Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Actually, yes, I have.
It has been close many, many times, but it’s different today.
I clear my throat, but she cuts off anything I’m going to say by setting her palm on my cheek. She’s warm above the beard and warm right through it too. A massive lump forms in my throat, and the backs of my eyeballs prickle.
“I’m falling in love with you, Warrick. I know that’s a big word, but…but…is it okay? Could you tell before I just dropped it? Oh my god, this is…this isn’t romantic. I wanted to tell you in some dramatic way, with another box fort or doing the alternative and tying myself up in rope knots, but now I’m just blurting it out, and I can’t even do that properly.”
I wrap my hands around her waist and lift her clean off the floor. She wraps her legs around my hips as I steer us into the wall. She’s well supported, so she doesn’t have to cling to my neck. She keeps her hand on my cheek, stroking my beard softly and petting it.
“I’ve felt seen, heard, cared for, and loved since that first hug you gave me.”
She smiles so darn wide at me that it has to hurt her cheeks. I’m stunned all over again by her beauty, just like the first time I saw her.
“I’m so sorry that I have coffee breath.”
“Me too,” I say. “And also…me too. I’ve been falling for you since the first step you took into my office. I was such an asswad. I’m sorry I didn’t even give you money for gas.”
“It’s okay. You showed up in a big way later and saved all of us. Best day of my life. Also, the best meatloaf my granny’s ever had. She told me to tell you, but I think I might have forgotten. You didn’t just become my boss that day. You became a part of our family.”
She crushes her mouth to mine and sucks on my bottom lip like it’s her new favorite candy before she starts doing the same thing to my tongue until my vision goes blurry.
“Tear my clothes off,” she begs. “And for the love of all things unholy, bang me up against this fucking wall.”
“It would be my pleasure to give you pleasure.”
She rocks against my raging erection. “This is going to be so much fun,” she says, her eyes locking with mine. “All of it, I mean. And for the parts that aren’t, I’ll be right here through it.” She kisses me fiercely. “You aren’t really disowned, are you?”
“Nah. They’ll come around.”
“I’ll never forget that your mom called me a coochie.”
I groan. “Neither will I.”
“It’s alright.” She swivels her hips just to prove her point. I swear if my dick gets any harder, it will snap off and go walking down the street as its own entity. “I can be a coochie. Your coochie. Just for you.” She’s quiet for a second, then she bursts out laughing. “I’m afraid that doesn’t even make sense.”
“Not really.” I devour her mouth and slowly start slipping her bright pants down. “But I wholeheartedly accept your offer.”
Chapter eighteen
Amalphia
Epilogue
Whoooooo hooooooooo whooooooo!
Booty Sue doesn’t know what to think of the big robot German Shepherd that’s slowly making its way across my parent’s backyard. The main feature of the robot is that it’s supposed to be a robot. It moves with emphasized jerky steps, and it doesn’t have a weird hair hide or any sort of covering. You can see all the wires and bolts, connections, and metals that make it.
All of War’s other creations are the same. He officially got the company up and running last week, and in a few months, the renovations to the old factory he purchased will be complete, and production can begin.
So far, he has a dog, a cat, a snake, a spider, a bird, a lizard, a fish, a bunny, and a ferret constructed as prototypes. And over the past ten months, he dreamed up, assembled, and programmed each one of them himself.
I just completed my first year of college, and while that’s a huge accomplishment, I don’t feel like it’s the same level of grandness that he’s scaled. I mean, I did well. I even got a ninety-eight in my fine arts class. It was a lot of work, but writing papers and studying for exams aren’t nearly as cool as designing a robot dog that walks, runs, and obeys commands to lay down, sit, roll over, and shake a paw. Or, in the case of his other robots, meow, wriggle, climb, swim, crawl, and fly.
Just past Booty Sue, my parents spread out a massive handmade patchwork quilt. It’s been our go-to family picnic blanket for ages. I can’t believe we’ve gone all this time without treating War to a proper backyard picnic.