Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
I opened my mouth and closed it, grappling for the right words to say.
“I’ve already got one of the Mississippi boys wanting me dead over a woman. Don’t want to add to my tally,” he drawled, sounding as if it was funny instead of anything he was really concerned with.
“Forge doesn’t—he, uh … wouldn’t want you dead. Especially over me,” I stammered.
“I’m not agreeing with you on that one, sweetheart. I know a territorial man when I see one. And Forge Savelle was ready to rip me apart last night. Until you left me, I was enjoying the buildup. Probably shouldn’t have baited him though,” he said with a shrug, cutting his eyes back at me. “But damn if I don’t enjoy the drama.”
There it was. The dark glint of danger in his eyes. It was something I’d seen in the others at times, but with Wayon and his clean-cut appearance, it wasn’t so easy to spot. He hadn’t appeared to be a threat until just now. The detached void in his gaze made me shiver. But it was gone just as quickly. The easygoing smile was back as he took his cup from the machine and took a sip.
I no longer wanted coffee. Instead, I’d rather get away from this man who wasn’t what he seemed. It was hard to imagine Forge killing anyone, even with his bad-boy appearance. But Wayon? I could see it. I had seen it in his eyes. A chilling coldness, as if he reveled in any threat.
What to say to get out of here, I wasn’t sure exactly. I’d already run from him once.
“Morning.”
Forge’s voice brought several things. Relief, butterflies, and then anxiety. I wasn’t ready to face him.
“We were just talking about you,” Wayon said.
Forge didn’t even look his way. His gaze was locked on me.
“You good?” The concern was clear in his tone.
I wasn’t doing a good job of acting as if last night and this morning in my bed were no big deal.
I nodded.
“Yeah, definitely nothing going on there,” Wayon said smugly as he started toward the door.
My gaze swung to him, and he winked as if we shared a secret. We did not.
I stared down at the floor instead of Forge once Wayon was gone. Eye contact seemed too difficult. I was making this weird, but I didn’t know how to handle it. I was out of my depth.
“Pickles?”
Crap. He was calling me Pickles again. I was going to have to look at him and get this over with.
Lifting my head, I did my best to smile. “Yeah, so, that was … odd,” I said with a shrug. “He’s confused about things.”
Forge raised a single eyebrow. “Things being us?”
“Yeah,” I replied, wishing I’d just stayed in my room.
The corner of his mouth quirked. “I’d like to keep it that way. He’ll stop his flirting shit,” Forge replied. “Besides, he was in the room across from yours last night. He most likely heard us.”
If it were possible for my face to burst into flames, it would have. A hand shot up and covered my mouth as I stared at Forge in horror. He chuckled, watching me.
“You were a little loud, Pickles, not that I’m complaining.”
I was going to die right here on this spot.
“Relax,” he said soothingly, then stepped closer and ran his fingers through some of my hair. “It’s all good. No need to be all shy and embarrassed. We enjoyed ourselves. Fuck knows we both needed it.” He nodded his head toward the door. “I gotta go to a meeting, but when I get back, we’ll go swimming, yeah?”
Swimming. Okay, that sounded nice.
Maybe this was going to be fine after all. I just had to learn to go with it. He was right; I had needed last night. Not just because it had felt amazing, but because I hadn’t felt alone. Lost.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
There was nowhere else I’d rather be than with him. That might end up being a terrible thing, but it was my truth.
Thirty-One
Forge
Swimming. We can go swimming. Yeah, real fucking smart, Forge.
I blamed Wayon. He was making me do and say things that I shouldn’t. Walking into the kitchen to find them once again together had pissed me off. His leaving was the only reason I hadn’t acted like a enraged idiot. I didn’t want him near her. He was a psycho, and she was too damn sweet and innocent for his wacked-up shit.
It had taken all the willpower I hadn’t known I had to get out of her bed and leave this morning. She looked so damn confused too. That alone just about kept me there. But I’d been sane. Chosen the right thing for her and me. Keep it friendly. Sure, I’d had my face between her legs last night—NO! I couldn’t think about that. I would crack. Mess up. She didn’t deserve to be played with.