Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
So I turned back to my bike and ignored her like a prick.
She swiveled back in Elena’s direction, and her voice hardened. “You’re imagining things.”
My chest clutched, and my stupid gaze was sliding back that way.
She kept swaying that sweet ass toward the truck.
“Bwinwey sit Kai!” Little hands waved in the air, the boy peeking over the side.
Brinley seemed to stumble a step. “Okay, baby, I can sit next to you.”
God, why did it feel like she was driving a blade through my guts every time she called him that? Flaying me wide open to the disfigured affection that kept trying to break free underneath.
She climbed into the back seat beside Kai, giving me a peep of her perfect ass, legs long and bare and urging me toward traitorous things.
My stomach twisted, and my freaking little sister smirked when she caught me staring.
Then she slammed the door shut and skipped around to the front of the truck to the driver’s side, hopped in, and put it into gear.
And it didn’t matter if I put six hundred pounds of torque into it, there was no chance of stopping mine and Brinley’s gazes from tangling as they went.
Those bottomless, mesmerizing eyes haunting me.
FORTY-EIGHT
SILAS
We were gathered around the table.
Yeah, the plan was to pack Brinley’s things and take her back to the club, but I doubted one more meal could hurt all that much.
Seemed a dick move, depriving her of this delicious meal.
God knew Meems would read me the riot act if I did, anyway, and I’d always fancied myself a decently intelligent man.
I knew how to save my own ass, at least.
Brody strolled in five minutes late. Smug smirk on his face when he glanced between me and Brinley who sat on my left.
“Glad to see you could join us.” Meems arched a brow at my middle brother.
He gave her that charming smile. “Had a little something I was attending to at the club.”
Elena spluttered around a sip of her iced tea. “Something? More like a someone, I’m sure.”
He grinned. “A man never tells.”
She barked in incredulity. “Oh, I’ve heard all about your conquests. So gross.”
He waltzed to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and guzzled half of it. “You’re just sad you aren’t getting any.”
A growl ripped out of me, and the dude actually had the decency to look contrite. “Sorry, Prez.”
“Just eat your dinner,” I grunted, and he took his seat while I itched like a fiend in mine.
Trying not to turn my attention to Brinley so I could watch her wrap that tempting mouth around her spoon.
Kept glancing that way, anyway, teetering between the swells of lust that continually erupted when she’d moan around the metal and the fucking gooey feeling I got every time she reached over and helped Kai get a little chunk of food into his mouth.
Most of his stew had spilled out onto his tray, and the kid was using his chubby fingers to try to chase down the little pieces.
Half of them ended up on his shirt.
“Here you go, sweet boy,” she murmured as she hand-fed him a piece of carrot.
I wondered if she’d do the same for me.
“Fank foo,” he told her, showing her the orange, mashed-up mouthful around his tiny, gapped teeth.
“You are welcome, punky boo.” She poked his belly from under his tray.
“I no punky boo.”
She tickled him a little more. “Yes, you are, you’re my little punky boo.”
He squealed in delight, and the air was shifting again.
An ebb and flow that only amplified with each pass.
Energy subdued but far too alive.
Thick and murky yet swimming with light.
Brinley groaned and sat back in her chair and set both of her hands over her stomach.
She’d changed clothes, dumped that dress, though what she’d pulled on wasn’t any safer for my sanity. Black leggings and an oversized beige tee, cropped and with the neck cut out of it.
One bare shoulder peeked out to taunt me into rebellion.
“Oh my goodness, Meems, I might say this every night, but that one was by far the best. I’m so stuffed I think I could burst,” Brinley told her.
Meems beamed.
Brinley might as well have told her she loved her.
“Wait until you try the pie. It’s apple.”
Of course, it was.
Clearly, my entire family was trying to drive me off a cliff.
Brinley groaned. “Sweet torture.”
She didn’t know the half of it.
“I’ll slice it,” Elena offered, jumping up from her seat. She danced into the kitchen, twirling as she went, sliding all over the wooden floors on her fuzzy socks.
Affection had me shaking my head. “You’re going to slip and fall on your ass.”
She swung open the freezer door and pulled out a gallon of vanilla ice cream as she did a little dip. “Pssh… You know nothing, dear brother. I am the epitome of grace.”
Brinley peeked over at me with those hurricane eyes. Amusement and warmth and that protective affinity streamed out of her.