Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
“Do you need any help cooking?” I asked.
“It’s all pretty straightforward. Though I wouldn’t mind if you tossed the salad.”
“I’m proud of you for not turning that into a joke.”
“You have no idea what a struggle it is to deny my true nature.”
“I appreciate the effort.” I kissed him on the cheek and then sidestepped to the fridge to gather the ingredients for the kale salad with mustard vinaigrette.
After assembling the salad, I went into the bathroom to brush my hair and touch up my makeup. I wanted to look good tonight. Logan and Graham had both seen me at my most vulnerable, but something about being here in person felt even more significant. This, the three of us together, was what we’d been working toward. I wanted everything to be perfect.
I was just putting the finishing touches on my lip gloss when I heard voices coming from the kitchen.
“Medium rare, right?” said Logan.
“Yeah,” said Graham. “But it’s been so long since I had a steak that I’d eat just about anything you put in front of me.”
“That’s the idea.”
I flew down the hallway with a wild grin on my face. Graham turned as I entered the living room. Squealing, I threw my arms around his neck and inhaled his clean scent, soap plus a familiar masculine fragrance that was entirely his own. He hugged me back, squeezing me so tight that I could hardly breathe as he lifted me off my feet.
My heart swelled in my chest. Having my stepdad here with us felt like completion, a missing piece sliding into place. I was finally back with the two people who meant the world to me, even if it was just for one day.
He held me for a long time before lowering me to my feet, stepping back with his hands on my shoulders. He scanned me up and down. “God, I’ve missed you, Hailee.”
“I missed you, too.”
“We brought you some clothes,” said Logan. “Thought you might want to feel like a human for a change.”
“I left them out on the bed,” I added, gesturing in the direction of the bedroom.
Graham left to get changed, and I stayed in the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and watched as Logan put the steaks into a large pan with butter to sear them. The smell of beef cooking filled the air and made my stomach grumble. I’d been too excited earlier today to eat much of my lunch.
“He looks good, doesn’t he?” I said quietly.
“I don’t know. He’s not really my type.” Logan winked at me.
I rolled my eyes and slapped his arm playfully. “You know what I mean.”
He laughed. “Yeah, he seems happy to be here. I think reconnecting with you has been good for him. And for you.”
I set my water aside and moved closer to him so I could hug him from behind. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?”
“For being okay with this. I know I’m being kind of extra about this whole thing.”
“He’s your family, Hails. Of course you’re excited to see him.”
“I just don’t want you to feel left out.”
He turned around and cupped my cheek in his big, warm hand. “I appreciate you worrying about me, but you really don’t need to. Graham and I figured out how to share you a long time ago. That part isn’t new for either of us. So relax, okay?”
“Okay.” I felt my shoulder muscles start to loosen, slowly at first and then all at once, like untying a knot.
He kissed my lips before returning his attention to our meal.
Graham sauntered into the kitchen a few minutes later, dressed in the clothes I’d picked out for him: jeans, a black T-shirt, and an open button-up shirt.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Do I clean up good?”
“I think you look great,” I said. Seeing him in regular clothes, in a more-or-less regular setting, made the arrangement we found ourselves in seem that much more real.
“Help yourself to anything in the fridge,” Logan said. “They wouldn’t let us bring beer, so I packed soda.”
“Those steaks smell so good, I don’t even mind staying sober,” Graham said, cracking open a soft drink.
The dinner turned out delicious, not that anyone was surprised. Graham couldn’t stop mmm-ing with pleasure after every bite. Our conversation flowed so easily that it almost felt like nothing had changed between us. But that sense of comfort wasn’t the whole story. Our easy rapport had contorted into something new and complex; simple touches weren’t so simple anymore.
By the time we laid down our silverware, the sexual tension in the air felt thick enough to slice up and serve on a platter. I was hyperaware of every move I made, and the attention drawn by my actions, like how Logan’s hands grew restless whenever I swept my hair back from my neck.