Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
His finger under her chin was gentle but with a definite command to look at him. Tilting her head back, he stared down at her with such affection and . . . and lust that it took her breath away.
“Baby, there is nothing I want more. Do you think you can give us a chance? I know we’re still mending what we broke but do you think you could be with us? That you could give us a chance?”
“I love you too, Slade. I always have but now it’s no longer sisterly love or hero worship.”
“Damn, no hero worship?” He winced.
She snorted. “I’ve kept things I got from each of you.”
Urgh. Way to just blurt that out.
“You have?” he asked. “Like what?”
“A jumper from Rock. A book I got from Quaid. A photo of Spencer and I. And my pink pompom hat that you gave me. They’re the only things I really wanted to take with me when I left Billy.”
“God, Boo. We were complete wankers.”
She opened her mouth to reply when she heard her name being frantically called.
Was that Spencer?
She sat up and saw him stick his head out the door. “Indie!”
“I’m here. What’s wrong?” she asked.
Slade held her on his lap as she tried to get up. She gave him a confused look.
“You still don’t have any shoes on,” he explained. “You’re not walking around on cold tiles with bare feet.”
“Indie! What are you doing out here?” Spencer demanded as he reached them. He was wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and a pair of purple pajama pants.
There was something off in his voice.
He sounded frantic.
“I’m sorry,” she said as Rock walked out, looking tired. He wore a sweater and a pair of shorts.
Brr.
He must have gotten woken up by Spencer’s yelling.
“What?” Rock asked in his broken voice.
Now that she knew what had happened to him . . . well, it was hard not to cry every time she heard him talk.
“I woke up and Indie was gone.” Spencer pointed at her. “New rule. No getting out of bed without permission.”
Um. What?
She gaped at him. “You can’t just make up whatever rules you want!”
“Sure, I can! I’m the Dom. I’m the Daddy. I’m the boss.”
Was he for real right now? She narrowed her gaze at him, her body growing tense.
“Uh, Spencer,” Slade said. “Can’t believe I’m saying this but you might want to ease up.”
Rock nodded. “Sound like Slade.”
“That’s true,” Slade agreed. He stood with her in his arms. “Let’s go inside where it’s warmer and talk for a moment.”
“This is going to be a rule,” Spencer said as soon as they were inside.
Slade sat her down on the sofa in her spot. Yep, she’d claimed a spot and it was all hers. She wondered if Quaid was home. Wouldn’t he have heard all the commotion if he was?
Spencer was pacing, running his fingers through his hair. She was about to scold him, but then she noticed that his fingers were shaking.
What was wrong with him?
“Spencer? What’s going on?” she asked. “Why are you so . . . upset?”
“Yeah, why have you got your knickers in a twist over Indie getting up?” Slade asked.
“Because I thought she was gone!” Spencer yelled. “I woke up and she wasn’t there and I . . . I . . . fuck!” All of a sudden he seemed to deflate. He sat on the couch and rested his head on his hands. His elbows were on his thighs as he took several long breaths. “I overreacted.”
Indie got up and moved over to him before attempting to kneel in front of him.
“Stop,” Slade barked while Rock made a noise of protest.
Spencer’s head shot up and he stared at her. Then he quickly grasped her around the waist, pulling her back up so she was standing. “What are you doing?”
“Well, I was going to talk to you.”
“On your knees?” he growled.
“Thought most men would like that,” she grumbled as her face grew red.
“Oh, I like it,” Spencer drawled. “But not when you’re pregnant and recovering from a beating.”
“You can be our naughty girl on your knees when you’re fully mended,” Slade added.
She glanced over to find him watching her hungrily.
“I, for one, like it a lot,” Slade told her.
Oh, she bet he did.
“No kneeling until then,” Spencer said. “That’s a rule.”
“Since when are you so rule-driven?” she grumbled. Out of all of them she’d thought that he would be the most easygoing.
“Since I was charged with the care and protection of the most precious thing in the world to me,” he said.
Just like that Spencer completely shattered her.
She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even breathe.
All she could do was gape at him in shock.
“Fuck, I know I overreacted. But every night that I’m not sleeping with you, I lie in bed, unable to sleep, going over and over that day and what I could have done differently. And once I get to sleep, I’m plagued with nightmares of Billy hurting you while I’m watching, helpless to do anything. I can’t stop him. I can’t protect you.”