Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 33445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Although she could have just walked right in, knowing they wouldn’t have cared, she hadn’t seen them for three years, and the thought of just bursting into Riley’s home seemed obtrusive.
She took hold of the icy brass knocker in the center of the rustic wood door and brought it down. It took a few seconds, but then the door was opened, and there, standing in the entryway, was Tallin.
Standing at six and a half feet tall, his big, imposing frame had her craning her head back to look him in the face. His dark hair was short, his blue eyes a contrast to his golden skin and dark colored hair.
His expression was stony at first, but it was as if seeing her had changed that to one of happiness.
“Lilly,” he said her name in that steely, deep voice, one that had a shiver racing up her spine. He broke into a smile, all straight and white teeth, his tattoos peeking out from under the collar of his shirt.
He reached out and pulled her inside, and the heat and scent of him slammed into her.
When the door shut she was left standing there, so close to him, knowing that she should feel guilty for being happy to see him given the circumstances, but not able to help how good it felt.
“Damn, it’s so good to see you, especially because of…” He didn’t finish, but she knew what he was going to say, knew he was going to mention Christian.
He pulled her against him and wrapped his massive arms around her. She rested her head on the center of his chest, closed her eyes, and just absorbed how good it felt to be held by him.
“God, I missed you, Lilly.”
His voice was deep and rough, a husky timbre as she heard him inhale against her hair. She could have cried right then and there from the sound of his voice alone, but a spark of willpower gave her the strength she needed to carry on.
“I missed you, too.”
They stayed in that embrace for a suspended moment. They broke away, and Tallin moved back, just staring at her.
“What?” She laughed at the expression that crossed his face. His dark hair was disheveled, and he regarded her solemnly with his forest green eyes.
“Nothing. I just really missed you.”
She smiled, not about to let herself get wrapped up in her emotions. She was already feeling stretched and worn down with the feelings bombarding her over Christian’s death. Letting herself cry now would only mean she wouldn’t be able to stop.
“I missed you, too, Tallin.” She glanced around the grand foyer. “Something smells delicious. Riley’s cooking, I take it?”
“Yeah, he wanted to make tonight nice for the reunion, even if it’s not a happy get-together.”
Tallin sounded so torn, something she rarely saw from him. He’d always been the strong, alpha friend, the bad boy that didn’t let his emotions be known. Right now he wasn’t trying to hide how much he was hurting.
She took her coat off, hung it up, and followed Tallin into the kitchen. Once in the big, open room, Tallin leaned against the wall, crossing his big arms over his chest while watching her. She drew her gaze to Riley, whose back was to her as he worked at the stove.
It was clear he was unaware they were standing there. He turned around, his blond hair cut close to his scalp. His thin glasses made him seem scholarly and intellectual, both of which were true.
She couldn’t stop her smile at seeing him again after so long.
He grabbed some ingredients off the counter, his gaze momentarily flickering to her and then back down. His head snapped up a second later, the emotion on his face clear as he stared at her.
“Lilly,” he said her name softly, his voice deep.
She smiled and looked between the two men she loved so much, her chest seizing when memory after memory tore through her. It was just like old times, except Christian wasn’t sitting at the table with a beer in his hand telling his corny jokes.
That was all it took for her emotions to strangle her—finally seeing their faces, being back in Burkett, and not caring if they saw her breakdown.
She couldn’t hold back any longer, not as she glanced between them and then at the empty table, wishing Christian was there, smiling at her. She hunched over, the pain coursing through her, stealing everything from her.
The tears spilled over as she finally let the grief she felt for Christian wash through her.
Riley and Tallin were by her in the next instant, wrapping their arms around her and saying soft things, but she couldn’t hear them, didn’t understand their words over the beating of her heart and the pain that encompassed every part of her.
Strong, heavy sobs wracked her, and if it weren’t for them holding her up, she would have fallen to her knees, let her feelings take her down.