Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“No, no.” He held up a hand and began looking through the cabinets for a glass. “Don’t apologize for having the right features to show this apron off. I’m jealous.”
He gave her a disarming smile as he found a glass and poured himself some wine. Jess’s anger was amplifying.
“Do you want a glass?” He pulled out one for Jess and hesitated before taking out a third.
“Oh…uh…” Camila was still standing in front of the open pantry. “Yeah, sure. I’ll just…” She hesitantly pulled out another apron, this one pink with darker pink flowers, lime-green straps, a matching belt around the middle, and pockets.
“Oh, I see, you gave me the one without pockets.” He shook his head and tsked. “Selfish.”
She laughed a little more freely, pulling it on. “Yes. You’ve caught me. Us ladies pine for pockets.”
Shouting rang through the house, and Camila tensed.
“Wine?” Austin asked, monitoring Jess through the bonds. Intense anger and confusion. Bewilderment. Austin would bet he was spinning her head around. Matt seemed to have a knack for manipulation. It made Austin want to punch him, which wasn’t something Janes could usually get away with. Dicks either. This guy was probably litigious.
“Sure. Sorry about—”
“No need to apologize.” Austin poured her a glass and set it to the side for her. Usually a shifter wouldn’t offer another female food or drink, but this woman didn’t know those rules. She’d think it was a slight if he set down the bottle and expected her to help herself. He knew Jess would understand. Still, he was glad her gargoyle wasn’t here to see it. “We are the support system. Whatever happens is between them.”
“True,” she said softly.
“So.” He clapped his hands together and looked around the immaculate kitchen. “What are we having? How can I help? I’m all dressed up with nothing to do.”
She laughed again as Matt entered the kitchen, flustered and obviously angry, though trying to keep his cool. He froze when he saw Austin in the apron, and a scowl creased his brow.
“Camila, putting our guest in that is entirely inappropriate. Don’t you have anything more fitting?”
“N-no. I just have the two aprons. I didn’t know—”
“Austin, this is embarrassing,” Matt said, shaking his head. “Allow me to apologize for my fiancée. She clearly missed the mark. I’m sure no one would fault you for going back on your desire to help her.”
Austin let his stare beat into the other man. “I think the ruffles really accentuate my hips, don’t you?” he growled, his power promising pain. Let it go.
Matt froze. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, and primal fear made his body rigid. “Well then, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few matters to attend to. I’ll leave you to the kitchen with the women.”
After delivering what he clearly thought was a dig that a shifter would deem a challenge, he hurried from the room and Austin’s dominating presence. Fleeing, in other words, so he wouldn’t be forced to face the fallout of his words.
The rush of anger that followed was a palpable thing, coursing through Austin’s body and lighting him up with adrenaline. He was not the kind of guy to let a challenge go unmet, and he absolutely detested allowing that guy to issue it while running. What sort of coward was he? What sort of fool?
“I’m sorry—”
“Definitely do not apologize for that,” Austin said, doing his best to quash the throbbing rage. “Unless he is a robot and you hold the remote control, you are not responsible for a grown man’s actions.”
He wrestled up a smile that was clearly startling, because Camila took a step back, her eyes widening. He needed Jess in here to defuse the situation. To help calm him down.
He felt her hurrying his way, clearly in response to his distress.
“What are we making?” he ground out, rolling his head. His neck cracked.
“Uuuhh…” Camila drew out.
Jess sauntered in a moment later, her face flushed with anger but her eyes hyper-focused. She moved slowly, like molasses, but graceful and outwardly calm. Concern flowed through the bonds, and her gaze raked over his body before settling on his eyes.
“Hey, handsome,” she said with a beautiful smile, reaching him and running a hand up his arm and around his neck. Austin barely registered Jimmy following her into the kitchen. “Looking hot in that apron.”
She laughed as she looped her other arm around his neck and then pulled him down for a kiss and a tight hug.
Her lips brushed off his ear and she whispered, “Not even you had the power to steer this dinner away from Shitsville.”
He huffed out a laugh, holding her firmly. “I was blindsided, I will admit,” he said in a whisper that would be undetectable to human ears. “He is…” He didn’t have the words. “At least we’re in it together. We’ve been through worse. Maybe later you can accidentally on purpose toss him through the window.”