Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“Spicy books, then, huh?” He kisses the top of my head, and his hands are rubbing circles on my back. Maybe I shouldn’t go to book club tonight.
“You know it. Anyway, it’ll be fun. I probably won’t get home until around nine, though.”
“Just come over here when you’re done. I’ll go get Pickles, and she’ll be here, too.”
I tip my head back and rest my chin on his chest, watching him. “You mean I can have both book club and dirty talk? I don’t have to choose?”
“I’d never make you choose.” He kisses my nose as the oven timer dings. “Have fun with the girls talking about your smut, and then come home to me. Win-win.”
“I will take you up on that offer.” I kiss his chin before he pulls away to check the cookies in the oven. “I can make dinner before I go. Chicken noodle soup from scratch sounds good, and it’s good for Birdie.”
Bridger’s gaze moves to the rain coming down outside, and he nods. “That actually sounds really good. I won’t say no to that. Thanks.”
“I just have to run home and get the ingredients. I already have everything. I’ll pack an overnight bag and grab Pickles, too, if that’s okay.”
He turns to me, that smile still in place. “That’s more than okay. I’ll help.”
After he transfers the cookies to a rack, he calls down the hallway.
“Hey, peanut?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m gonna help Dani grab some things from her house. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay,” she calls back. “Bring Pickles.”
Bridger shakes his head with a laugh. “Yes, ma’am.”
“You’re destined to be bossed around by women.”
“I have no complaints with that,” he replies as we step out of the house. “As long as it’s outside of the bedroom.”
“Or the garage,” I reply thoughtfully. “Or the kitchen.”
“Point made, kitten.” He takes my hand, leading me across the street. “Come on, let’s get you back to my place, where you belong.”
“My favorite part,” Alex says, holding her hand up like she’s swearing on the stand in a courtroom, “was when Walker was taking Sloane home from work, and she made him pull over, and they did it in the car, and he was like holy shit, this is the best day ever.”
Alex shimmies her shoulders, making us laugh.
“Walker was delicious, in a very alpha, grumpy, I-want-to-eat-him-up way,” Bee agrees. “I’m so glad you recommended this author, Skyla, because now I have to go back and devour her backlist.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Skyla replies, that pretty Irish lilt in her voice. She’s in some brown wide-leg denim pants and a green sweater that looks chic and casual at the same time, and her bright red hair is twisted into a long braid. She brought her massive dog, Riley, with her. He’s curled up in a ball at her feet, sleeping soundly. “I’m just honored that you chose my author for the first month’s book.”
“This was a great way to start,” I reply. I’d read the book before, but I had no issue with reading it again so it would be at the forefront of my mind.
There are eight of us here tonight. In addition to Skyla, Bee, and Alex, Charlie’s here, too. Now that wedding season is almost over, and her event planning business is starting to chill out just a tiny bit, Charlie has some time to read.
Summer and Polly Wild—sisters-in-law each married to a Wild brother—are here, and rounding out our group is Jackie Harmon, the owner of The Sugar Studio. She brought us little huckleberry tarts as a treat.
No one bakes like Jackie does.
“What should we read for next month?” Summer asks the group.
“Has anyone read mafia romance?” Alex asks, surprising me. She just laughs at my stunned look. “Oh, honey, I’ll bring you over to the darker side.”
“Mafia romance is delicious,” Bee agrees. “Give me those I will kill you without thinking twice, but I’m so obsessed with this girl, I’ll burn the whole world to the ground for her vibes. It’s so hot.”
“I’d love to try whatever you recommend,” Skyla says, clearly excited at the prospect as everyone else agrees.
“I love a man who’d burn the world down for his girl,” I admit. “So, let’s do it.”
We decide on an SJ Tilly read, Nero, for next month, and then spend an hour discussing authors, favorite reads and tropes, and, of course, the spicy scenes we love.
It’s fun to talk about the books I adore with these women. I hope we get more members as time goes on and we spread the word about our new club.
“Speaking of spice,” Polly says, turning to me. “I hear you and Bridger have been extra cozy lately.”
The whole room goes quiet as everyone turns to me.
“Who’s Bridger?” Skyla asks, leaning over to Alex.
“The fire chief,” Alex replies. “Super hot. Been our friend forever. They’re just realizing that they’ve had feelings for each other for a long time. He’s a single dad.”