Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 131728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
“Hi,” I squeak.
“Hi, boys.” Rebecca smiles. “About time you finally came to something.”
They chuckle.
“This is Juliet. She just moved in next door,” Rebecca says as she gestures to me.
“I’m Mason. This is Austin and Scott.” He’s tall, with a buzz cut and muscles for miles. Not handsome and cultured like Henley, more like I’ll-fuck-you-through-a-brick-wall kind of hot.
“Everyone is in the backyard,” Rebecca tells them.
“Thanks.” The three giants walk out the back door as Rebecca and I stare after them.
“Carol tells me they’re gangbangers,” I whisper.
“God, I hope so,” Rebecca whispers. “Can you imagine taking the three of them at once?”
I get a vision of them using my body for their pleasure. “Don’t, it’s making me flutter,” I whisper.
Rebecca giggles. “You didn’t call me for that coffee yet.”
“I know. Let’s do it next week. Time got away from me. Did you say anything to John?”
“No, I’m hoping your car-valet theory is right.” She shrugs. “I don’t know what to think.”
“It will be okay.” I smile as I try to reassure her. “I’m sure it’s innocent.”
“Hope so. Come on, let’s go socialize.” I follow Rebecca out into the backyard. There’s a fire, and everyone is sitting around it. Some people are chatting in groups, and to the left, Henley is sitting with Taryn. She’s talking, and he’s listening intently.
Jealousy simmers in the pit of my stomach.
Rebecca begins to talk to John, and I’m standing to the side.
“So, Juliet,” Mason says as he walks over to me, “how are you liking the street?”
“I’m still settling in.” I smile. I glance up to see Henley’s eyes flick over to us. “How long have you lived here?”
“It’s been a year, but I was deployed for six months of that time.”
“Oh, really?” From my peripheral vision, I can see Henley watching us. “Where were you deployed to?”
“I’m a Navy SEAL, so I was at sea.”
“A Navy SEAL.” I smile, fascinated.
Hot.
Taryn laughs out loud like the attention seeker she is. “Oh, Henley, you’re a scream.”
Fuck off, Taryn.
Mason gestures to two chairs. “Do you want to sit down?”
I glance over to Henley, who is still talking to Taryn, and my blood boils.
“Sure thing.”
We sit down, and Mason chatters on and on. I’m not listening, of course. I’m too focused on the bimbo across the fire flirting with my man, and of course, Henley is loving every minute of her attention.
Fucker.
“Do you think we could poison her drink?” Rebecca whispers.
“Probably not.”
It’s late. The night is drawing to an end, and after we watched Taryn Titties flirt with every man at the bonfire, our patience is well and truly used up.
I’ve chatted and laughed with most everyone here, too, and had a great night. Not a single word has been spoken to a certain person, though.
“Henley, come and dance with me,” Taryn purrs as she curls her finger up to him in a come-hither gesture.
That’s it.
Enough!
I can’t take one more minute of watching her fawn all over him. If he wants her, he can fucking have her. Good riddance to both of them.
“I’m going to get going.” I stand.
“Oh really?” Rebecca sighs. “Don’t leave me here.”
I smile. “You’re married—go talk to your husband.” We both look over to see John playing chess with Bennet, and she winces. “It looks very boring over there. I’ll come with you. Give me a second to say goodbye.” She disappears over to the chess table.
“Bye, everyone.” I smile with a wave. “I’m heading home.”
Henley glances up as if taken by surprise. “Already?”
Yes, fucker. I’ve been here for six hours, and you haven’t said a single word to me.
I give a wave and make my way out front.
“Wait up,” Rebecca calls as she runs to catch up. She links her arm through mine. “Screw Henley, I think we should set you up with Mason.”
“No.” I scrunch up my nose. “Definitely not.”
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like huge hot men who give you their undivided attention all night?”
I giggle. “I mean . . . he seems nice and all, but I don’t know.”
“Taryn’s probably making a move on my husband right now.” Rebecca rolls her eyes. “What if it’s her? What if he’s sleeping with her?”
My blood boils at just the thought.
“He wouldn’t. It’s not her. She’s shameless, though. I wouldn’t put it past her,” I huff. “Seriously, if it’s her, I’m going to bomb her house.”
“I’ll help.” We get to the middle of the street, and she gives me a hug. “Tonight was fun.”
“It was.”
“And we need to organize our coffee date.”
“I know. I’m on day shift next week. Next weekend maybe?”
“Sounds good.”
With another wave I stomp to my house and march inside. “Hi, Barry.”
Barry looks up from his bed all sleepy-like.
“Henley James is a giant fucking dickhead,” I whisper angrily.
Barry looks at me blankly.
“He didn’t even look my way, let alone speak to me,” I tell him. “Ugh . . . I don’t know why I started this dumb thing with him. Chloe is completely right. I am going to end up hating his guts. I kind of do already.”