Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
I growled.
Eric laughed.
“What?” She gave me a look before turning to Eric. “He’s a really good brother, but this whole thing is confusing to me. We had hate sex a week ago.”
“Rain,” I snapped.
Eric’s eyes went wide. “Hate sex? Tell me more.”
Rain laughed. “Part of it’s my fault—”
She stopped abruptly because Paul had returned, sliding his phone into his pocket. He grabbed me a beer from beneath the counter.
“Bated breath here, dude,” I said through gritted teeth.
He was silent until he’d delivered the beer with a flourish. “She’ll be here in fifteen minutes.” He beamed at me. “Cash or credit?”
Eric slumped. “And they call me dramatic.”
I tossed my card on the bar. “We’ll start a tab.”
I knew my sister. Fifteen minutes was an hour and a half in Skylar-speak.
We might as well get comfortable.
43
RAIN
Thirty minutes later, I was buzzed.
I was supposed to be the driver, but I was too buzzed for that. We’d just been drinking and chatting, even though Tyler didn’t want me to share all the weirdness happening between us. And Paul kept refilling our drinks.
Actually, no. Wait. He’d been filling my drink, and Tyler got water. Grrr. I didn’t like that move. But I drank them. They were delicious fruity drinks.
The bar had gotten busier, and now the dance floor was hopping. Eric thought we should definitely join the dancing. I wasn’t convinced, but Tyler just kept watching the door.
With a shrug, I slid off my stool.
Eric caught my hand and pulled me into the middle of the group. Soon we were a sweaty mess. It was fun. A few guys came over to dance with Eric, but he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulled me close, and shook his head until they moved away.
I wasn’t sure how long we danced. It was long enough that I felt a lot less intoxicated when Eric patted my hip and swung me around.
“Look.”
It took a minute for me to see what he was pointing at, but I found Paul. He nodded discreetly toward the door where Tyler stood. His sister ducked out as he continued to hold it open. He was looking for me. His gaze swept over the dancers until he found me.
Our eyes caught, and something fluttered in my chest.
Oh. No, no, no.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
I wasn’t supposed to get feelings. Not these types of feelings. Sexual feelings—arousal, lust—yes, those were fine. But not the kind that made my heart feel like it was floating and all sunshiny.
Tyler indicated that he was going outside, and I nodded. He disappeared out the door.
“Ow. Sweetie.” Eric held up our hands and tried to disentangle the tight grip I had on him. “I need this hand for things, you know, like washing and basic daily living.”
I released immediately. “Sorry. I…” I glanced back to where Tyler had disappeared with his sister. “I…”
He wrapped his hand gently around my arm. Moving in, he rested his head against my shoulder. “It’s like that, huh?”
I sighed, placing my head against his. “Apparently.”
He laced our fingers. “For what it’s worth, he’s dreamy.”
“I know.” I sighed. “That’s the problem.” Eric knew about the hate sex. Now he knew about my feelings. “Did we just become best friends?”
His smile was blinding. “I’d love that. I’m a testy bitch, but I’m a loyal testy bitch.”
“I believe you.”
We laughed, having a moment.
“I could use a friend, to be honest.”
“Girl.” He squeezed me from the side. “Consider me caped up.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but I liked the sound of it.
“Come on.” He started through the crowd, still holding my hand. “Let’s go eavesdrop.”
“Ah. You’re that type of friend.”
He flashed me a grin over his shoulder. “I never said I wasn’t nosy.”
He took me past the bar, where Paul did a doubletake at our joined hands, to a side door. Easing it open, he stepped past a couple workers having a smoke outside. One snorted, shaking his head. “I don’t even want to know, Eric.”
“Yeah? And keep it that way, Bertle,” he shot back.
Bertle tipped his head back, taking a long drag and letting the smoke drift out as he drawled, “I’d like to keep it another way.”
They held a long and intense stare before Eric blinked and shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. “I’m down for that,” he said, his voice a little husky.
Bertle let out another puff of smoke, his eyes smoldering. “Good.”
Eric continued staring, as if in a trance, and I had to nudge him.
“Right,” he said. “Sounds like a plan.” He tugged me down the alley to the parking lot, and we both leaned forward
“—didn’t need to do all this and track down my coworkers. We’re fine, Zoey and me.” That was Sky. She sounded angry, but tearful at the same time.
“I was worried. I am worried. I didn’t say that stuff to—I’m not coming at you, Ski. I’m not saying it’s going to happen again…”