Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
When we stepped into the building after Gage picked me up from work, Wilder was walking out of his apartment door. His gaze met mine, then shifted to Gage before returning to me. I could see so many emotions flicker in his brown eyes, and that just made me feel worse. For eighteen months, he had been my best friend.
“Hey, you. How’s your week been?” I refused to ignore him.
Gage would have to accept that I wasn’t going to cut Wilder out.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, same. Good. And you?” It was such a formal answer. Not one with a funny Sarah story or one about his work. No talk about getting pizza or watching iZombie. Nothing.
“Different,” I replied honestly.
Gage’s hand on my back fisted my top. If that was a warning, he was going to have to back down.
“Yeah, I imagine so.” He forced a smile, then looked inside his open apartment door. “I’ll, uh, see you around. Have a good weekend.” Then, he was gone, inside, closing his door before I could say anything else. He’d been leaving but changed his mind.
I walked faster than Gage could, angry about the entire situation with Wilder. Unlocking the apartment door with more force than necessary, I pushed my door open and went inside. Gage walked in behind me, studying me closely. I didn’t meet his gaze, but I felt it on my skin. Grabbing an apple, I bit into it rather aggressively and stood there, staring out the window above the sink. Wilder would have Sarah this weekend. She’d expect me to be here and make cookies or cupcakes with her. How did you explain to a little girl that everything had changed in two weeks?
“You’re pissed.” Gage stated the obvious.
I nodded and kept chewing.
“Because of him?” The way his tone changed made me stiffen. There was a smooth yet lethal quality to it.
This was what I’d been warned about. What I had overlooked and said I could handle simply because I was unable to stay away from Gage. I would have agreed to anything if I could have him. Now, I had to pay that price.
“He’s been my best friend for eighteen months. For me, that is most of my life. I feel awful that I just shut him out. Didn’t go explain or talk to him. He’s always been here for me, and I just … just tossed him away because of you.”
The muscles in his neck flexed as he clenched his jaw. Why was this so hard for him to understand?
“You know it’s you I want. Since I met you, you’ve done nothing but jack around with my emotions, and yet I still want you. How can you think that I would want another man after all this crazy shit you’ve put me through?”
Gage walked toward me, closing the distance he’d left between us. “He doesn’t see you the same way. You think he does, but I assure you, he doesn’t.” He stopped in front of me and ran his knuckle along my jawline. “Seeing you so familiar with another man makes me feel destructive, murderous.” His eyes dropped to my lips. “You’ve always made me this way,” he whispered, yet there was a savage edge to his voice.
“I want you. But I want to keep my friend. Why do I have to give up the only friend I have?”
His right hand grabbed my waist tightly, bordering on painful. “I don’t share. Not you. Never you.” The dangerous glint in his eyes caused me to shiver.
This was a conversation we needed to have at his house, with his friends there, I realized. Levi was right. I didn’t know when he would react or how. Once, I had been the cause of his violence, and I didn’t want that.
“Okay,” I replied, hoping that would ease him.
He lowered his mouth to mine, but his lips hovered without touching. “Take off your fucking pants and get on the counter.”
I realized I was trembling as I slipped off my shoes, then pushed down my pants, along with my panties. Once they were discarded, he grabbed my waist and put me up on the counter. The sound of his zipper made me tense up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. He was different. I could feel the rage simmering under the surface, like a buzz radiating from his body.
When his hands grabbed my hips, his fingers dug into my bottom, and he jerked me forward in one quick movement, thrusting inside of me. Startled, I cried out as he stretched and filled me. Because my body reacted to this man, no matter what personality he had, I was more than ready for him.
“Your body still likes it when I’m on the edge of fucking sanity,” he growled. “This soaking wet pussy wants it.”