Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Carina waves a hand at me, clearly dismissing my presence, and turns to Angelica. “I know all there is to know about him, but it’s you I’m interested in. Tell me all about you.” She cuts a piece of her waffles as my staff comes in and pours coffee, delivers fresh, hot food, and offers more.
“Well, I come from a pretty small family for an Italian family. It’s just my parents, my sister, and me—though we have a million cousins, of course.”
Carina nods. “That’s like Antonio and me.”
“My sister is older than me, and she’s pretty much the most sought-after bachelorette in town, but my father is saving her for some big alliance, I think.”
Carina frowns and stabs a piece of sausage. “You really don’t get any say in who you marry? That’s fucking barbaric.”
“Language, Carina.” Gilly strides in, his eyes on Carina.
She flips him off. “That’s nothing. I learned all sorts of things while I was trapped at boarding school.”
“Trapped? That’s the best boarding school money can buy.” I raise a brow. “You have tons of friends and straight As. Doesn’t sound trapped to me.”
“Well.” She shrugs, her dark brown hair falling into her face. She swipes it away and downs the rest of her orange juice. “I can’t help it if I’m popular.”
Gilly sits one seat away from her as he always has. I can never read him when it comes to Carina. When we were younger, he would tease her and play her little games–chess, backgammon, poker. Now, though, he doesn’t seem to have any time for her. In fact, he goes out of his way to keep from being alone with her.
“I would’ve loved to go to a school like that.” Angel smiles and takes a bite of her pancakes. “My mom wouldn’t have it. We were home-schooled by tutors, for the most part.”
“What was your favorite subject?” I ask.
She sips her coffee. “I really liked English. Reading was fun–though not the books I was supposed to read for school. I was more into fan fiction.”
“What’s that?” Gilly butters a piece of toast.
Angelica and Carina simultaneously sputter.
I take a bite of my eggs and let myself enjoy this time with my family. I didn’t realize how good something so simple could feel, but as Carina and Angelica begin to explain the apparent wonders of fan fiction, I can’t stop my smile.
“--but look, that whole omegaverse thing started as Supernatural fan fiction, more or less,” Carina says.
“Sure, but did you know some people think it actually started in a Star Trek episode from like the seventies or something? I’ve never seen it, but I read that in one of my forums.”
Carina nods and crunches into a piece of bacon. “I prefer the MM versions, but sometimes a good kidnap reverse harem can really get me going.”
“Oh my God, me too! Wait, have you read the shadow girl series based on Emily Dickinson’s life?”
Carina drops her fork. “Oh my God. I love that series!”
“I binge read the whole thing in like, two days.”
“Two days?” Carina crows.
“I didn’t sleep. Not even a little bit. It was so nuts! The way she had two lovers and then wanted to take on a third, but the first one went insane and tried to break into Emily’s house so she could–”
“Sacrifice her on an altar and drink her blood!” They both say in unison and fall into a fit of giggles.
Gilly and I exchange an amused look.
“Do you Webtoon?” Carina leans forward.
“Mmm-hmm. I can’t live without Lore Olympus.” Angelica polishes off her pancakes.
“I love that whole series. I’m collecting the hardbacks.”
“I want those.” Angelica sighs. “My mom would’ve lost her shit if I’d come home with any physical books like that. That’s why I have to read online, but I don’t mind it. There’s so much good stuff out there. I wasn’t deprived.”
“I’d let you borrow them, but someone dragged me home before the spring semester was even finished.” Carina glares at me.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “You just said you hated being at school, and now you’re mad at me for bringing you back home?”
Carina’s gaze slides back to Angelica, her eyes narrowing in the same way our mother’s used to when she was about to involve us in a bit of mischievous behavior. “What are you doing for the rest of the day?”
“Um.” Angelica glances at me. “I’m not sure.”
“You can do whatever you like.” I finish my coffee. “After the events of last night, I’ve got a full slate of meetings.”
“We’re late for one already.” Gilly checks his watch.
I pull Angelica to me and kiss her. She makes a surprised sound then melts against me, her mouth opening as I slide my tongue against hers. I almost took her this morning. I was so close, my cock spilling inside her though I’d barely entered her. She’s my undoing, my cock behaving like I’m a 15-year-old with his most fervent crush. But I suppose that’s what she is to me–I’ve been smitten since the moment she turned to me in that church, ire in her eyes as she asked me what the fuck I was looking at. Even now, it makes me smile.