Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 59146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
She snorted, some of that spark coming back. “Bet you say that to all the girls you rescue from their exes.”
I grinned, baring my teeth for her. “Only the ones in red. You wear that dress for me?”
That seemed to take her by surprise. I thought I saw a flash of hurt, and she flushed a little under all the makeup she wore. While she had on more “war paint” than I typically liked, those lush, fire-engine-red lips made me imagine all kinds of naughty scenarios. Most of them revolved around those lips wrapped around my dick. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Suddenly, yes. I would like to know. I narrowed my gaze. As I studied her, it clicked. “You wore it for him.” I shifted my eyes to the table where the asshole in question sat, his own stare bordering on hostile. I got the feeling my general overall appearance was enough to keep the guy in check.
She shrugged, looking away. Which wouldn’t do. “Oh, no, baby girl.” I reached up to gently turn her back to face me. “You hopped onto my lap and kissed me. I was sittin’ over here all innocent and shit, and now I’ve been claimed in public by the sexiest woman in the room. So you don’t have the privilege of hiding from me now. You give it to me. Then I take care of it.”
The puzzled look she gave me was nearly adorable. You know, if I hadn’t been rapidly building to a blinding rage against the asshole, I might have grinned at her.
When she gave me a blank smile and shook her head helplessly with a shrug, I pushed her. “You want him to see what you look like when you’re going after something you want. Which is decidedly not that asshole.”
She snorted, but her voice broke on a little laugh. “Is it that obvious?”
“Not to the right people.” I angled my head, running my nose along her jaw, slow as a tease. She shivered, her breath catching when I stopped in the sweet spot where her neck met her shoulder. She was so fucking soft when she melted into me with a small sigh as she let her head fall to the side to give me better access. “Fuck, you smell good.” My words rumbled out, thick with need. I wanted to push her right up against the wall and let the whole bar watch her melt, but she wasn’t ready for that yet. “Red looks damn good on you, but I like your scars even better.”
She stiffened at that and actually tried to wriggle out of my arms. Like she thought I’d just made some kind of joke at her expense. It really didn’t matter much. Juniper didn’t get far because I wasn’t letting her up. No fucking way.
I just grinned, letting her burn with whatever was going through her head. “Yeah, that’s right. I said I like your scars. Problem?”
She glared at me, all fierce and fuckin’ beautiful. “You get off on teasing girls with sad stories, or is this your idea of a pickup line?”
“Fuck no,” I said, and I meant it. I locked one arm around her body, holding her tightly to me. “You see these?” I lifted my free arm, showing her the old burn latticework. “Those ain’t intentional, sweetheart.” I raised an eyebrow at her. “Why would I make fun of your scars when I have some of my own?”
She nibbled her lip and moved her head slightly like she just stopped herself from looking at her asshole ex. “I just always thought I should, you know, get them fixed or something.”
“Why?” When she didn’t answer, I made an assumption. “I’m going with someone suggested you get them fixed. And I’m guessing it was Mr. Dumbass over there.”
She stuck her chin up. “Well, I’m not going to. I’m a baker. No baker worth her salt hasn’t been burned a couple of times.”
“Goes with the territory, I imagine.” I grinned at her.
“Fuckin’ A, it does!”
Very slowly, so I didn’t get her back up, I extended her arm where the small burn scars lay across her forearm at different angles. Then I held my arm beside hers, making my own scars sit next to hers. “We’re alike. You and me.”
Her smile was back and she nodded slowly. “Yeah. I guess we are.”
“You’ve got your own fire, Juniper. Makes you fuckin’ gorgeous.”
She snorted and looked away for a moment. “Want to hear something pathetic?” She didn’t meet my gaze when she spoke.
“Try me.”
“Today is my twenty-first birthday. To celebrate, I got dumped over pork chops and mustard sauce.” She said brightly, finally turning to face me with a big, but fake, smile on her face.
“Mine was three days in the hospital and a guy in the next bed who wouldn’t stop snoring,” I said. “I’ll trade you.”