Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)
I’m not happy to see him.
I prop a hand on my hip and just stare at him.
“You seem angry,” he observes.
“Why are you ignoring me?” I demand.
“I’m not ignoring you.” His answer comes too easy. He didn’t have to think about it. He’s not surprised by my question, and he has already thought about it enough to prepare himself with those words.
Because he damn well knows he’s ignoring me.
“I’m sorry if I’ve made you mad.”
“Damn right, I’m mad,” I say.
“Why?”
“You’re being weird. You’re being distant. You’re not paying attention to me or goofing off with me like you normally do, and I know it’s because Jonathan is here to ‘keep an eye on us’.”
Milo sighs, glancing back into the living room, then back at me. Keeping his voice low, he admits, “Jonathan expressed some concerns, yes.”
I fold my arms over my chest, hating Jonathan Granville more with every second that passes. “None of this is any of his business. Where am I sleeping tonight if I stay here?”
“You can sleep in my room.”
I can tell by his tone he won’t be joining me, but I ask, anyway. “Alone?”
“Of course, alone, Kennedy. That has nothing to do with Jonathan. We had the place to ourselves last time, so we had more freedom to do what we wanted. Tonight, both of my sons will be here. You want them to hear you crying out when I make you come?”
“I don’t care,” I snap. “Let them hear it. I’m not ashamed of what we’re doing. I like you, and I think you like me, and… I mean, what’s the problem?”
His gaze drops, and when it returns to me, I see there’s a bigger disturbance than just Jonathan being a nosy asshole. “He thinks Jet really likes you, Kennedy.”
“He’s wrong. Jet likes another girl.”
“He thinks that’s a cover story. That Jet’s… tricking you into spending time with him and getting close—”
“I don’t want to hear this,” I say, cutting him off and shaking my head.
“I didn’t want to hear it, either, but if it’s true, we have to move carefully here. Jet’s more sensitive than—”
“It’s not true! Jet doesn’t like me that way. Jonathan made a wrong assumption and now he’s trying to force us all into roles we never fit in to begin with. I have never been dating Jet. I never will be dating Jet. I like him as a friend, nothing more. Even if he did like me, I don’t like him that way, but he doesn’t. This is Jonathan getting in the way, not Jet.”
“I understand you’re not interested in Jet that way, but I need time to see if I can find out how deep his interest in you goes. If it’s just a passing interest or he really does like someone else, then great. But Jonathan doesn’t think—”
“I don’t care what Jonathan thinks,” I mutter. “I know Jet doesn’t like me that way, and it really feels like an excuse that you’re playing that card.”
“An excuse?”
I’m feeling a little emotional and I don’t want to talk about this anymore, so I take my water and try to brush past him on the way back to the living room.
“Kennedy.” His hand locks onto my bicep and he pulls me back, forcing me to face him. I meet his gaze and see genuine aggravation on his face. “You really think I’m looking for an excuse?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know.” I try to shrug his hand off, but his grip only tightens. “Maybe last weekend spooked you.”
“I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t get spooked,” he says, simply.
“If you’re a grown-ass man, don’t let your stupid son run things when it comes to our relationship.”
He drops his hand from my arm and takes a step back. I can see the frustration etched across his handsome face. “Kennedy, I am not looking for excuses or letting Jonathan run anything, but you have to understand. I am a father. No, I don’t have cute little toddlers that will color you pictures, but I still have children whose best interests matter. My kids might both be almost fully grown, but whatever relationship I’m in, it can’t hurt them, and it is still absolutely essential that any woman I get serious with likes my sons.”
My jaw drops open. I want so badly to be mad, but… he’s right.
He’s only being a good dad, and how can I fault him for that? If he had a four-year-old son and was happy to be with a woman who openly hated him, I would think he was an absolute piece of shit.
It’s just that his son is older than me, so I don’t naturally think about it from that perspective.
“Okay. You’re right. I didn’t mean to call him stupid, he’s just frustrating, and… older than me, so it’s hard to see myself as ever being any kind of authority over him.”