Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
“You will not do that,” she scolds. “That’s just adding more fuel to the fire.”
“Baby.” I shake my head. “I don’t know if you saw what I saw, but that fire is already half burned to the ground and she”—I point to where Angela was sitting—“was the one adding more fucking fuel to it than needed to be added. So the ball is now in your court.” I raise my eyebrows and wait for a split second. “I’m waiting.”
“Why are you like this?” She rolls her eyes. “I said I was fine.”
“Wow,” I say, getting up, “you got on my ass about communicating with you, and now you are the one shutting me out.”
“Can we be more dramatic?” She reaches for my hand and pulls me back into the chair. “I’d rather talk about this at home. Can we do that?”
I shake my head. “No, because the minute I get you home, I’m dragging you to the bed and fucking you senseless,” I tell her. “Or maybe I’ll do you in the SUV; either way, I’m not wasting my alone time with you talking about them.”
“Wow, you forgot about my hot chocolate.” I roll my eyes. “And not for nothing, but I was really looking forward to that chocolate syrup.”
“Ariella,” I groan, my cock twitching in my jeans, “spill it.”
“Okay, fine, but just so you know, I handled it myself.” I just glare at her and she holds up her hands. “They didn’t know I was in there.” I sit up, putting my arm around the chair and pulling the chair to me. “They said things that bitches say.”
“Which are?”
“I don’t want to repeat it,” she says softly and she finally lets me see how much the words hurt her.
I get up. “Let’s go,” I urge her. She gets up, and with her head down, we walk out of here. Only when we are in the SUV do I look over at her. “I let you down,” I finally say and she whips her head toward me. “I brought you here and I didn’t protect you.”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” she hisses at me. “Honestly, it’s nothing.”
“It was something,” I counter her. “It was something that made you look like that.” I point over my shoulder. “This was supposed to be a fun night. With you meeting the guys and their families. With us skating and just enjoying being out together.”
“It was that,” she says softly, leaning over the console. “It was all that. I’m not going to let what she said turn me away. I mean, let’s be honest, we all know there are the bitchy wives in the group.” I turn my head on the headrest and look at her. “We’ve met our share.” I can’t help but laugh at the way her nose scrunches up. “Even if she’s there the next time, I’m not going to let what she said turn me away. This is where my man works, and I’m going to come and support him.”
“Your man?” I raise my eyebrows.
“It sounded better than my baby daddy.” She moves back into her seat. “Now, you promised to give me anything I want, and I want a hot chocolate with whipped cream.” She gasps. “Whipped cream and chocolate syrup.” She nods her head like she just came up with the answer to the million-dollar question. “I don’t need hot chocolate.” She’s deflecting and I know she’s deflecting, and I’m going to let her have this.
I start the SUV. “Okay. Take my phone and order the stuff.” I decide not to push her because I want to be able to hold her when she tells me what those bitches said to her.
She grabs my phone and puts in the code and then opens the app, adding things to the basket. “Done.” She puts the phone in the cupholder. “It should be there in about forty-five minutes. Just enough time for us to get home and for you to warm me up.”
When we walk into the house, I take off my sweater and watch her take off her shoes and then her jacket, walking farther into the house.
The whole ride home, she said not a word. I also said not a word, and the longer the silence was lingering in the SUV, the more mad I got. “I’m starving,” she declares. I stop, grabbing her around her waist, and pulling her to my chest. Her back is tucked into my front as she crosses her hands and places them on my arms while I bury my face in her neck.
“What did she say? I can’t let it go,” I admit to her. “I need to know.”
“That you are with me because you feel guilty,” she finally shares the words and my hold on her tightens. “And that you’ll get bored,” she continues. I have to admit, it’s best that she didn’t tell me there because I think I would have strangled Angela with my bare hands.