Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“Slice me up, wife.” I sit down on a stool and lean forward. “I want to taste you.”
“Ignoring the subtext and serving the za.”
I catch her wrist as she places it down in front of me. “Thank you.”
Her eyebrows arch. “Gonna say something weirdly nice and way too intense for the moment again?”
“I plan on fucking you brainless after I’ve eaten my fill.”
“Oh.” She blushes slightly. “Well. That’s inappropriate. You better say a bunch of nice things if you want to get in my pants this evening.”
I tighten my hold before letting her go.
It’s pizza. Just fucking pizza. So why’s it make me feel like my life’s coming to a conclusion?
I take a bite.
Well, fuck me sideways.
36
CAROLINE
“Oh, fuck.” My back arches as I buck against Finn’s thrusts. He fills me roughly as sweat sheens on my skin. It’s barely eight in the damn morning and I’m already on the edge of exploding. I grab the headboard, pushing back against it, and he devours my mouth with his before finding my nipples with his lips. He sucks hard, grinding and fucking me, until my eyes roll back and I shatter like a porcelain vase.
He’s not far behind. Finn floods me to the brim, letting loose a toe-curling, masculine growl of bliss. It’s my most favorite sound in the whole world. He grins, kissing my neck, and I sigh with total contentment.
“Good morning.” I run my fingers through his hair. “You know, when I used to sleep in the other room, I didn’t get woken up at the crack of dawn.”
“No, and you’re much happier now.” He sighs and pulls me against him, spooning me tightly, heedless that we’re naked, damp, and postcoital. I love that about him. Totally in the moment. “Besides, this isn’t the crack of dawn. I let you sleep in.”
“Wait, were you watching the clock or something? How long have you been awake?”
“Since six.”
“Finn! You’ve been lying there for two hours?”
“I had my phone.”
“You were creeping on your phone waiting to wake me up so you could fuck me?”
“I’d drop the word creeping from that sentence, but yes.”
“Creeping. Shame on you.”
“You’re shaming me because I find my sleeping wife attractive.”
“Why do I have to be sleeping?!”
“I find you beautiful no matter your state of consciousness.” He kisses me, grinning. “Don’t overthink it.”
I put my hand on his chest and give him a serious look. “What if I were dead? What if you found me naked and dead and beyond saving with one last chance to make love to me? Would you do it?”
He seriously considers, the sick bastard. “How warm are you?”
“Finn! No!” I shove him back and he’s laughing. I grin back, trying to come to terms with this strange relationship we’ve built. Somehow, I’ve found someone as sick and damaged as I am, a man willing to eat my pizza, to ignore my scars, to even find them beautiful, and who is happy to make necrophilia jokes after vigorous morning lovemaking. I didn’t even like him when we first met. Now he’s all I think about.
I get out of bed and shower. He comes in a little while after and we talk while he’s in the water. I dress, brush teeth, do my usual routine. But now Finn’s there, glorious Finn, and he’s funny. He makes me laugh, and I don’t even think he’s using humor to deflect from his pain like he used to. Smiling and jokes were his mask for a long time. Now it’s just him.
My phone rings as I tug my jeans on. He comes out of the bathroom in just a towel and glances over. “Who’s that?”
“My mom.” I frown at the screen. It’s just about nine in the morning now. “Why would she be calling this early?”
“You should answer.”
“I don’t know. I don’t really feel like talking to her.” I think back to the last time. How she promised to keep our secret, but she still couldn’t admit there was a secret at all.
“Just answer. I’ll kiss your feet while you do it.”
“God, you’re weird. That’s not an incentive.” But I raise the phone up anyway and hit accept before she goes to voicemail. “Hey, Mom—”
Something shatters in the background and there’s a loud, indistinct shout of anger. “Caroline, oh, god, Caroline, they’re killing each other!” She’s shrill and terrified, and I immediately look over at Finn, my heart racing. He must see the seriousness of the call on my phone and comes over, holding his towel with one hand.
“What’s going on, Mom?”
“It’s Mal and Dermot. They’re fighting over something. Oh, God, your father called them in for a meeting, but now it’s going all wrong. They’re going to kill each other!” Mom shrieks and something smashes near her. “Caroline, please, I need help. They need help!” She shouts away from the phone: don’t do it, Mal, please, God, get off him!