Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
I was bending over the bed, my hands on the checkered cotton sheets, when I felt Apple’s hands on my hips, pulling me against his hard erection that was tenting the front of his jeans.
I didn’t even care that those jeans were covered in sweat and wood chips.
I was ecstatic that he was even acknowledging that I was there.
“I’m tired,” he grunted softly.
I looked at him over my shoulder, my brows furrowed.
“You don’t want to do this?” I asked carefully.
His eyes went up my naked body, starting at my bare ass and ending at the top of my shoulder blades.
“Oh, I want this,” he said. “But I want to do this at home, later tonight, in our own bed.”
I was shaking my head before he even finished.
“Absolutely not,” I denied, breaking away from his hold and turning around on the bed. “You’re going to lay there and let me love you.”
His eyes flared.
“I am not,” he contradicted. “We can’t leave Emily with my dad. He can’t take care of her.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“I left my cell phone on the table with him, and a bottle ready to feed her the moment—and that’s a big if since I just fed her not even an hour ago—she wakes up,” I said. “And you need to stop coddling us and let us breathe.”
“I’m not coddling you!” He replied, angry now. “I’m protecting you!”
“Protecting us from what?” I asked, throwing my arms out wide. “Ourselves?”
His eyes narrowed.
“Every time you get excited you have a fucking seizure that knocks you out for half a day. Excuse fucking me if I’m trying to prevent that,” he hissed, backing away from the bed.
I followed him, being careful of my still weak leg when I stepped.
“That sounds like a bitch excuse to me,” I goaded him. “It sounds like you’re keeping me in a goddamned bubble that I can’t fucking breathe inside. Do you know what it’s like to be told to do nothing?”
“Most girls would like that their man takes care of them,” he muttered darkly.
My brows rose again.
“Most girls aren’t me. I’m independent. I like being able to go to places I want to go. Such as the grocery store or Walmart to buy my own goddamned Kotex.”
He crossed his arms.
“I did that for you!” He snapped, instantly upset that I would say he didn’t provide for me.
“I know you did. That’s the problem,” I muttered. “I want to do stuff. Take Emily to a mommy and me class.”
“She’s still too young,” he said instantly.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“I know that,” I groaned.
“Then why would you just say you wanted to take her to a mommy and me class when you know she’s too young for that?” He questioned.
“It was an example!” I fumed. “I want to go places. On a date. With you! I’ve never even been on a date with you that my brother didn’t orchestrate.”
His eyes went intense.
“What are you talking about?” He hesitated.
I smiled at him and not in a nice way.
“You didn’t think I’d find out that my brother asked you to take me on a date?” I smiled, and not in a good way. “Well, you’d be mistaken.”
I prowled forward, letting him see the hurt in my eyes.
The same hurt that was in my eyes this morning when I heard my brother joking around with Wolf, saying he was the reason Emily was even alive. That if it hadn’t been for him, the most beautiful girl in the world wouldn’t have even been conceived.
“I took you out because I wanted to take you out,” he said stiffly. “Had I not already been planning that event, I wouldn’t have said yes to your brother.”
I glared at him.
“How am I ever supposed to trust that?” I cracked, throwing my hands up in despair. “I was a pity date!”
He was on me before I even finished bringing my hands back down to my sides.
“Pity?” He shook his head, grabbing a hold of my chin with one large hand. “I don’t fucking pity you for what you think I pity you for.”
“What?” I asked in confusion.
The ‘what’ came out sounding more like ‘waft’ since his hand was impeding my ability to speak clearly.
But it got the point across.
“I pity you because you have to deal with me for the rest of your life,” he leveled with me.
I blinked.
“Why would you pity me for that for?” I wondered. “That actually sounds like heaven to me.”
He backed away with disgust.
“How can you say that?” He ran his hands through his sweat slickened hair. “I’ve ruined your fucking life.”
I looked at him with incredulity.
“Ummm. How?” I was lost.
He looked at me like I’d grown a second head and then started pacing.
“Emily is mine and yours. You’ll forever have to deal with me, even when you wise up and decide I’m not worth the trouble,” he muttered, his hands going up to cup the back of his neck.