Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 561(@200wpm)___ 449(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 561(@200wpm)___ 449(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
When all of this was over, I told myself I’d take Kev somewhere quiet, set a romantic scene, and come clean in a way that would let him know I’d never meant to hurt him. I’d promise him anything, everything, and pray that he forgave me.
Kev lifted his head off my shoulder and pulled his hand out of my grip to run his palm down his thigh. “I didn’t tell you what happened with Adam. Anomaly451, I mean. He, uh… I… We planned to meet up in Vegas to…” He cleared his throat and finished in a strangled voice, “…get to know each other.”
The idea of Kevin “getting to know” his cheating asshole online boyfriend made the edges of my vision jagged and dim. I bit my tongue to keep from interrupting him.
“But then stuff happened. With us. I mean, you and me, us. And I don’t want to do that anymore. Obviously.”
His hands continued rubbing up and down the fabric of his pants. Why the hell was he nervous? I grabbed his hands and held them gently in mine.
“Did you tell him that?” I asked softly.
He nodded. “I messaged him and told him that I’d met someone in real life.”
I exhaled and tried not to grin in happy relief. “And what did he say?”
If he said anything to hurt or disparage Kev, I’d have to find the fucker in Vegas and have a talk with him. A physical talk.
Kev grimaced slightly. “He said he understood I was nervous, so we could take it slow with anything… physical. He said he wanted to meet and share a drink.”
“Did he now?” I grunted. It was better than what I really wanted to say. “And what did you say?”
“I told him no,” he said, shooting a glance at me through his dark-framed glasses. “I told him I didn’t want anything physical at all because I was going to be there with my new b—” He made a clicking noise in his throat before clearing it and trying again. This time, it came out in a whisper. “Boyfriend?”
I leaned in and kissed him, using my mouth to remove any doubt in his mind that his use of the word was anything other than perfect with me. When I finally pulled back, he blinked a few times before straightening his glasses.
“Yeah, so, that’s what I said.”
“Good,” I said firmly.
“And I said we could meet as friends, but that’s all.”
This was less good, and I wanted to complain about it—why the hell did he need to meet Anomaly at all?—but I didn’t want to be the kind of asshole who policed his boyfriend’s friends.
“Besides, I’m going to keep you too busy for any of that nonsense. When we’re not working, I’m going to need to examine your body for…” My imagination failed me at the last minute.
The tips of Kev’s ears turned red. “Piercings?” he suggested.
I smirked. “I can say with one hundred percent confidence that you didn’t have any piercings last night, baby. Not sure how you might have acquired any new ones this morning.”
“So far,” he whispered, eyes dancing behind his glasses as he called back our conversation from the other night.
Icy-hot prickles danced up and down my thighs at the idea of this sweet man getting himself pierced. Of me watching. Of the two of us getting pierced at the same time.
“In that case, I think we need to study your body thoroughly,” I growled into his ear. “Scientifically, one might say. Making sure to consider all possibilities.”
He shuddered against me like he wished he could fuse himself into me, and at that moment, there was nothing I would have liked better.
We teased and flirted and touched for the rest of the flight. I was secretly grateful Champ and the rest of the team were in California on the horse breeder mission and wouldn’t be meeting up with us until the next day. For the moment, at least, I could have Kev all to myself.
I felt so much for the man that I figured I was glowing like a nuclear reactor, and I knew at least Champ and Carter—and therefore Riggs—had to have seen it by now. If they hadn’t, the fact that I’d been parked outside of the safe house for days and kept turning up for breakfast would have clued them in. Kev had been right, though. Champ trusted his teammates and clearly trusted me not to fuck things up, no matter who I was sleeping with…
As long as I could keep my protective urges in check.
After we landed and caught a ride to the conference hotel, I realized just how big HOGCon was. Hundreds of people decked out in everything from HOG-branded T-shirts and ball caps to actual cosplay creations swarmed through the large open lobby.
Kev’s eyes lit up like he’d just arrived at the gates to heaven. “Oh my God. Hux, look,” he hiss-whispered, tugging on my sleeve. “The Wool Isle Sorceress is coming right toward us. Just look at the ruffles on her coat. Excuse me! Love your spindle dagger!” he called happily, earning a grin and a regal nod in return.