Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68735 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68735 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
I didn’t know who to look at.
Keanu, to see if he was winning, or Audric because he was just that beautiful of a man.
In the end, I chose to stare more at Audric, taking in his bulging biceps and thick thighs.
Carter laughed joyously beside me, but all I could stare at was the man at the top of the tree who was pointing at his friend across from him saying, “Victory!”
Their joyous laughter had me beaming from ear to ear.
“Wow,” Telly said as she stared at the two men. “I didn’t know that was even possible.”
“They’ve been fighting this out for years,” Carter informed us. “Every single gathering they had, the two of them would be in those damn trees racing. There’s been more than a few broken bones over the years, too. Though, Audric has had more of them. He’s a little more rusty since he doesn’t do this often. I’m honestly surprised he won, though.”
Audric and Keanu descended their trees, and when their feet hit the ground, they came together for some complicated handshake before Keanu took over the talking.
An hour later, we were watching the best show on earth.
Or maybe it just felt like that for me because this was my man and watching him undulating and sweating while dancing under stage lighting was fantastic.
You could tell that he was rusty. He messed up more than once, and he would laugh it off.
He’d definitely done it before, though.
Honestly, it looked like he was having the time of his life, and I was all there for it.
“This last one is a time-honored tradition,” Keanu said after dinner was served and we were working on dessert. “Who’s heard of the Haka?”
My heart started to pound.
I’d read about the Haka.
According to the books I’d read, the Haka was performed to celebrate, welcome, to show respect, or even to protest.
I’d read all about the Haka in my favorite rugby books, but I had no clue how exciting and exhilarating it would be to witness it in person.
“My friend and I, we used to have competitions to see who had the best scary face.” Keanu laughed. “Y’all will have to tell us who actually wins when we’re done!”
The lights dimmed, and I watched, enraptured, as Audric performed the Haka.
I couldn’t stop myself from taking a photo of him pounding on his thighs, veins bulging, head thrown back as he bellowed for all he was worth.
I set it as my lock screen and knew that I wouldn’t be changing it ever.
God, if this man asked me to marry him right now, I would.
I had no clue just how much he meant to me until that moment as I watched him let go and be happy for the first time in a long time.
To truly see him let go…
“He looks so happy,” Telly said softly.
I looked to my new friend and said, “I agree.”
They ended the night with a fire show as all the men used long sticks with fire on both ends to twirl around their bodies, showing off their hard abs and each dip and divot of their bodies.
It was the second-best part of the show.
As everyone was leaving, Audric brought Keanu up to meet me.
He held out his hand and said, “Ahh, the arch nemesis. I’ve heard a lot about you, and not all of it good.”
I grinned wildly, only feeling a twinge of discomfort due to his nearness.
Audric immediately picked up on it, pulling me into his side as he said, “Don’t go there. I just finally got her to like me.”
“Oh, we should definitely go there,” I teased.
“I thank you for sharing him with us tonight. We were in a bind, and I would’ve been sunk without him,” he explained.
“Oh, it was my pleasure to share him with you. I loved seeing him up there. I definitely got a lot of photos of him for my troubles.” I snickered.
I showed him the photo I’d taken of Audric doing the Haka, and Keanu laughed. “I guess he does win the scary contest.”
I snorted. “Y’all were both ferocious.”
A little girl walked up then, tugging on Keanu’s hand.
Keanu bent down and lifted the girl into his arms.
The girl looked over and squealed, throwing herself at Audric. “Aric!”
“Sigh,” Keanu said. “My own daughter loves him more than me.”
“He’s a hard man not to love,” I teased. “How old is she?”
“Three.” He smiled as Audric peppered kisses all over the girl’s face.
“Alani, honey,” a woman who looked exhausted said. “Come on, let’s let Daddy finish up. It’s time for bed.”
Keanu dropped a kiss onto his wife’s cheek, and it was only then that I saw the newborn strapped to the woman’s chest. Her flowing dress made it impossible to see unless you were looking closely.
“Kiana,” Audric said. “I can’t believe he has you out here working six weeks after giving birth.”