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)
Redness flushed, and he put his truck into reverse, accelerating backward. The powerful truck engine chugged and rumbled as the tires spun out of the snow and back onto the circle drive. He put it into gear and slowly started to ease back onto the path.
His attention snagged on Alicia and Lucy’s cabin.
In that split second, I could feel the furor clap through his being.
Severity sliced through the atmosphere as he peered closely at the cute cabin before his eyes flicked through the forest that surrounded it.
I attempted to quell the riot that scourged my insides.
There was something there that I couldn’t make out. Something I was a fool to want to tap into.
When Theo seemed to be satisfied with whatever he was searching for, he accelerated, shaking off the ferocity and letting that cocky ease seep back into his demeanor.
“How do you feel?” he asked, his tattooed hands holding onto the steering wheel and his tongue stroking over that full bottom lip as he peeked over at me.
“Cold.” I tossed it out like a tease, acting as if I didn’t know full well what he was referring to.
He reached over and clamped my thigh with a big hand.
Need rocketed out from the connection.
It was terrifying that one single man could evoke this reaction in me.
“Not talkin’ about the cold.”
“Then what exactly are we talking about?” I feigned ignorance.
Amusement pranced all over his sinful face. “The orgasms.”
“One-star, remember?” I punted it at him with as much sass as I could muster.
The hand on the top of my thigh slid up until he was brushing his fingers over the center of my thighs.
I spluttered.
Holy crap.
This freaking brazen man.
One of my hands darted to the handle on the door and the other to the edge of the seat to brace myself against the jolt of desire that tore through me.
He removed his hand, and arrogance twitched through his expression. “That’s what I thought.”
“You’re cruel, Theo Mallin.”
“Nah, Little Liar, I’m just here to remind you of exactly what you need.”
And I was afraid what I needed was him.
TWENTY-SIX
THEO
Otto
I’ve got the 411. Official diagnosis: heart eyes.
Otto
Guess who asked my Moonflower to meet him at that little holiday boutique downtown to buy Christmas tree ornaments? Ornaments for one Piper Whittman and her little boy Finn…
Kane
Told you the fucker was smitten.
Otto
Smitten as a kitten. Purring and begging for a pet.
River
Girl seemed cool as shit.
Kane
For sure. Told you our Little Piper Poo is a keeper. That is if Theo doesn’t chase her away with his manwhoring ways. Second thought, with that face. We really know what would send the woman running for the hills.
Otto
Thinking our boy might be reformed. That’s what happens when you get struck by lightning.
I read through the bullshit speculation my brothers were spewing this morning as I idled in my truck outside of Ivy Threads. Sitting there acting like I needed to check messages when really the whole problem was I didn’t know how to haul my ass from where I could just glimpse Piper moving around behind the glinting panes of glass that housed Emery’s store.
Cock hard and definitely begging for a pet.
Never thought a ten-minute car ride could have me more spun up than an hour of foreplay with someone else.
Kane
Question is, did that bolt of lightning fix that face?
I rolled my eyes, unsure if it was annoyance or amusement tugging at the fringes of my consciousness as I tapped out a reply.
Me
Let’s be real, brother. You’re just upset that when you get up and look in the mirror in the morning, it’s not me.
Kane
Knew you were lurking…in more ways than one.
Could sense movement to my right, and I shifted to peer out through the passenger side window to find the clown with his nose pressed to the big pane of glass that fronted the shop, waving his phone at me as another text blipped through.
Kane
Have you even seen me?
Cash
Unfortunately.
I laughed under my breath at Cash piping into the convo.
Kane dipped away, back to typing on his phone.
Kane
There is nothing unfortunate about this face. Ask my Em-Girl. She can’t look away. Now back to the matter at hand…Theo, who is currently sitting outside Ivy Threads like a creeper.
I grunted.
Me
Not creeping. Just making sure Piper got to work safely.
Kane
And by got to work, you mean, made sure you loved her up so right that the girl keeps blushing and biting at her cheek every time Emery mentions your name?
Why did I like the sound of that so much? Like that she was affected? And she wasn’t close to being loved up. My mind spun with all the ways I’d really do her right.
Me
Just keeping her company while she figures some things out, is all.
Cash
You sure about that?
Usually was happy that the recluse decided to join in on conversations, but not in this case. Not when he was far too observant.