Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 142214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 711(@200wpm)___ 569(@250wpm)___ 474(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 711(@200wpm)___ 569(@250wpm)___ 474(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry.”
“I thought we weren’t apologizing anymore.”
“Right. I wish you didn’t have to deal with that.”
She lifted a shoulder. “It’s Bodhi. I’m used to it.”
“Is he back to normal now?”
“Pretty much. He went on and on about the loose shingles on some of the cat shelters—”
“I’ll come by tomorrow,” he said, before she even had a chance to ask.
“Thanks.”
He tugged her toes gently. “No one warns you about how hard it gets… watching our parents struggle.”
Stunned to hear him sharing his feelings, she didn’t speak. Her breath caught at this rare glimpse of vulnerability—Greyson Hawthorne was opening up to her.
“Seeing someone as indomitable as Magnus taken down by a cough…” He swallowed hard. “It’s insane to me.”
Bodhi was the complete opposite of Magnus Hawthorne. Her father was passive, gentle, and soft-spoken. Magnus Hawthorne terrified people. “Your dad’s still stronger than most.”
“I guess it’s a good thing he’s always been a defiant prick. If anything, he won’t go until he’s damn well ready.”
She smiled, hoping he spoke the truth.
He stripped off her socks so he could better work his knuckles into the tight tendons of her feet. “You have the tiniest toes.”
“They’re horrible little sausages.”
“I love sausage.” He lifted her foot to take a bite, and she squeaked, pulling her leg to her chest. He laughed and continued massaging.
For several minutes, they said nothing, but soon enough, her curiosity got to her. “What did you tell Soren?”
He wouldn’t meet her stare. “I told him it was over between you two.”
“He yelled at me.”
Greyson stilled, the flames from the fire reflecting in his eyes when he looked at her. “What?”
“At the parade. In front of everyone.”
“I’ll kill him—“
“Greyson, don’t. He was upset because of the way we handled everything. It was wrong.”
“That doesn’t give him the right to yell at you.”
“He’s hurt.”
His eyes rolled with little sympathy. “That’s not an excuse. Soren needs to accept reality.”
She lowered her gaze. “He’s not the only one.”
He tugged her leg. “Hey, what does that mean? I told you I was ready. I’m all in, Wren.”
She reluctantly met his stare. “I meant me. I think you were right. It’s safer if we’re just friends.”
“I don’t want to be your friend anymore. I told you that.”
“I know, but—”
“But nothing.” He tugged her leg, pulling her until she lay flat on her back, then he pinned her down. “I’m ready to talk.”
Her brain ached from overthinking. “I don’t feel like talking anymore, Grey.” She softly touched his cheek, and he studied her.
“Acting like our feelings don’t exist isn’t going to make them go away. Trust me.”
“Is that what you did, pretended your feelings for me didn’t exist?”
“Longer than I care to admit. And all it did was make them grow stronger.”
She smiled. “Yesterday, when I felt like everything was falling apart, do you know what I wanted?”
“What?”
“One of your hugs.”
His arms tightened around her like a protective cocoon. “You can always come to me, Wren.”
That wasn’t true. She couldn’t go to him when her issues centered on him. “You were right. The whole town’s gossiping about me.”
“I get no satisfaction out of hearing that.”
He trailed his fingers from her neck to her cheekbone, making it difficult to think clearly. The roughness of his fingertips against her skin sent tingles racing along every nerve ending. When he brushed his lips over hers, she didn’t have the strength to resist him.
Slow, languid kisses had her arching beneath him. Without asking, he unbuttoned her flannel pajama top, exposing her bare breasts. Her nipples tightened in the cool air, and she shivered.
“Look how beautiful you are.”
For once, he wasn’t fighting her off. He cupped her breast and dragged his thumb over the sharp tip, and she moaned. Pulling her closer, he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked slowly.
Sensation rolled through her, awakening her body and heating her blood like liquid fire. She locked her arms around his neck, the bulge in his pants pressing against her.
When she tried to shimmy out of her pants, she accidentally kneed him. “Sorry.”
He grunted and laughed. “Don’t apologize.”
Every time he called her out for over-apologizing, she blushed. “Sorry.” She winced, having done exactly what he told her not to do.
He released her nipple with a pop and chuckled. “We’re going to have to think of a way to get you to stop using that word.”
“It’s only because I’m nervous.”
“You don’t have to be nervous with me.”
How could he maintain a conversation while doing such things to her?
He held her stare and slowly licked around her nipple. “Something wrong?”
“No, just…you touching my boobs.”
He laughed. “Something you should probably get used to.”
She pushed her luck. “Does that mean we’re finally going to sleep together?”
He smirked. “I think you can feel how badly I want to get inside you.”
“Will you—”
He kissed her, cutting off her questions and distracting her with the slow rocking of his hips. Her fingers forked through his hair as liquid heat swirled in her belly. “Greyson…”