Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
“Word,” I muttered, leaning into the fingers massaging my scalp.
“Fuck,” he said, one of his hands leaving my hair to wrap gently around my throat. “I want you again.”
“We don’t have time,” I argued half-heartedly as he dropped to his knees in the tub.
“Hold on to something so you don’t fall,” he ordered softly, lifting my leg until one foot was resting on the lip of the tub.
I tore down the little shelf that held my shampoo, and it put us fifteen minutes behind schedule, but the orgasm was absolutely worth it.
An hour after that, I’d finished getting ready, packed an overnight bag with clean clothes, and we were on our way back to Beau’s house.
“You keep looking at my hair,” I announced, leaning forward to turn the music down. “Does it look bad?”
“Of course not,” Beau scoffed, glancing at me. “You know you’re beautiful.”
“Meh,” I honked. “Wrong answer. You just did it again.”
“It looks different.”
“Yes, because I blow-dried and straightened it.”
“I know. I watched you.”
“Like a creep.”
“Like someone who’s seen you naked and would like to see it again.”
“No, but really,” I said, flipping down the mirror in the sunshade. “Is it sticking up or something?”
“There’s nothing wrong with your hair.”
“Then why do you keep staring at it?”
“It’s smooth,” he grumbled, staring out the windshield.
“That’s kind of the point.”
“My fingers run right through it.”
“And?”
“And I like it when they get tangled, all right?” he blustered, glancing at me again.
I bit my lips to keep myself from laughing. He was so out of sorts because he had to explain himself, which made it even cuter that he liked when his fingers got caught up in my rat’s nest head of hair. It was the first—and probably the last—time that I’d ever thought of Beau as cute. For a moment, I wished I could have known him as a child.
“Don’t worry, it’ll get all tangled again tonight,” I replied, patting his leg consolingly.
“Oh, fuck off,” he blurted.
That time I didn’t hold back my laughter.
I was still a little giggly when we finally pulled into the garage. Between the last two days that had bordered on blissful, the fact that I’d been able to ruffle Beau’s feathers, and knowing that I’d see Mr. Miranda for the first time in weeks, I practically bounced into the house.
Mattie had clearly started cooking earlier in the day because the house smelled wonderful. There was a large pot of something bubbling on the stove, a couple of freshly baked loaves of bread on the counter, and everything was spotless. She’d obviously gone to a lot of trouble trying to get everything just right.
“I’m going to run your bag upstairs,” Beau said, kissing my temple. “My parents are in the living room.”
“I can do it,” I called as he strode off without me. “Or not.”
I made my way into the living room and found Erik and Mattie sitting in a couple of armchairs with glasses of wine in hand.
“Well, don’t you look beautiful,” Mattie called, getting to her feet. “I love your dress.”
“Thank you,” I replied as Erik came over to help me pull my coat off. “Dinner smells so good.”
“It’s so cold outside. I thought stew would be nice,” she said, smiling as I thanked Erik. “It’s not fancy, but I’ve found that most people like a good stew.”
“I’m sure they’ll love it,” I assured her. “None of them are picky eaters or allergic to anything.”
“Did you and Beau have a nice time?” Erik asked as we all sat back down.
“We did! We drove to the coast and ended up staying at a hotel for the night once we got closer to home.”
“Isn’t it nice to get a night away?” Mattie asked, grinning. “Even if you’re close to home, it’s like a little treat.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “It was fun to step away from real life for a minute.”
“I’m glad you two had some time to yourselves,” she said sweetly.
“Me and Mattie like to go a bit further afield once or twice a year,” Erik added. “Gives us a chance to spend time together without all the responsibilities that come with being home.”
“Even when the boys aren’t here, there’s still a million things to do all the time,” she explained.
“I know how that goes. I swear, the first time Beau and I spent any length of time at my house, I felt like I was cleaning the whole time.”
“Not the whole time,” Beau corrected.
I shot him a glare over my shoulder, and he grinned.
“Rena came for dinner, too, remember?” he asked innocently.
“That’s true,” I replied, turning back toward his parents. “She pretty much barged in because I hadn’t been answering her calls.”
“Uh oh,” Mattie said with a little laugh.
“It worked out, though.”
“She’s the one I told you about,” Beau said, sitting down beside me with his hand on my knee. “Her grandparents were Joe and Irene Rossi.”