Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
I laugh loudly. "If you think I'm annoying, you'd kill Zayne."
"What about the other one?" she asks hopefully. "Surely he's not so bad."
Instead of answering, I drag my phone from my pocket to dial Gideon, deciding she needs a demonstration. I put it on speaker.
He answers on the second ring. "Why are you calling me so early? Did the model fire your big ass already?"
"Not quite."
"Can I do that?" she asks hopefully.
"Hell no," I growl.
"You already want to fire him?"
"He let himself into my house." She pauses to scowl at me. "And he's drinking my coffee."
"I didn't let myself in. You opened the door for me," I remind her. "And you offered me the cup. Shouldn't have done that if you didn't want me to take it."
"I wasn't offering you… I was offering coffee in general," she splutters. "Not my cup that I was drinking."
"So this is off to a great start, I see," Gideon says.
"I want to exchange him for another brother."
"Sorry. No returns, refunds, or exchanges."
Makenzie narrows her eyes at me. "Did you tell him to say that?"
"Fuck no," Gideon chuckles. "You've known his big ass for five minutes and want to return him. Zayne and I have been trying to get rid of him since he was born."
Makenzie cracks a smile, flashing two adorable dimples at me. "Did you try selling him to SHIELD? I'm pretty sure they're still looking for whoever left that hammer in the desert."
"No, but I did try selling him to an old lady for twenty bucks at our lemonade stand once. Ma was pissed." Gideon pauses. "I almost had a deal, too."
I scowl at the phone. "Gertrude was batshit crazy."
"You would have fit right in."
Makenzie laughs in delight, the sweet sound hitting me right in the fucking heart. Jesus. She's beautiful all the time, but when she's laughing? Pure radiance. It's no wonder the world fell at her feet. I've known her for half an hour and I'm ready to do the same. This girl is magic…the kind that has me thinking things I damn well shouldn't.
"Don't even think about leavin' this bed, Songbird," Gideon says, making my brows climb. He's in bed with a woman? Scratch that. He's in bed with a woman he's calling Songbird?
Motherfucker. He's sleeping with our new client, the country musician!
"Don't tell me how to live my life, Gideon James Carmichael. I need to pee."
"Fine. Pee and come right back," he says, his voice muffled. And then he comes back on the line. "Why are you calling me? I've got shit to do."
"We're going to talk about this later."
"Yeah? Are we going to talk about your situation too?"
"I don't have a situation."
"Hey, Kenzie, is it?" he says, making every hair on my body stand upright.
"That's me."
"Zion was eleven before he could sleep without a—"
"Yes, we'll talk about it, you motherfucker," I growl, shutting that shit down now. I swear to Christ, Ma should have swallowed him. One brother is plenty.
"Thought you'd see it my way."
I can practically hear the smug bastard's smirk, so I do what any rational human being with an older brother would do. I hang up on his ass.
"That was Gideon?" Makenzie asks, trying—and failing—to contain her laughter.
"Ma dropped him on his head when he was a baby," I grouse.
"She did not."
"You're right. There's no excuse for him. He's just an idiot."
Makenzie cracks up. "He doesn't seem so annoying to me."
"Too bad. You're stuck with me."
"Fine." Her smile slips before it comes back even brighter than before. And that right there lets me know she's up to some bullshit I don't want to deal with. "Then I guess you get to come with me today."
"Where are we going?"
"How do you feel about parties?"
"Hate them."
"Excellent." She beams at me, clearly pleased with herself. And even though I want to tell her there's no fucking way we're going to a party that fucking smile knocks me flat on my ass and I swallow the denial.
I think I'd go just about anywhere if it meant going with her.
Shit. I think Gideon and I may need to have that talk sooner rather than later.
Chapter Four
Kenzie
The worst part of my job is the number of parties I'm expected to attend. I'm a homebody, far more in my comfort zone when I'm cuddled up on the couch, watching junk TV or reading a good book. I know how to socialize. I get along with people. But so much of it just seems so fake. I hate that part of it.
I don't like when people pretend to love me to my face, only to start gossiping the moment my back is turned. Fake friends are the worst kind of friends. In this world, there are a lot of those. Everyone wants to be seen supporting the curvy girl because body positivity is all the rage right now. But no one actually wants to give her a seat at the table.