Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 185811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 929(@200wpm)___ 743(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 185811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 929(@200wpm)___ 743(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
To be honest, I hadn’t even thought of that.
I just put my head down and got on with it.
But I did that because I didn’t want to worry anyone. Worrying the girls at work was bad enough, and that wasn’t my choice. If it was, I wouldn’t have done it.
And I was Lottie Mac. I was a tough broad. I could handle anything. I’d been on my own and doing that for a long time.
Not to mention, I had Smithie. Hawk Delgado. His team.
And I had Mo.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “But I had Mo.”
Bad idea.
Hank looked to Mo and his gentle big brother expression vanished.
“How about you go put some clothes on while we have a word with Mo,” Luke suggested.
Oh no.
“Luke—”
“Lottie,” Mo’s hand came again to the small of my back, “go get dressed.”
I looked up at him. “I’m not leaving you.”
“It’ll be okay. We have to have a chat,” he replied.
My spine snapped straight. “I’m not leaving you, Mo.”
“You need to put some clothes on,” he retorted.
“I’m practically wearing a smock,” I fired back.
“It’s sexy AF and not helping anything,” he returned.
It was not.
Was it?
“It isn’t.”
“Lottie, I would know,” he pointed out.
“I would too, my eyes are burning,” Luke muttered.
“Babydoll nightie, Christ,” Vance bit out.
I looked down at myself.
Okay.
Maybe it was cute.
And a little hot.
I turned to the men. “You’ve seen me strip. All of you.”
Luke’s gaze bored into mine. “Don’t remind me.”
“I might hurl,” Hector mumbled to floor.
Holy smokes.
They were totally my big brothers.
“Lottie, go put clothes on,” Mo rumbled.
And there was the Brook No Argument Voice.
I glared at him. “Fine.” I turned my glare to the men in the room. “But no one hurt him while I’m gone.”
“We’re not gonna hurt him,” Ren said.
“I might hurt him,” Vance murmured.
“I’m in on that,” Hector added.
“You’re not gonna hurt him!” I yelled at Hector.
“All right, all right. Cálmate, hermanita,” Hector replied.
To make certain that happened, I turned my attention to Tex and announced, “When the time comes, I want you walking me down the aisle.”
Tex had been uncharacteristically quiet through all this, likely thinking the men had it in hand since they weren’t letting up on me.
He remained that way after my announcement seeing as he went visibly still.
The room went still.
Time stood still.
“And prepare,” I continued. “Because it’s gonna be a huge-ass wedding and I’m wearing a sexy dress. Like Roxie’s, except sexier. Lots of flowers. A colossal cake. Server passed hors d’oeuvres. Open bar. The whole shebang.” I whirled on Mo. “You down with that?”
“Whatever you want, baby,” he murmured, looking amused again.
“Good,” I snapped.
“You’re already getting married?” Eddie asked, his voice low and unhappy. “You said you just started things up a couple hours ago.”
I whirled on him. “When did you move Jet in with you?”
He shut his mouth.
Mm-hmm.
Not a one of them could use the “you’re rushing into this” defense. They’d each claimed their women at the speed of light.
Thank God I didn’t have to put up with that.
“And no, not yet,” I carried on. “We haven’t even had our first date. But signals are showing he’s the one. We’d see if all systems are a go if I’d stop having religious freaks after me or my living room filled with meddling men. Though,” I turned back to Mo, “we do kinda have that crackpot to thank for bringing us together.”
Mo’s eyes narrowed and a noise that sounded like a growl came up his throat.
Okay, so, not yet in the threat-over, post-sex-haze-of-goodness benevolent mood.
Important to know.
Eddie sighed, and I looked back at the Hot Bunch.
Lee was grinning.
Hank was looking at his feet…and smiling.
Vance and Hector were looking at each other, still not happy.
Luke was watching Mo.
Ren smiled at me.
I turned to Tex.
“Well?”
Tex stared at me.
Then he came at me.
First, his hand went to the top of my head.
Once there, he used it to shove my face in his chest.
That was when his arms went around me.
I closed my eyes and put my arms around him.
Yeah, I didn’t need to be my dad’s best girl.
I just needed Tex around.
“It’d be my honor, Lottie,” he low-boomed into the top of my hair.
Yeah.
All I needed was Tex.
And Mo.
And the Hot Bunch.
Life taketh away.
But if you’re open to it, it also giveth.
And I had a lot.
“Now put some clothes on, girl,” Tex ordered, let me go, spun me around, and gave me a gentle push toward Mo.
A knock came at the door.
“Christ,” Mo muttered, the soft look he was giving me after watching the Tex hug turning to an impatient one. “I’ll get that. You get dressed,” he said to me.
“All right. I’m going,” I replied.
He went to the door.
I went to the stairs.
I was up three of them when I heard. “Good, Mo. Glad you’re here. We need to ask you a few questions too.”
This meant I pivoted and went right back down to watch Mo ushering in Mitch Lawson and Brock Lucas.