Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Then the phone is out of my hand and to Dean’s ear. “Stratford. Dean Moore. I will not give her back the phone, because you need to hear this. You threaten her again, you and I will have words. Understand? Lose her fucking number.”
Then he hangs up and hands the phone back to me. “Block him.”
My jaw is slack as I continue looking up at him in awe. He’s so composed, so sure of himself, and I want nothing more than to devour him whole. The only reason I know he’s pissed is by the twitch in his jaw and how tight his shoulders are. The veins are popping, and any other time, I’d wish I could lick them, but right now, I’m floored. I blink. “I will.”
“Good. Fuck him,” he says simply before placing his hands on the table to look at me. “The offer of staying with me is open-ended.” Then he leans in, his eyes burning into mine in a way I don’t think I want Sadie seeing.
The room is totally silent, which is odd since her kids are always loud as hell. Sadie should probably check on them, but I wonder if she’s as stunned as I am because Dean’s gaze is heated as he holds mine. His blue eyes move to my lips, then back to my eyes before he says, “Now, I’m gonna make you laugh.”
Everything fades away, and all that remains is him and me.
My lips quirk as he grins at me. His eyes are frisky, all the anger gone as he searches my gaze. “Are you a parking ticket?”
“Oh my God, stop,” Sadie snorts, and Matt guffaws. “Don’t do it, bub!”
But Dean is undeterred, and I’m lost in his eyes. I love how blue they are. I have pretty awesome blue eyes, but there is something about Dean’s that I just adore. They remind me of the sky after it rains. So bright and so clear. Then he hits me with that little smirk of his, and my brain goes blank. “Because you have fine written all over you.” The room erupts in laughter, but before I can cackle along with them, Dean leans in, his lips by my ear. “And I’d still let you wreck me financially.”
My breath catches as he steps back and winks before heading out of the room like he didn’t just blow my mind. I know for a fact that he was flirting with me, but I don’t know if he was doing it to make me laugh or if he truly wants me. I bite my bottom lip as I shake my head, laughter bubbling out of me.
He’s a goofball.
With one hell of an ass in those pants.
It isn’t until the door shuts behind Matt that I realize my ex is nowhere on my mind.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
Dean
“I’m paying Skyye to keep the kids so Matt and I can go out for our anniversary.”
“Yeah, she told me. I would have kept the kids,” I offer as I turn off the main road onto a back road that runs by the mountains. I’m on call, but I needed the open air of the Smokies. I made sure dinner was done before I left for my drive in the firehouse SUV just to make sure my town is safe.
Or at least, that’s the excuse I’m using.
Truth is, I’m worried about Kenni.
“I want you to come,” Sadie insists. “It’s gonna be fun, the whole crew.”
Don’t ask about Kenni.
Don’t ask about Kenni.
Don’t ask about Kenni.
“Nyle too?”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “Yes. According to Missy, he’s excited he was invited. Not that I wanted to.”
I snort. “I figured.” I swallow hard and decide, what the hell. “Has Kenni said if things have gotten better?”
She groans loudly. “Not at all.” My fingers tighten around the steering wheel, my knuckles white. There is only one person on my shit list—his name is Stratford Robbins—but damn if Nyle isn’t trying to climb up on to that list. “Kenni doesn’t feel comfortable there. Like, not welcome. She’s been hanging with Skyye mostly, just to keep the peace.”
Skyye told me the same. Kenni is even sleeping in Skyye’s room. I’m not the least bit happy about that. Skyye is a kid, not supposed to deal with her stepdad being a dick to her aunt. Like me, she won’t complain and will do anything to make sure that Kenni is comfortable. “Have you mentioned her staying with me?”
I’m met with silence, and I instantly regret my question. She makes a little giggle sound that I am well acquainted with. She usually makes it before she says something I don’t want to hear or asks me something I don’t want to answer. “I’m surprised she isn’t running to your house with how you were flirting with her.”
Here we go.
Sometimes I wonder why I answer the phone when my sister calls.