Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“You should think about someone besides yourself.”
I smiled slowly.
“Tracy,” he warned me.
But no way could I have stifled my snort of laughter.
“Listen to me—”
“Did you really just say that to me? Think about someone besides yourself? Did that actually come out of your mouth?”
“You—”
“You’re giving me life advice? You? The man who doesn’t even get first names when he fucks?”
“Tracy—”
“The man who once had a quickie in a men’s room when he was on a date with somebody else?”
“I’m gonna kill your brother. Why does he tell you that shit?”
“The man who once washed off a condom with soap and water so he could reuse it?”
“That’s not exac—”
“Disgusting is what that is,” I apprised Cord, talking over him, shaking my head in revulsion. “Think about someone besides yourself… Gimme a fuckin’ break.”
“If you weren’t hurt—”
“I wouldn’t even be seeing you right now, Cord, so what the hell? Why are you even here? You guys aren’t partners anymore. What’d he do, call you to come give me shit with him?”
He opened his mouth to really give it to me with both barrels, but Alex saw him.
“Cord, lay off.”
I arched an eyebrow, baiting him. “Yeah, lay off. Better listen to your buddy.”
“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
I took a breath. “You know what, Cord, I—”
“Stop,” he ordered calmly, surprising me with his tone but even more when he slipped his hand around the side of my neck. I went mute as he stroked up and down my throat with his thumb, stilling under the unexpectedly tender touch. “We were both concerned, not just Alex.”
I was stunned. “You were?”
“Of course.”
He was worried? He cared?
“We were having breakfast when he got the call, so that’s why I’m here. I wanted to come see you. I had to.”
Had to?
Staring up at him, caught in the remarkably warm gaze, I was amazed at my own reaction, at the tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why did being the focus of all of Cord Nolan’s attention always cause that reaction?
We had a history that was both sporadic and temperamental. We had been dancing around each other for years, almost close and then abruptly apart. The first time I met Cord, five years ago, was at a party to celebrate him and Alex being promoted. They were both going to be inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department. Before that, whenever Cord had been invited to meet the family, have a meal, he’d backed out. Alex made excuses for him, said the man with estranged parents and no siblings had trouble being around others’ families. My brother had celebrated quietly with my father and me first, but then he was having a huge blowout of a party, a total rager, and I’d been invited to stop by, so I did.
I had been walking into my brother’s loft; Cord had been on his way out on a beer run. The collision wasn’t hard, but he’d had to grab me so I wouldn’t fall down since he was so much bigger and stronger. It had been like getting sideswiped by a train.
“I’m so…” I couldn’t remember what I was saying when I looked up at him. I inhaled sharply, and no way he’d missed that.
“You’re the little brother, right? Tracy?”
“I’m the middle brother,” I’d corrected automatically, as I’d been doing all my life. Those simple words were all I could manage gazing up into his beautiful moss-green eyes. Combined with the short sable-brown hair, broad shoulders, and thick muscular frame, the man was easily the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.
“Alex says you’re smart.”
It was better than the alternative.
He smiled slightly, a trace of softness around his mouth, a crinkle of laugh lines, and my breath caught again.
Fuck.
“He didn’t say you were mute.”
I had seen beautiful men before, but nothing like him. And he wasn’t movie-star handsome, but there was strength in his face, and between the sharp-angled features, the smirking curl to his mouth, and the bored look in his eyes, I was utterly transfixed. Any man who dared me to be brilliant, to dazzle him? Of course I was all over that.
He went on speaking even though I was obviously afflicted in some way. “I’m Cord. Cord Nolan. Your brother’s partner.” He extended a hand to me. “We should’ve met before this, but you know how it is.”
I was supposed to touch him and retain higher brain function? There was no way.
He grunted after a moment, dropping his hand. “Okay, so I guess you didn’t like whatever Alex told you about me.”
There was disappointment on his face, like maybe he’d been expecting more from his partner’s supposedly smart brother. Before he could leave, I grabbed his hand and held it tight. “Sorry.”
His eyes widened, and he squeezed my hand automatically.
“I just…” I raked my fingers through my hair roughly. “Sorry.”