Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Sage frowned, her voice small and shaky. “I can explain, if you’ll give me a cha–”
He moved on pure instinct, pulling her against him, his fingers sliding possessively around the back of her neck. He kissed her deep, hungry, and unrelenting, like a man who knew if tomorrow came without her by his side, he didn’t want it. He only wanted her.
Because she kissed him back just as fiercely. All her passion, need, and fire poured straight into him. She was innocence and sin woven together, and her taste flooded his system, sinking into his blood and bones and soul so hard and fast he knew he’d never be free of her again. Nothing else mattered. He only wanted to drag her closer, to lose himself in her while thunder roared through his veins.
When he finally pulled back, Sage looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes, her breath coming in soft little pants. “Wait… Grady… are you firing me or not?”
Tears flowed in a steady stream down her cheeks, creating spots on her shirt. Damn, he’d messed this up already. Though how, after a kiss like that, she could think he was sending her away was beyond him.
“Wildfire—”
“I know,” she said. They’d have to work on her tendency to interrupt him. Her voice cracked. “I know I lost control at school. I’m so sorry. I j-just got so freakin’ mad that this complete stranger w-would talk about Rose that w-way. I couldn’t stop myself. I know y-you have every right to be angry, but please… I’ll do anything if you’ll let me stay. You can spank me for as long as you want, as hard as you want, and I won’t even cry. I’ll do everybody’s chores for the rest of the summer. It’s… it’s, well, I care about you—I mean Rose. I care about Rosie so much.”
His pulse quickened at her slip. She’d said she cared about him. But then she broke into sobs so hard they racked her entire body. Yeah, he needed to fix this.
Now.
“Shh,” Grady tightened his arms around her and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing her in. “Hush now, babygirl. Breathe. You have nothing to apologize for. You responded exactly like you should. Harriet was way out of line, as usual.” He exhaled slowly. Best to get this over with quick, like ripping off a bandage. “She’s not just anyone. She’s my mother-in-law, Tricia’s mother. Though I use that term loosely. She’s the reason Tricia was afraid of her own shadow. It did my heart good to finally see somebody stand up to that woman. Well, other than me. I’ve ripped her a new one on more than one occasion just to protect Tricia from her.”
Sage’s eyes widened, “She’s your mother-in-law?”
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The sound of someone pounding on the door broke the spell they’d woven. The pounding came again, and not on his front door. No, someone was pounding on his bedroom door.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me!”
Grady lifted Sage off his lap and set her on the edge of the bed and headed for his door. The list of people who had the gall and lack of sense to come into his house without permission was very short.
An extremely unpleasant voice on the other side of the door called out, confirming his suspicion.
He turned back to the bed and pointed at Sage. “Do not move,” he said, before opening the door wide enough to get through and shutting it behind him.
As he expected, Harriet Gulch stood just outside his door. She took one look at him and snarled, “Grady!”
The woman’s sharp, nasally voice had always gotten on his last nerve, and today it was worse. “I’m not dealing with you today, Harriet. But you should know I’ll be by your place first thing tomorrow, and we will be having words.”
“Grady Kane! What took you so long? What do you mean keeping me waiting like that? It’s rude.”
“When you come storming into my house uninvited and pound on my bedroom door, you get what you get. Now are you leaving, or do I need to escort you?” he demanded.
He walked toward her, forcing her back into the family room.
“You’re gonna want to move to the door of your own volition. If you don’t, I will move you.”
“If you lay a hand on me, I’ll have you charged with assault.”
“Woman, you broke into my house. Nobody is going to blame me for kicking you out.”
She held out her hand. “We need to get a few things straight.”
He wouldn’t have stopped, but he heard the creak of his bedroom door opening. Damn it. Turning, he watched as Sage walked into the living room. He glared at her, but his Little wildfire didn’t flinch. “I thought I told you to stay in the bedroom.”
Vowing to deal with his naughty Little girl later, he gave Harriet his attention. The woman stood ramrod straight, staring past him at Sage.