I head to the kitchen and down a bottle full of room temperature water. I’m sweating and out of breath but still buzzing with energy. Outside, there’s a weird tension bubbling between everyone. A sense of anticipation that’s stifling conversation and causes people to keep looking at their watches.
I think we all need something to do to keep our minds from running too wild. I root around in the cupboards outside and find a volleyball net and ball.
“Anyone wanna play beach volleyball?” I ask.
To my surprise, every man nods, some rising immediately from sunbeds, ready to join in.
Setting up the court doesn’t take long, and we manage to divide ourselves into teams without any awkward high school picking. There’s no runt in this litter and it’s impossible to tell who’s going to be skilled at this game without seeing the action.
Me and Jimmy end up on opposite sides, so do Carson and Clay, and Oliver and Stefan. Theron and Gabe initially stand together but part when they notice a trend. Russell drifts away from Theron, and Tom agreeably drifts to the team lacking a final team member.
And we play.
With ten men involved, I expect it to get ridiculously competitive. We don’t know each other well yet, and there’s a lot to prove.
But there is such a mix of different characters in the group, and that seems to keep the game friendly. It wasn’t like this when I played sports when I was a kid. There would always be someone who had something to prove, or demons to work out of their system.
And while we play, I forget to be the funny one. I don’t feel the need to crack jokes or find the humor in other people's mistakes. I just relax into a moment in time and connect with nine other dudes who seem like they all have the potential to become good friends.
16
ALLIE
Stefan’s first.
I don’t know how to feel about it. In a way, I’m relieved it’s someone I’m assuming has a lot of experience. I’m pushing myself so outside of my comfort zone that I need someone who’s going to be good at the training-wheels version of everything!
I need a man who’s going to hold my hand and teach me what to do and how it’s supposed to feel.