Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“Good morning,” she said sleepily.
“Morning. I found your tattoo.”
“I noticed.”
“What is it?”
“It’s the constellation for Virgo. That’s my sign.”
“Ah.”
She rolled onto her back and gave me a smile. “What’s yours?”
“Aries. Are we compatible?”
“No. Actually, those two signs are terrible together.”
“Hm. That’s too bad.” I lowered my mouth to her chest, taking one perfect pink nipple in my mouth, teasing the pebbled tip with my tongue. Her fingers moved into my hair, and she arched her back, moaning softly. My cock stirred to life, and I wished I’d woken up fifteen minutes earlier.
Outside, my brother yelled, “You’re down to three minutes, asshole!”
Veronica laughed. “Is that Xander out there?”
“Yeah. He’s here to help me get the table into the truck. I forgot I told him to come at seven. Actually, I didn’t forget, I just had no idea what time it was and didn’t really care.” Reluctantly, I picked up my head. “And I really don’t want to stop what I’m doing, but I don’t think Xander would appreciate the wait or the sound effects.”
“I agree. But you know what he will appreciate?” She giggled. “You walking out of my apartment with no shirt on.”
“I wish there was a way to sneak back to the house. He’s going to give me so much shit about this.” I groaned. “Fuck! I owe him a bar now.”
“A what?”
“The bar top he wants out of reclaimed wood. He bet me I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you, and he was right.”
She laughed. “Serves you right for taking that bet.”
“I guess you’re right.” After planting one last kiss on her breast, I dragged myself from the bed and looked around for my clothing. “And you know what?”
“What?” On her side, she watched me get dressed, her cheek propped in one hand.
I tugged up my pants. “It’s worth it.”
Her smile validated that sentiment.
I dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Eight o’clock,” I reminded her as I headed through the living room.
“I’ll be ready, Dad!” she shouted.
Frowning, I yanked the door open. “Jesus, don’t call me that!”
I heard her laughing as I let myself out. Moving down the stairs slowly, I tried to play it cool.
When Xander heard my feet on the steps, he looked over. Probably expecting Veronica, he pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head and squinted at me. When it registered that I was exiting her apartment wearing nothing but sweatpants, he started to laugh.
“Dude,” he said, replacing his sunglasses. “I knew it.”
Ignoring him, I went straight for the house and opened the back door.
“The door was open?” Xander followed me into the kitchen.
“Didn’t you check?”
“No. I knocked, and you didn’t answer, so I just assumed it was locked and you were still in bed.” He grinned, leaning back against the counter, taking a sip of his coffee. “And I was only wrong about one of those things.”
I looked at my phone, glad to see I hadn’t missed any calls from the kids or texts from Sansa.
“I want details.”
“Too bad.” I switched on the Keurig and stuck a pod in the machine.
“You used the condom at least, right?”
“Fuck off.”
“So I’m thinking pine for the bar you’re going to make me, or maybe oak, like from some old whiskey barrels.”
Dammit.
“Come on,” he scoffed. “You have to give me something. When you guys got out of the car last night, you weren’t even speaking.”
“We had a good time.” I poured some almond milk in my coffee.
“I’m surprised she even let you in, let alone stay over.”
“Guess I’ve got more finesse than you thought.” I took my cup and left the kitchen. “I’m going to get dressed. I’ll be back down in a minute.”
Upstairs, I threw on some jeans and a T-shirt. After combing my fingers through my hair, I stuck a cap on my head and went back down to the kitchen.
“So is this like a romantic getaway?” Xander asked.
“We’re going to her dickhead ex-fiancé’s apartment to get her clothes. Does that sound romantic to you?”
“No, but once that part is over, why not hang around the city for a couple days?”
“I’ve got work to do. We’ll be in and out.”
Xander smirked. “I bet you will.”
“Knock, knock.” Veronica entered the kitchen, looking fresh and pretty in denim shorts and a black top. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and her lips were bright red. For a moment, I imagined what it would be like to watch them close around my cock. Would they leave a mark?
There was something about that I liked.
“Good morning, sunshine.” Xander was full of cheer. “Isn’t it a beautiful day?”
“It is.” She smiled at him and at me, a little wistfully. “I wish we didn’t have to spend the whole thing in the car. Your dad keeps asking me if I’ve been for a ride on the old ferry boat yet, and I have to say no every time.”