Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Of course, it doesn’t stop there. Tony’s shadowed beard traces the line of his jaw, emphasizing his strength. It isn’t precisely groomed, more of an effortless roughness going along with the man who more or less wakes up looking good without meaning to. His mouth… My god, his mouth. It’s soft by comparison, natural full lips that make him look perpetually on the edge of smirking or whispering some kind of dirty thought in your ear.
And Tony’s body… I felt him, all of him, and every time I have one single thought about him, my own comes to life. My blood warms, my muscles tingle, and my core instantly aches with a need I’m unable to fulfill as of late. I’ve felt all of his relaxed but undeniably powerful body. His chest was rising and falling with an easy and steady breath. By the time our hot and heavy make-out session was over, I realized what I’d done. The buttons of his shirt were undone, showing off the dusting of dark hair that I’m more than sure tapers down his torso. Broad shoulders, corded muscles with a leanness, and there were even peeks of tattoos that seemed to tell a story: constellations, shapes, and symbols marking his body with clear intention.
Everything about him, his posture, his stillness, the way I felt every inch of his delicious body, only made me want him more. Then he came and helped everyone with the demo phase of the renovation. Tony’s shirt came off, and I nearly lost my footing.
“Earth to Coralynn, is anyone in there?” Shae breaks through the fog of remembering every last minute of when I saw Tony a few days ago. He’d gotten a call and had to leave. I later found out from Luke that his parents called, and his mom was frazzled about his dad. He left his shirt, and I did what any other woman who’s worth her salt and slightly obsessed with a man does: I snagged it when no one was looking, stuffing it in my purse and going about my business.
“Leave her be. She’s daydreaming.” I hear Luke make an oof noise and turn to look their way. Shae handled my future brother-in-law seamlessly, always looking out for her younger sister all these years later.
“Am not. I’m thinking about how much we have to do leading up to the wedding. Obviously, the bachelorette party won’t involve male strippers, my sister being put on stage, or copious amounts of alcohol. That still leaves us with manicures, pedicures, massages, and talking shit about the men in our lives.” We’re all closing our respective businesses or offices on Thursday and Friday to return Monday, save for the newlyweds. They’re going on a two-week honeymoon to the mountains. Shae wants cold weather the entire time instead of a cold front, which happened to coincide with her wedding this weekend.
“Don’t worry. The guys aren’t going to have too much fun, either. Poker night at Johnny’s place, pizza, booze, and losing money.” I almost make a face to say ‘yeah, right.’ Except my sister’s hormones have been off the charts, and I’m not trying to make her cry, even if it’s a joke.
“Not too many of us left standing. Gallo, Colt, Locke, and Zane.” Luke zeroes his gaze in on me, and it takes all I have to not roll my eyes at his antics.
“Come on, let’s get out of here. My classes are done for the day. Coralynn has one left, and she said she’d close the studio down tonight. Even though it’s my night.” The big sister in her appears again, this time admonishing me for taking over her night to shut down LITHE.
“It makes no sense for you to go home or go out to dinner and come back here. You can do me a solid another time. Who made this week’s schedule anyway?” Shae usually has this down to a science, making it work for all of us, including Lyric, who works a few days a week.
“Me, but I was tired. I’m always tired. This baby I’m growing sure is making me exhausted. Whoever said your energy comes back after the first trimester lied.” She covers her mouth when an unexpected yawn attacks.
“Get out of here.” I shoo the happy couple out with my hands.
“Come on, baby girl. Dinner, a shower, and putting your feet up are in your future.” Luke may like to give me hell about who he calls Gallo, even though to me, he’s Anthony or, the at rare times Tony when no one is around, but the truth of the matter is, Luke loves my sister endlessly.
“Fine, I can tell when I’m not wanted,” she replies but moves to wrap me up in a hug. While Shae has dark hair, mine is blonde, and while she’s tall, I’m on the shorter side. We’re complete opposites, each of us taking after a different parent.