Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 176012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 880(@200wpm)___ 704(@250wpm)___ 587(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 880(@200wpm)___ 704(@250wpm)___ 587(@300wpm)
Quinn addresses Farrow. “I thought you couldn’t do cardio.”
“My stamina is what dreams are made of,” he taunts, drifting past her with his stupid fucking swagger. “Tomorrow’s panties are already wet.”
Excuse me? I take a step.
“With sweat,” Farrow assures me, taking an extra step back. “That’s what I meant.”
Yeah, my ass.
He spins around and follows Dylan toward the room, Van der Berg griping at him, “Don’t you ever shut the fuck up?”
“When my mouth is full.”
Noah shakes his head, and I can imagine Farrow’s smirk as they both disappear inside.
Quinn turns to me, her chest rising with a breath. “Well…” She smiles small. “Thank you for the ride.”
She turns toward the stairs, probably heading for the track, and I take a step, but Jared is there.
He approaches her, his eyebrow cocked. “We trust your decisions.” He grins, Madoc and Jax behind him. “But it’s nice to know another adult is on the case.”
He tosses me a look, thinking Quinn is at the house with me, and it doesn’t even occur to him to worry. I rub the back of my neck.
Jax grabs his sister in a headlock. “You thought you were going to have fun this summer, didn’t you?”
Jared and Madoc chuckle as Quinn twists and turns for a second before finally dealing him a blow in the gut.
He growls, releasing her, and everyone laughs again.
She looks at me. “They think you’re a priest.” She pins me with a pointed stare. “Are you?”
My heart rate jacks up, knowing she’s referring to last night, and all that’s keeping her from making me the subject of her brothers’ attention rather than her is her choice of words.
I maintain a level tone. “As far as you’re concerned.”
“But you’re going to have fun this summer?”
My dick twitches, her brothers listening to every word.
They’re going to see it in my face. In my breathing.
I keep my tone steady. “That’s none of your business.”
I’m the adult.
Madoc tugs her close, kissing her head. “Boundaries, kiddo.”
She glares at me, and I smile just enough for her to see.
She can tell them what’s happened between us, but so can I. Her masturbating on my bed, getting her own apartment next to Farrow Kelly, and supplying drinks to her minor nephews and niece.
She yanks her towel off her shoulder and stomps up the stairs to the second level.
“We leave at nine!” I shout after her.
I want to follow, but it’ll look suspicious.
“Thank you for helping,” Madoc tells me. “Sorry I haven’t been around much. How are you doing?”
I glance up, watching her move out of sight. “I’m fine.”
He holds up his racket. “A game?”
“I think I’m gonna run instead.”
I start for the stairs, but he pulls me back. “Come on, we need four.”
And I actually roll my eyes because I still can’t tell this guy no. It’s like I’m scared he’ll cry or something.
Following the three of them into a court, Madoc and I take the back while Jared and Jax take the front. Madoc serves, the ball slamming against the wall and barreling back to us, echoing through the chamber.
“Is she doing okay?” Madoc asks me, grunting as he hits the ball. “Getting home at a decent hour and getting some sleep?”
“She has a lot of energy.” I run for the ball. “Always off somewhere.”
“She pissing you off?” Jax jokes.
We volley, Jared catching it, then Madoc slamming it again.
She’s definitely pissing me off. But in ways I can’t tell them about.
I dive for my shot. “She’s still…the same as she always was.”
I don’t know what to say. Between last night and the car with serious stalker vibes earlier, I can’t think.
“Yeah, the parents did a good job.” Madoc sucks in air. “She’s the best of us. Grew up with everything and took nothing for granted.”
His eyes meet mine before he takes another shot.
“She’ll never risk what’s good in the pursuit of what she thinks might be better,” he tells me.
I pause, my shot going over my head. Madoc makes a face and goes to retrieve the ball.
The grass is greener everywhere you’re not standing, he means.
Quinn knows how lucky she is. That’s a lesson I could’ve used all those years ago when I went looking for friends that Madoc wouldn’t have approved of.
“We don’t want her to be alone forever.” Jax whips his racket. “We just never want her to know how awful people can be.”
I jerk my head left and right, cracking my neck. The people you love the most are the ones who can really hurt you, though. He must know that. She’ll suffer in love as much as anything.
“So, what’s the agenda for tomorrow?” I ask, swatting the ball and needing a change of subject.
Madoc dives, missing his shot. “Parade at ten,” he growls, “barbecue crawl starting at Eagle Point at noon, fireworks at nine.”
“What time do I have to be up?” Jared grumbles.