Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 35875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Her body shakes with laughter. "Then maybe you should stop kissing me."
"Is that you saying you want to get naked and ride my cock in his driveway? Because I'm willing to kill him," I offer.
"Jack? Shut up and drive," she says, smiling against my lips.
I kiss her again and then settle her back in her seat, eyeing her. Fuck. She looks thoroughly kissed and too damn beautiful.
Why did I agree to dinner with Drake?
Oh, right. Because I'm an idiot.
"Holy shit," he says not even five minutes later, his eyes narrowed on Madison. "I know you."
"Hi, Drake." She smiles at him sweetly, clinging to my hand like she's a little afraid he might bite. Honestly…he might. He's an oversized asshole.
He glances from her to me, one brow raised. "She's your ghost?"
"Told you that you'd understand when we got here," I mutter.
"Does her dad know she's back?"
"Fuck no. And he isn't going to know until we're damn good and ready."
Drake opens his mouth, probably to ask for an explanation, but his wife pops up, her cinnamon eyes bright. Brown ringlets frame her round face, though they're a little worse for wear, like usual. Madeline is not a tame woman. She's…frankly, she's a petite ball of light who takes no prisoners and has no shame.
"Jack! You're here!" She bounces forward to throw her arms around me.
"Hey, beautiful." I grin at my sister-in-law, kissing her cheek while Drake scowls at me over her head. Jealous asshole. "Madeline, I'd like you to meet Madison. Madison, this is my sister-in-law, Madeline."
"Maddy?" Madeline asks Madison, a laugh burbling from her lips.
"You too, huh?" Madison asks.
"Naturally." Madeline rolls her eyes. "I'll make you a deal. You don't call me Maddy, and I won't call you Maddy. We'll just be Madeline and Madison. Nicknames are hereby banished."
"I like this." Madison smiles at my sister-in-law.
"I don't," Drake grumbles.
"Me either."
"Too bad. No nicknames." Madeline sends a severe look at Drake, only for it to wobble before falling into a smile. "If you keep frowning like that, your face is going to get stuck, Drake."
"So you keep telling me, unicorn."
"That's a nickname."
"Fuck this rule already."
She pats him on the chest before looping her arm through Madison's to drag her inside. "They can pout out here. Let's go get you a glass of wine and you can tell me how you ended up in Jack's pool house."
"Behave!" Drake calls after them.
"Worry about yourself, Drake Whitlock!" Madeline shouts back at him, earning a soft laugh from Madison.
"So, he's as bossy as his brother, huh?" Madison asks as they disappear into the house.
"Jack is bossy? Since when?"
"Excellent question," Drake asks, turning to look at me with one brow arched.
"Don't start with me, motherfucker."
He smirks. "Madison Laurent, huh?"
"Yeah." I scrub a hand through my hair. "Told you that you'd understand when we got here."
"She was squatting in your pool house?"
"Yep."
"Any idea why?"
"Yeah. Her father wants her company and her inheritance. He's holding a press conference on her birthday to announce that he's having her declared dead."
"Jesus Christ," Drake mutters, his eyes wide. "So he doesn't know she's alive?"
"Oh, I'm sure he knows. He's the reason she disappeared."
"Maybe I need wine."
"You don't even drink wine."
"Might start if you keep talking in riddles. Maybe it'll improve my blood pressure."
"You haven't had high blood pressure a goddamn day in your life."
"Uh, wrong." He scowls at me. "You've been my brother since I was born. I've had high blood pressure my entire life."
"Man, fuck you." I chuckle. "I do not give you that much stress."
"Says you." He eyes me sideways. "You going to tell me what the fuck is going on without the riddles or do I need to pull out a whiteboard and fucking guess like this is Charades?"
"I'm kinda liking option two, honestly. Might be fun."
He scowls daggers at me, snorting in disgust.
I throw my head back, laughing, before I quickly fill him in on the situation. His eyes widen as I talk, shock and anger filtering through his expression. By the time I'm done, he's growling softly…which I appreciate. He's a solid motherfucker. Always has been.
"What do you need, Jack? How can I help?"
"I need to get ahold of Asa Steele," I mutter. "I need someone watching her father for the next few days. I'd ask Cormac Carmichael, but he's busy. And then I need to put together a press conference. Quietly. I don't want anyone to know it's about her or tied to her in any way until it's showtime."
"Madeline is pregnant."
My eyes widen. "Shit. Seriously?" I pull him into a hug, pounding him on the back. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks, brother. I didn't tell you for the congrats, though. I told you because you can use it as cover for the press conference. Float that we're calling the conference to announce changes to the company because my wife is pregnant."