Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
I close my eyes to ward off the rush of emotions I feel. “I’m sorry.”
Those two words feel insufficient. There’s so much that I want to say, but I don’t know how to express any of it.
“In many ways, losing them was almost harder than losing my parents,” he admits. “I hate that I didn’t fully appreciate my grandparents when they were alive.”
“Sometimes death sharpens the lens,” I repeat what my mom said to me after a friend’s pet died when I was a kid. I didn’t understand the wisdom of the statement then, but I think I do now.
“It sure as hell did for me.” He glances at me. “I’d give almost anything to have one final day with Buzzy. I’d spend every second of it holding his hand and telling him what he meant to me.”
I squeeze his hand again. “You can tell me what he meant to you. I know it’s not the same, but I’d love to hear all about him.”
“You’re coming home with me,” he tells me as we exit the house. “I insist, Evie.”
“I’d like that.” I have my key out of my pocket before his is in his hand. “I’ll lock up.”
He doesn’t say a word as he watches me secure both locks on the front door. In what is likely an unnecessary move, I reach over to flip open the lid of the rusty mailbox to check inside. The movement is too much for the last remaining nail. It slides out, and the box tumbles to the ground.
Horrified, I almost push Reid off the concrete steps in my rush to grab the mailbox to check for damage.
His laughter fills the night air. “It’s a goner, Evangeline.”
I scoop it up and assess it. He’s right. What I didn’t notice earlier is that the bottom of the mailbox is covered in so much rust that there are a few gaping holes in it. “I’ll get a new one.”
I expect him to tell me not to bother, but he nods. “A new mailbox for the new paint job.”
Still holding the mailbox, I look up at him. “The house is getting a new paint job?”
“New paint, a new roof.” He descends the concrete steps until he’s standing next to me. “You’ll help me put together a list of what the house needs to bring it back to its former glory.”
I love that he’s not asking. He’s not ordering me to do it, either. It’s a clear assumption that I’ll help. He’s right. I will. “Of course. Do you have plans for the house, Reid? Will you sell it once it’s fixed up?”
“I do have plans.” He scans the exterior of the house again. “None of them include selling.”
I don’t press for more because he’ll tell me when the time is right. All I can hope for is that his plan for this house somehow includes us.
Us. I could definitely get used to that.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
Reid
I cup her beautiful ass in my hands so I can tilt her up ever so slightly. It’s just enough that my cock slips even deeper inside of her. I can’t contain the growl that falls from my lips. Hell, I don’t even try to silence myself because I want Evie to know what she does to me. I need her to know I’m lost to her in every possible way.
“God, you’re so big,” she murmurs.
I laugh against her lips before I kiss her. “You love it.”
“So much,” she drawls, her breath hitching as I plunge into her again. “I love you.”
The words hit differently like this, with us so connected in the physical sense. I swear I can feel my heart opening up as I make love to her. I manage to express what I’m feeling, too, but it’s all wrapped in a groan. “I fucking love you.”
Her nails dig into my shoulders with each thrust. I can tell she’s closing in on her climax. Her breathing has shifted. The moans filling my bedroom are louder. It fucking drives me mad, so I let out a roar, lean back, and take her hard until she comes around me.
I slow my pace to give her a second to recover, but my beauty doesn’t want that. She wants more. A soft whimper leaves her. “Again.”
I want to laugh at how greedy she is, but I’m intent on giving her everything she wants, so I pump harder. She’ll get her second orgasm before I finally come.
“Reid!” she cries out, her voice etching into my memory.
Hearing her call my name is my undoing. I lose all control. I circle her nipple with my lips and bite it, desperate for her to climax again. Her scream punctuates the moment her pussy tightens around my dick. She comes apart with a series of sweet noises falling from her lips.