Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 154379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Emery shook her head. “No, I’ll be good. We’re only open for five hours tomorrow. I can handle it. Now get that booty out of here before Theo goes caveman and comes over here and throws you over his shoulder.”
Visions of him doing exactly that last night flashed through my mind. How free I’d felt being tossed around by those big, strong hands.
How much I’d liked it.
“Okay.” I squeezed her back then straightened myself out. I attempted to keep the shuddering from my steps as I strode through the displays toward the front of the store.
As if all of this was normal.
As if any of this really belonged to me.
This artificial life and this burgeoning joy and this man who was watching me like I absolutely belonged to him.
When I got close enough, Kane reached out, wrapped his giant arms around me, and picked me up off my feet.
A shriek of surprise erupted from me as he tossed me around like a ragdoll.
“Put me down, you brute.” I demanded it through my laughter. Surprise and glee taking me hostage.
Obviously, I was feeling far too comfortable with this guy.
“No way. Never gonna let you leave. You’re ours now.” Kane flailed me around. “You walking through that door was meant to be, Piper Poo.”
A soft giggle rolled out at the ridiculous nickname he’d given me.
He and Emery were so genuinely kind.
All of them were.
These people who I would keep if I could. I was afraid it was going to destroy me when I had to leave them behind.
Because this couldn’t be permanent, could it?
“All right, paws off.” It was a grunt of irritation out of Theo.
Kane laughed a low, amused sound as he settled me onto my feet. “Don’t get those feathers in a ruffle, brother. These paws are only meant for loving up one woman. A woman who currently is in the breakroom just begging for a whole lot of me.”
He held his hands up and wagged his brows.
I laughed. “Then you’d better go get her. I’ll lock the door behind me.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Kane pushed out a fist for Theo to bump. “Later, man.”
A silent conversation seemed to transpire between them as their fists met, that strange thing that carried between the five of them.
Then Kane cocked a smirk and went stalking toward the door to the breakroom.
I watched him disappear before I finally forced myself to turn back to Theo.
Butterflies scattered in my belly.
A million of them, at least.
Apparently, I’d never be prepared for the full potency he exuded.
“What are you doing here?” I tried not to croak it.
That same, sexy smirk hooked at the corner of his mouth. “What, you aren’t happy to see me?”
Stupidly elated, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Your interest in me is verging on obsessed.” I tossed it out like an accusation.
He just grinned.
No shame.
He leaned in close, and his aura slammed me.
Woods and leather and the promise of sex.
How the hell was I supposed to stand against him?
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” His voice did that grunting, rasping thing.
A shiver zipped down my spine.
“Just as long as that interest is temporary,” I managed.
Inky eyes flamed as they washed over me, something striking in them that shouldn’t exist.
“Think you already made a mark on me, Pipes.”
My chest squeezed while my legs suddenly felt weightless.
Like I was…falling.
“Theo…” It was a plea.
He hooked my pinky finger with his, letting our hands swing between us. “Come on. I think your little man is probably bouncing off the walls with excitement. Bet he’s been asking Nelly every five minutes when his mommy is getting home.”
A coil of wonder and alarm squeezed my ribs.
This man was so obscenely hard and so freaking considerate.
He pushed open the door to the snow that eddied from the sky.
Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he went striding down the sidewalk, as if he expected me to follow.
I did.
Of course, I did.
Scrambling to catch up as I heaved out from behind, “I thought you said you came because you needed to give something to me?”
“I did.” Theo stopped walking and turned around.
Three feet away from him, I fumbled to a standstill. “What?”
He swept a hand toward the street.
I frowned, trying to decipher what he was gesturing at.
“Where?”
He took a step closer to the street and glided a hand over the front bumper of a white Volvo SUV that sat at the curb. “This.”
Um, what?
“What do you mean?”
Theo hiked a casual shoulder. “Figured since you’re going to be staying for a while and your car is in the shop, you were going to need a way to get around.”
It took me a second to come to the conclusion of what he was actually implying.
Had he lost his mind?
“Tell me you didn’t actually buy me a car?”
He shrugged like it was no big deal. “It’s a rental, Pipes. Silas had it sitting around, and he helped me drop it here for you. No need for you to get upset.”