Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Mace glances up from his phone, and his eyes go up and down my body. “It has everything to do with it.”
FOUR
MACE
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” I say as I bend over Briar, gently shaking her shoulder.
“Go away or I’ll call the cops.” She pulls the blanket over her head and ignores me.
“Wake up or I’ll tickle your feet.” I go to grab her foot, and she kicks out, missing my thigh by an inch. “If you were aiming for my dick, you’re going to have to swing lower.”
“Pervert.” Her voice is muffled, but then I hear her laugh, and I know she’s awake.
“Come on, we’ve got stuff to do, and the longer you sleep, the more time I have to bond with the kittens.” As if on cue, the gray one comes over and rubs against my leg.
“Fine, I'm up,” Briar huffs, throwing the blankets off of her and blinking a few times. “Why am I still in my clothes from last night?”
“Because you tried to eat all of the mac and cheese balls by yourself and fell into a deep-fried coma.” I raise an eyebrow at her, and she nods.
“Oh yeah.”
Last night was so much more than I could have imagined. At first, I enjoyed teasing her to see the fire in her eyes, but after a while, I recognized that it felt good just being near her. We did a lot of planning over shared entrees and then Briar ended up putting on Father of the Bride because apparently, I needed to be educated on the perfect wedding.
When she fell asleep, I watched her for a long time before I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to her room. Does she remember nuzzling into my neck or how good it felt to be against each other? Maybe she remembers when I kissed her on her forehead and whispered good night.
I took her keys with me so I could lock up and then let myself back in after I went home and got a shower. I also made some calls so that we could hit the ground running today.
“Why are you here so early?” She blinks at the clock and then at me. “Did you take a shower?”
“Yes, and I suggest you do the same. We’ve got a meeting with Chef Jade in half an hour.”
She rubs the sleep out of her eyes, then pauses as what I’ve said sinks in. “Did you say Chef Jade?” Her expression turns to shock as I nod. “The famous cake chef that’s on the Netflix show Thick Cake Saves Thighs?”
“The very one.” I pull her out of bed and push her toward the bathroom. “You might have gotten us the rockstar wedding planner, but I managed a ten-minute meeting with the most badass cake chef in the world.”
“How the hell did you do it?” Briar squeals as she pushes on the bathroom door and turns on the shower. In her haste, the door doesn’t close all the way, and I manage to see the long line of her naked back before I force myself to turn away.
Get it together, Mace, you’ve seen her in a bikini before.
“I called everyone I knew and begged about a dozen favors.” I shrug even though she can’t see me. “No big deal.”
“Part of me wants to make fun of you begging for a meeting with Chef Jade, but I’m so damn excited I can’t.”
I sit on the edge of Briar’s bed as I hear her hurry to get ready in the bathroom before she comes rushing back to the bedroom wrapped in a towel. It’s like she doesn’t notice me sitting there as she pulls out stuff from her closet and darts back to the bathroom.
Thirty seconds later, she’s fully dressed and running past me.
“I already fed the kittens,” I tell her as I go to the front door and hold out her purse.
She comes running over like she was looking for her bag and scowls at me before taking it. Then I hold out her keys, and she snatches those next.
“How did you know what to feed them?” She tells them all goodbye before separating Bingo and quickly explaining to him that he has to stay in the bedroom for a little while.
“It might have been the three-page detailed instructions you left on the fridge,” I tell her while she locks the door and we head outside.
“Good point,” she concedes. I hold open the backseat door for her and tell my driver where to go.
“You know I’ve got a pretty big house if the kittens ever need more space,” I offer casually, holding out a bag with fresh bagels and coffee.
“Nice try, but you’re not stealing my kittens to make a fur coat.” Briar takes a bagel out of the bag and stuffs her mouth while she scowls at me.