Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79499 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79499 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“How poetic,” Dad says, but his tensed shoulders have dropped, and he takes a step back.
“Randolph, we can’t let them do this,” Adelaide says, her voice pleading as her hands hang limply at her sides.
Dad shakes his head and reaches out for her nearest hand, linking their fingers tenderly. “The more we go against them, the more entrenched they will become.” Adelaide shakes her head, but her denial of his words seems weak. Dad continues. “Maybe we should just let them muddle it out for themselves. Chances are it’ll fizzle out.”
“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad,” I say, closing my eyes and breathing out a long breath through my nose. Cora places her hand on my arm and moves closer so that we’re aligned. Just that single touch and knowing she’s there beside me is enough to defuse whatever anger I feel. Dad might think this is just a passing phase, but I know differently.
This is it for us.
The one woman who turned our world upside down has also managed to bring it all back together.
The one woman who was scared has found the confidence and belief in us to stand up and fight for our relationship.
We might have started out as house hates, but I’m confident that we will work to make sure that love is the only thing that lives in our home, wherever that might be.
30
RIVER
I don’t tell my brothers I’m booking a motel room. As they hug Cora, Dad and Adelaide make their way to the pool house, and I find a place that will accept a booking of six adults in a family room and use Dad’s card to pay for it. A final fuck you!
“We need to pack,” I say when I return to the kitchen.
“What for?” Danny asks, his eyes drifting to the pile of apartment listings.
“Not to move out,” I say. “Just for tonight. I think we need to get away from this house so that we can be together without our parents lingering in the back of our minds.”
“Now that, brother, is a great idea,” Tobias says.
“I’ve booked us a room. We just need to grab a change of clothes for tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Cora says, beaming. In all the time we’ve been together, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look so relaxed. It’s strange how sometimes things can get so much better after an argument. And it’s reassuring to me to know we can work through things and reach a resolution as a group. It gives me hope for the future.
“Don’t forget condoms,” Danny says. “I’m all out.”
“I’ve got a box of twenty,” Tobias says.
“That might just last us,” I joke, and Cora’s cheeks flame as she glances between us all.
This tiny woman doesn’t look resilient enough to take on five huge men, but she’s proven time and time again that she’s more than capable.
“What color underwear?” she asks. “Pink, red, or black?”
“Black,” we all shout in chorus. At least we’re aligned on the important things.
It takes us ten minutes to each gather a small bag, and we leave a note for Dad on the kitchen counter so that he knows we’re not coming back until tomorrow.
The car journey to the motel only takes twenty minutes, and I regret driving almost immediately because Tobias, Danny, Mark, and Cora are kissing and touching and moaning before we’ve even gotten off the driveway.
“Seriously. I’m not going to be able to concentrate if you carry on like that,” I say, not caring that I sound green with jealousy.
“Leave them to have their fun,” Alden says breezily from the front passenger seat. “She’ll be ours first when we get there.”
“Not how it works,” Danny says, and I glance into the back to find his hand up Cora’s skirt. My cock swells immediately, knowing how slick she’ll be between her legs at just a finger circling her sweet clit.
“There’s more than enough of me to go around,” Cora says, then groans loudly at whatever Danny is doing to her.
“What the fuck?” I shout. “You can’t be making sounds like that and expect me to drive.”
“Shhhh,” Marks whispers in Cora’s ear as he eases his hand over her mouth. “River’s getting crazy.”
“You want to see how crazy I can get? Keep going the way you’re going, and I’ll pull this car over to the side of the road, throw you all out of that back seat and lock the doors, so it’s just Cora and me.”
“Baby, that sounds hot,” she murmurs.
“Don’t tempt me, Cora. I mean it.”
“River’s going first when we get there,” she says, grinning at me through the mirror with lazy, lowered lids revealing how aroused she is.
“Damn right,” I say. “This motel thing was my idea.”
“Anyone would think you were the youngest, the way you still have tantrums,” Alden says.
“This isn’t a fucking tantrum,” I grunt. “This is about a man’s ability to concentrate when all his blood is currently residing in his cock.”