Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
“Staying in London, darling,” Elizabeth repeats, wiping her hands on a napkin.
“Why? I thought he has the surf school to expand and work on.” Ava puts the toast she’s barely touched down. Oh no. I retrieve it and set it back in her hand. She hardly ate yesterday, and what she did eat came up. We are not getting into bad eating habits, especially if she’s pregnant. Ava’s once again frowning. And, once again, I don’t know if it’s the toast or the news.
“He says there’s no rush,” Elizabeth goes on, happy. “And I’m not complaining.” Yes, because she’s blind to the fact that her son’s a cunt. I smile up at Pete as he lays some drinks down, and Ava abandons her toast again in favor of her cappuccino.
“Eat,” I order gently, putting the toast back in her grasp.
“I don’t want the fucking toast,” she barks, making me jump and clang the cutlery on the table.
“Ava,” I say, my shock obvious, as she stares at me, wide-eyed and a little shocked herself. Good. It tells me she realizes she’s being unreasonable. I’m just trying to make sure she has something in her tummy after she emptied what she ate yesterday in the toilet. “Mouth.” I cast a quick look over to Elizabeth and Joseph, relieved to see they’re stunned too. But unlike them, I now know the toast isn’t the issue. It’s Dan and his plans.
Ava stands, her fire eyes on her brother. “Where are you going?” I ask, dumping my napkin on the table and rising. “Ava, sit down.”
She inhales, her jaw rolling, anger rampant. Oh Jesus, is she thinking at all? What is she going to do, cause a scene right here in front of everyone? What the hell has happened?
“Sit down and eat your breakfast, Jesse,” she orders shortly.
Say what? I take hold of her wrist as she moves away from the table, stopping her. “Excuse me?” I ask in disbelief. She’s definitely pregnant. Has to be. Her emotions are all over the fucking place.
She turns a steely stare my way, and I withdraw. “I said, sit down and eat your breakfast.”
Oh, she means business. I throw a snarl Dan’s way, since this is his fucking fault. “Yes, I thought you did.” Then I sit, pull Ava down to her chair, and fill her hand with the damn fucking toast. “Ava, this isn’t the time or the place for you to start throwing your weight around,” I whisper close to her ear. And because I’m an arsehole—and maybe because I’m truly worried she’ll kick off and cause a shitstorm that obviously needs a more delicate approach, which is ironic coming from me, I know—I call on my power, breathing in her ear. “And have a little respect in front of your parents.” I find her leg under the table and skate a delicate palm up her thigh. She’s a statue in her chair in an instant. “I like this dress.” My finger tickles the edge of her knickers, and her thighs clamp together over my hand. I kiss her lobe, pulling back a fraction to see her cup shaking as she takes it to her mouth.
Done.
I free her of my touch, lifting my brows when she peeks out the corner of her eye at me.
“Jesse is right, Ava,” Joseph says. “You should watch your language.”
“Yes, it’s not very ladylike,” Elizabeth adds.
I try not to smile. “Thank you, Joseph,” I say, casting a look Ava’s way, hitting her knee with mine, smiling when she scowls into her drink and returns the favor.
“So when are you two honeymooning?”
Ah, yes, onto something more constructive and useful right now. “When my wife says so. When will that be, lady?”
She takes the biggest bite of her toast while staring me down, talking around her mouthful. “When I have time. I’ve got a lot to sort out at work.” She chews, swallows, and smiles sweetly. “My husband knows that.” Don’t I just. God, I love and loathe her sass. Love it more. “What are you grinning at?” she asks.
I’m grinning? Better than snarling. “You.”
“What about me?”
Where do I start? “Everything about you,” I muse, my eyes on her lips. Your smart mouth. “Your beauty.” Your sass. “Your spirit.” Your incessant need to rile me. “Your need to drive me insanely crazy.” I know I drive her nuts too. Made for each other. Her eyes sparkle, her smile impish as I play with her necklace, just to touch her. To be close. “And the fact you’re mine.”
She breathes out, exasperated by my fussing. But loving it too.
“Oh, Joseph, do you remember being that much in love?”
I laugh, as does Joseph. I’m certain no man has felt the way I feel about Ava. “No,” Joseph says, confirming my thoughts. “I don’t. Come on, I want to get on the road. I’ll use the bathroom and get our cases,” he says, standing.