Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“You said may leave. But you will leave soon,” Calvin said firmly.
I nodded, although I wasn’t so sure about that anymore. Not if Forge meant what he’d said earlier.
“Let this go,” I repeated.
He sighed and stared at me for a moment. “So, this is just you being a friend to him while he deals with his mom dying?”
I scowled. “Don’t say that.”
“What?”
“That she is dying. She is sick. She can beat this.”
Calvin’s eyebrows shot up. “Els, she stopped the treatments. Without the chemo to kill it, she can’t.”
I didn’t want to hear that. I shook my head. The thought of Forge losing his mother was more than I could deal with right now. One thing at a time. “You don’t know that. You’re not a doctor or God.”
He shrugged and shook his head as if he was done with me. Whatever. He didn’t understand. He’d not lost a parent to death. Because of her own selfishness, he had in a way lost his mother, but she was alive. Breathing. Walking the earth. There was a chance for reconciliation. She could see her faults and choose to fix them. Death was final. There was nothing after.
“You swear that possessive stuff he’s doing is a friendship thing?” Calvin asked. “You’re not …” He paused and cleared his throat. We’d never discussed my sex life, although there had never been one. “You’re not, uh, sleeping with him?” he asked so quietly that I almost couldn’t hear him.
I shook my head. “No, Calvin, I’ve not had sex with your cousin.” And that was the complete truth.
The instant relief on his face would have been comical once, but at the moment, nothing was.
“We should go back in there,” I told him.
He nodded, then glanced around. “Where are the sodas?”
I walked over to the refrigerator and took out one for each of us, then handed him his. “Now, please, when we go back in there, relax and enjoy the evening.”
“Yeah, okay,” he agreed.
I led the way back to the great room. Forge’s eyes locked on me the second I entered. I smiled at him and went right back to my spot, where he was currently standing. He’d apparently not moved since I’d left. His hand went around the back of my waist, settling on my hip, and he held me close to his side while he continued typing with his other hand.
“You good?” he asked without looking from the screen to me.
“Yes. Everything is fine.”
Calvin had said his good nights and headed up to bed when Bane, Halo, Hawkins, and Winslet all went up. Once the games ended, I stifled a yawn and looked from Forge to Oz, who both were still wrapping up bets. I didn’t want to interrupt, but I was ready to go to bed. I’d had very little sleep the past few nights, and I was hoping with Forge back, I’d sleep better.
“I’m going up,” I said. “Night.”
Oz glanced up. “Thanks for your help tonight.”
“Of course. I enjoy it.”
He nodded, then went back to the screen he was working on.
Forge walked over to me, and I realized I was holding my breath as he did so. Watching him do anything was intoxicating. The man was eye candy. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me close until his mouth was near my ear.
“My bed. I’ll be up soon,” he whispered in my ear.
I pulled back to look up at him. Did he mean he wanted me to go to his bed?
“You’d better be there when I get there, or I’ll come haul you out of yours,” he warned, then winked at me before turning and going back to his laptop.
Okay, so that was what he meant. Anticipation sent a zing through my body. I was ready. At least, I thought I was. I couldn’t imagine wanting to do this with anyone more than I did Forge. I’d been a virgin far too long and for a silly reason, but having him be my first was worth the wait. If he didn’t break my vagina.
Forty-Four
Forge
“You wanna explain that shit tonight?” Oz asked the moment Elsie left the room.
“Nothing to explain,” I replied because it wasn’t his business.
“Ah, I don’t know. The sudden caveman shit with Elsie might need an explanation. You fucking her?”
I smirked. Not yet. “No, but if I were, why would it be your business?”
“Because she’s leaving with Calvin after this weekend,” he said.
My head snapped up, and then our eyes locked on each other. He cocked a brow at me. He’d expected a reaction from me.
Well, lucky day, brother, you’re about to fucking get one.
“No, she’s not,” I countered. I didn’t give a shit what he thought was going to happen. I’d changed the plans already.
“She is safe. Calvin is taking her to California with him—”
“Like hell he is. She’s staying with me.”