Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 84952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“Conversation is over,” Hollis says. He works his jaw back and forth. “Head on out of here and don’t come back.”
Sebastian laughs. “I appreciate your opinion. I truly do. But this isn’t your house.”
“It’s mine, asshole, and I’ve already asked you to leave a couple of times,” I cut in.
“We can do this a couple of different ways,” Hollis tells him. “You can walk out of here, or I can break your fucking legs, and you can crawl. You pick.”
“Are you threatening me?” Sebastian asks.
“Definitely.”
Sebastian tries to posture up against Hollis but quickly realizes that’s not a good idea. He looks at me with a pitied look.
“This is what you want?” Sebastian looks at Hollis like the gum on the bottom of his shoe. “This piece of fraternity trash?”
I look at Hollis. He’s watching me.
There’s a doubt in his eyes as though he’s not sure what I’m going to say.
In a matter of seconds, my emotions toward this man overwhelm me.
How can he be so alpha protective one moment yet unsure of himself the next?
I reach for his hand, and he gives it to me without hesitation. I pull myself against Hollis and rest my head against his chest. He wraps his arm around my side and holds me tight.
This isn’t for show. He’s not doing this to piss of Sebastian. His actions are too genuine, too authentic to be anything other than a concern for me.
“Yeah,” I tell Sebastian. “This is my guy. He is exactly who I want.”
Sebastian blows out a puff of air as he takes the steps hastily to the sidewalk. He’s in his car in flash.
We watch him drive away before we move a muscle.
“You know what’s sad?” Hollis says.
I look up at him. “No. What?”
“Someone is gonna crack that motherfucker one of these days, and it’s probably not going to get to be me.”
I shake my head and extract myself from him. I ignore his cheeky grin as we walk back inside the house.
Garlic and oregano perfume the air as we enter the kitchen. I start toward the stove but am stopped by a large hand twirling me around.
Surprised, I go off-balance, but Hollis catches me in his arms. He’s grinning a wide, cheek-splitting smile.
“Did you mean that?” he asks. “Or were you just fucking with him?”
I have no idea what he’s talking about. “Huh?”
“Did you mean it? Did you mean it when you told Sebastian that I’m your guy?”
I return his smile. “I honestly just said it. I didn’t think about it.”
He attempts to bite back his smile, but he fails miserably. Even if he could have hidden it from me, he couldn’t deny the shine in his eye.
I don’t know what to call it.
Is he proud that I called him that? Does it make him happy? Does he find it ridiculous and think it’s a part of the faux-mance we put on for Sebastian the first time?
I don’t know.
But what I do know is that I would give anything to see this look on his face more often. Daily.
I shiver.
He leans forward and presses a sweet, chaste kiss to my lips. And then he lets me go.
“Hey!” I say, disappointed there wasn’t more.
He laughs and swats my behind. “I gave you a little attention, but you distracted me with pizza. I smell it.”
“So?”
“So feed me, and then maybe I’ll give you a little more.”
“Fine.”
I head to the oven and take out the pizza. I get it cut and on plates while Hollis fumbles through the cabinets looking for glasses. I don’t offer to cut in and tell him where they are because I quite like it that he’s comfortable enough just to look himself.
“I need to go to the store, so I think our drink options are water and grape juice,” I tell him.
“I drink water anyway.”
“Really? You don’t drink Coke?”
He shakes his head. “Coach had us on a strict diet regimen. It was tailored to each one of us. Pop was something I had to cut so I could keep my Ding Dongs.”
I had him a plate. “I’m glad you kept your Ding Dong.”
He snorts and takes the pizza from me. “Why was Sebastian here?”
I shrug as we make our way into the living room. “Who knows? Probably just to screw with me. He likes thinking he has power over people, you know? He shows up here and I remember how much I miss him …” I roll my eyes as we sit on the couch. “His excuse was to invite me to Tybee for New Year’s Eve. Can you believe that?”
“Yeah, I can. He’s a dick.”
“I agree.” I start to take a bite of the pizza, but it’s too hot. “Do you have any ex-girlfriends like that?”
He leans back on the couch. “Nah. I don’t really have girlfriends.”
“Really?”
He shrugs.
“May I ask why you don’t, or is that going to get me a redirection?” I tease.