Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
“I’m not in love,” I protest, and Ezra squeezes my leg again.
“Sure, you aren’t. So, how many times have you slept together? Twice? Okay, that’s fine. It’s just a fling.” I bite the inside of my cheek. I like sex with Ezra more than anything else. “Does he go back to your place? We know you don’t like people there,” Lucas adds.
“Have you ever thought that maybe I don’t like you there?” I bite back.
“Noted. I don’t intend to hurt Piper,” Ezra says calmly, breaking up the argument between Lucas and me.
“Good. As you know, you don’t speak about what you hear in this house or when you’re around us. You understand that, right?” Keir relays to Ezra.
Ezra nods, and I move my hand under the table to cover his with mine.
“Great. It’s settled. Let’s eat,” Keir states, and the subject changes.
Joey and Adora tell us about the next trip they have planned—traveling is their new favorite thing at the moment. Joey said once it was so he could fuck her in every country. We cringed and let that conversation die a quiet death. I don’t want to hear about their sex life. They all try to tell me too much as it is.
And Ezra—somehow, someway—fits right into this weird dynamic. He jokes with Lucas, has conversations with Keir, and gets along fine with Joey.
Could this actually work?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
EZRA
I’m trying to convince Piper to move in with me.
It’s hard.
We’ve been seeing each other for over a month. It’s been good, so fucking good. I spend at least five nights a week with her. She says it’s healthy to have a break, which is why it isn’t every night.
I disagree.
Because when we do have said break, she calls when she’s in bed and stays on the phone with me until she falls asleep. I usually have to end the call.
I like the fact that she struggles to fall asleep without me.
That fact is more than comforting to know.
Tony has brought up the idea of him moving out. When he asked, I was quite surprised. But he and Aqua have been getting closer. I told him maybe he should wait. He starts law school in the fall, but said he wants to move out now. And she has already renovated her house to accommodate his needs without being asked.
Aqua still works for me, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. She is incredibly good at her job, and quite frankly, she would be a huge help working on the cars. I appreciate that she knows all the parts and has an eye for detail. Though on the nights I know Keir will come in, I send her home early, so she has no association with that life at all.
I am bound by it, and I plan to marry into it one day in the near future.
How do I know that?
Well, I knew it when I realized I didn’t want to live without Piper.
But getting her to agree could be another thing.
I’ve had the ring sitting in the drawer of my bedside table for two weeks now.
Am I eager? Maybe. But once you know something, why hold back?
I know it’s Piper I want.
No one else.
It’s just a matter of waiting until she’s ready. I won’t push it too soon and make her run.
Because I will chase her.
And I will find her.
Whether she likes it or not!
We went shooting last week, and she kicked me when she saw I was a better shot than her. Don’t get me wrong, she’s probably the best shot I have ever seen. But I am better.
“Ezra.” She walks into my bedroom. It’s late, and she’s covered in blood, which isn’t anything new. She doesn’t stop as she makes her way to the bathroom. I gave her the keys to my house, and lately, she just lets herself in when she’s ready.
“I missed you,” she says, glancing back at me as she walks to the shower. I follow her and watch as she strips her bloody clothes off, leaving them in a pile on the shower floor, then she begins to wash herself clean.
“I can wash your clothes for you,” I offer.
“I need to rinse them off first,” she says, then her gaze meets mine. “I like that you don’t ask or question me.” A soft smile touches her lips. “About my work, at least.”
I knew who she was when I fell for her. I knew what family she came from. So, why would I question it or try to change her? She’s perfect just the way she is.
“Do you know I love you?” I ask, and her hands freeze mid-wash on her face. I watch her chest rise and fall quickly while I simply wait for her to reply.
When she finally drops her hands, she turns to me. “You do?”