Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Sitting on the air mattress beside Noah, I draw a deep breath, sigh, shake my head, then chuckle—with my fists clenched in fury.
“What does it say?” Noah asks curiously, scooting closer to me.
The air mattress dips to the side—fuck!—and I almost lose my balance. Before I fall on my side, Noah props me up.
“Sorry,” he says, sounding distracted. “What does it say, though?”
I let out another long sigh.
I don’t know whether to laugh at the ridiculous demands Ava’s ex is making, or to get outraged. Both, I suppose.
“Liam, have you finished reading the thing in the envelope?” Ava yells out from inside her bedroom.
In my mind’s eye, I see her wet, fragrant body wrapped in a towel. I want to find out what her soap smells like and discover whether she smells like that everywhere.
Faintly, I hear conversation from Ava’s bedroom. Ollie—lucky bastard—is still in bed. I almost forgot about him.
So he sleeps in and gets to see Ava emerge from the shower. Whoever came up with the saying “the early bird gets the worm” has clearly never been in this situation.
But then again, who has been in this exact situation before? My four brothers and I are seeing the same amazing woman, and she’s being sued by her lawyer ex-boyfriend for everything he’s ever spent on her. Find a precedent for that.
“Liam!” Ava calls out again from her bedroom.
“I’m still reviewing it, Ava,” I reply as I stare at the two short-tempered idiots asleep on the sofas right now. I wonder how Nathan and Mason are going to react when they hear the news.
Noah stares at me. “So? Aren’t you going to continue reading? Don’t you want to know what’s going on?” he asks urgently.
“I already know.”
“You do?” he asks.
I put my finger to my lips when I hear Ava stepping out into the hallway, Ollie’s heavier footsteps following not far behind her.
She’s coming.
Half an hour ago, I was hoping I’d make her come in a whole different way. But that’s almost unthinkable now.
“Help me stall her,” I whisper to Noah as the footsteps get closer.
Ava bursts into the living room anxiously, her breathing erratic from having rushed through her morning routine and her eyes wide as saucers. “What do you know so far?”
“I know it’s not a big deal,” I answer as casually as I can, even as anger courses just underneath my skin. “Don’t worry about it. You’re late for school. I’ll fill you in on it when you get home.”
“Yeah, Ava. Don’t worry about it. Liam’s still working on it. He doesn’t know what it’s about yet exactly.” Noah gives Ava a big, unnatural smile as he parrots me. “But, uh, I’m sure he’ll figure it out . . . soon. Just, um, not now.”
Did I tell him to help me stall her? I mean he should help by saying something in a believable manner, or at least shutting up—not by acting suspicious. My bad. I should’ve made that clear.
Ava flicks her gaze between Noah and me. Ollie looks confused, too, when he peeks at us from behind Ava’s shoulder.
“Okay. Let me know what’s inside later, okay?” Ava says as she turns around and rushes toward the front door.
“Sure thing,” I say.
The door shuts with a hurried slam. But three seconds later, it re-opens, and Ava shouts, “Or call me whenever you’re done reading through it.”
“Okay.”
Ava closes the door again. I wait until I hear her turning on her ignition to stare at Noah.
“What’s wrong with you today?” I ask.
One of the best salesmen I’ve ever encountered in my life, Noah could make a stranger believe the sky’s neon green. And he couldn’t have come up with something better than what he said?
“I don’t know, man,” Noah says. “It’s just . . . She makes me all nervous and stuff.”
I almost roll my eyes . . . but then I realize I’m (1.) working before 9 a.m., and (2.) doing it pro bono. I’ve never done either before.
It’s not like Ava’s officially my client because we haven’t signed anything. But from the moment the guy at the door told Ava she’d been served, I knew I was going to help her fight whatever legal battle’s coming her way.
This Joseph guy’s going to pay.
Ollie
I wake up to the sound of the bathroom door being unlocked. When I open my eyes, I see steam rolling out into the bedroom and Ava emerging from the mists.
I suck in a deep breath. She’s beautiful. A dark towel’s wrapped around her body while her skin glistens with moisture.
It’s only the two of us in her bedroom right now, I realize with delight.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind sharing with my brothers, but I also wouldn’t say no to some alone time with this goddess. I can still remember how good her ass cheeks felt against my cock this morning . . .