Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 111742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
On the porch, I set the mugs on the little table and wait for her to sit first, but she doesn’t move. Taking the cue, I sit on the lounge chair that’s become ‘mine’ over the last week, expecting her to sit in ‘hers’.
Instead, she stands beside me with a look I can’t decipher. “Janey?”
In answer, she sits down with me, arranging herself between my outstretched legs and leaning back against my chest. I’m shocked, but there’s no way I’m going to ask her to move. I grab the blanket from behind me and throw it over her to keep her warm, though I’m burning up like a furnace at her being this close.
My cock’s already growing in my slacks, and there’s no way she can’t feel the effect she has on me, so I don’t bother trying to hide it.
“I’m really sorry your family sucks,” I say as I press a kiss to the top of her head. Her curls are soft and spring up around my face, tickling me and making me smile instinctually. Janey’s got a lot of ways to do that, though, even if she doesn’t see them all.
“God, they really do, don’t they?” she answers sadly with a humorless laugh. But her voice is lighter than I would’ve expected. It’s a small difference, but I notice it anyway.
I should’ve known—she’s been through hell tonight, but she bounces back, finding a happy place even if she has to create it herself. That’s what she does best—create happiness.
“Can we talk about something else? Tell me how awful your family is to make me feel better.” She wiggles, snuggling in deeper to the blanket and rubbing over my hardness. I swallow thickly, doing my best to ignore it and focus on what she needs, not what my dick wants.
“Yeah, uh . . .” I stare into the forest, trying to think of a story that’ll help, not just be comparatively worse. And then I’ve got it. “My brother, Chance, he’s a real goody two-shoes. Never met a rule he didn’t follow, a goal he didn’t smash—”
“So, the opposite of you?” she teases, and I can hear the small smile in her voice. I wish I could see it, but the night surrounding us is too dark, broken only by the light of the moon. I can imagine it, though, her lips lifted wide to show the little chipped tooth that makes her smile that much more intriguing.
I chuckle. “I’m not that bad. That’d be my brother, Kyle. He’s the real heavy-duty rebel of the family and won’t follow even a good rule just to be contrary. I’m somewhere in between. I’ll follow rules if I agree with them. But I’ve got a healthy dose of ‘ends justify the means’ when the situation warrants.” She nods in agreement, and I go on. “Karma, being the bitch she is, brought Samantha into Chance’s life. She says what’s on her mind with zero fucks or platitudes and basically drove him crazy from minute one when she spilled a bag of dicks at his feet.”
Janey gasps in shock and I explain, “She’s a relationship therapist and sells sex toys to supplement her practice. Anyway, Chance brought Samantha home to meet the family, kinda how you did with me tonight. Except Grandpa Chuck’s old-school. He asked, flat-out at the dinner table, if she was a gold-digger.”
“He did not,” Janey whispers, horrified.
“Yep. And Samantha told everyone—Grandpa Chuck, Grandma Beth, Mom, Dad, all of the siblings, plus Aunt Vivian, my cousin, and his fiancée—that she was only in it for the dick, so he didn’t need to worry about the pre-nup he informed her she’d have to sign. I thought Grandpa was going to have a heart attack right then and there. It was awesome.”
I think back to that dinner fondly. Chance has always been uptight, and Samantha is good for him. And despite her arguing to the contrary, they are engaged now, though I don’t know what they decided to do about the pre-nup. It’s not my business unless Chance makes it so.
Besides, I already ran a background check on my sister-in-law to be and her best friend, Luna, who is married to my other brother, Carter. They’re clean, criminally speaking.
“She sounds kinda awesome,” Janey says. “Maybe she could teach me her ways?”
“No. You don’t need to be like Samantha any more than I need to be like Chance. I mean, he’s my brother, but the man probably irons his socks and reads tax code for fun on Friday nights. You need to be the best Janey, and that’s enough. It’s always been enough and always will be.”
I feel her sink into me, relaxing more and more, and feel relieved that she’s not angry anymore and seems to be listening.
“You think so?”
I nod, though she can’t see me. “I know so. You’re special, Janey. Your family . . . some of them are too stupid to see it. And the ones who do? They try to snuff it out so you don’t realize the truth.”