Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“Congratulations on finishing probation!” Hannah shouted gleefully, hugging me so violently I nearly fell over. My little nieces joined her, squeezing me around the legs.
The wicked bitch had thrown me a surprise party. Heath came up, catching my eye behind Hannah’s shoulder.
“Sorry,” he mouthed at me. I flipped him off, but I smiled while I did it because he really was a disgustingly great guy. Hannah let me go and then Sara was next.
“Gotcha!” she said, laughing. “This is what you get for using up all the hot water. Next time, you better save some for me if you don’t want to get set up.”
“I can’t believe you guys did this,” I said, looking around. There were so many faces, but one was missing. Shade. Disappointment hit, but I pushed it away. Just because we were sleeping together didn’t mean he had time for a surprise party.
At least some of his club brothers had shown up. I’d gotten to know them and their old ladies better over the past few weeks, and I liked them. They were decent people, for the most part. Some of them were a little rough around the edges, but considering my own crimes, it wasn’t really my place to judge.
“Congrats, Mandy,” Bone said, handing me a beer. “You’re off tonight—no work. Just enjoy yourself, okay?”
“All right,” I said, still startled. “You sure you don’t mind?”
“Nope, Sara and Suz have got it covered,” he told me. “Get drunk, make the most of it. Just remember that tomorrow we have to do inventory. I’ll make you drag your ass in here even if you’re hung over.”
“You’re a ray of sunshine, Bone.”
“I do my best.”
Two hours later, I was definitely enjoying myself. Heath’s mom had taken the kids home, giving me and my sister a rare girls’ night out. Now I had a nice buzz going, and when Hannah suggested putting some change in the jukebox and dancing, I was all over it.
We spent the next ten minutes studying every song, even though I knew all of them by heart. She liked country, which was just ludicrous. Fortunately, Bone loved classic rock, so there were some alternatives.
I argued with her just for fun, but eventually we managed to agree on a playlist. Well, most of a playlist. Hannah had insisted on “Wicked Game” so she and Heath could slow dance. Stupid slow dances, reminding me that ultimately I was alone. I’ll just go to the bathroom when it comes on, I decided as the first song started to play.
It’d been a long time since Hannah and I had gone dancing, and I’d forgotten how much it kicked ass. We laughed and drank and probably made total dorks of ourselves. I didn’t care. It felt good to let go, and I was having so much fun that when Wicked Game started, I wasn’t even annoyed with her anymore.
I could use some fresh air, anyway.
“You’re a slut,” I told Hannah, bumping her shoulder with mine as Heath caught her up in his arms. Then I grabbed my beer, chugging it as I watched them, the sexy music washing through me. Standing there alone, I admitted the truth.
I missed Shade.
“Hey,” said a low voice in my ear. I turned to find him behind me. He’d obviously just come in from a long ride, with his cheeks all windburned and that fierce look in his eyes that I’d come to love.
“Hey,” I answered, moving toward him. Shade reached around the back of my head, pulling me in for a long, hard kiss that would’ve knocked up a lesser woman.
“You’re pretty full of yourself,” I murmured when the kiss finally ended. His hands slid down my back, one wrapping around my waist while the other cupped my ass as the music washed over us.
“I hear it’s a big day,” he murmured, swaying with me as Chris Isaak wailed about not wanting to fall in love. “Guess this means you’re finally free.”
“That’s me,” I said lightly. “Free as a bird.”
Shade pulled away and looked down at me, a shadow crossing his face. “Let’s go outside.”
Catching my hand, he pulled me toward the back of the bar. Sara gave me a wink as we passed by, and I giggled, feeling silly. What’d been a good night was about to get better and I couldn’t bring myself to regret that—not for a minute.
Shade pushed through the door and then we were on the back porch. He stepped over to the picnic table and sat down, leaning back against it. I gave him a sexy smile and straddled him. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“I like this table,” I said, pressing my breasts against his chest.
“We need to talk,” Shade said slowly. “I have a present for you.”
I perked up. “A present?”
He smiled. “Yeah, a present. I sold that motorcycle today.”