Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Or so I thought.
Turns out, Stephanie had lunch with Jules today, and she told Jules just what an asshole her soon-to-be brother-in-law was. Seems Lucas had told Stephanie when they broke up that she’d fuck their kid up because she was fucked up by her parents. Or that was the gist of what I got.
It was a totally fucked-up thing to say, but personally, I think it was more fucked up for Jules to call Lucas on the carpet for a rash reaction. Anyone that knows the dude knows he would never mean something like that, and I’d bet my entire salary the reason he was drinking so much was because of saying those things to Stephanie. I guarantee you the guilt is tearing him up.
But Jules lit into him when we arrived at their house and Lucas stormed out.
Since Simone and I were on baby-sitting duty—unbeknownst to anyone—we both followed him out the door.
And here we are in a bar, and Lucas is knocking back the liquor hard and shooting “I want to fuck you” eyes at the blonde.
“Lucas,” Simone says as she nudges her brother in the shoulder. “I think we should talk about it. You and Stephanie had something really good, and you both can’t throw your hands up and quit yet.”
Lucas spins on her, and that causes her to take a startled step backward, where her luscious ass comes into contact with my thighs. I step back, fighting my instinct to put my hands on her hips and hold her there. Her ass pressed up to my cock is what I want, but she’s kept her word and has left me alone. I need to let her go and quit wishing for something I can’t have.
Lucas snarls at his sister in defiance. “I’m not the one that quit that relationship. That was all Stephanie, so I’m not the bad guy here.”
“You are if you said those things to her,” she retorts. “If there was a chance to work it out, you probably shot that to shit with those nasty things you said.”
Lucas’s face mottles with rage and guilt, and he looks like a powder keg ready to explode. I want to tell Simone to dial it down, but I hold my tongue because I’m afraid I’ll add fuel to the fire.
Simone turns conciliatory with her brother. Her voice softens. “Maybe if you went over to see her and apologized, you could get back on track. You are still having a baby with her, you know.”
“Mind your own fucking business,” Lucas growls at her. “And I mean that sincerely. If you can’t, pack your shit up and get out of my house.”
Simone’s body actually jerks, and yeah, that was fucking harsh, but I know Lucas would never kick her out. What he would do though is pull his keys out of his pocket and thrust them at me. “Get Simone home if you don’t mind. I’ve got much better things to do with my time.”
I take the keys, but a glance at Simone shows she’s furious with her brother. He doesn’t see it, and probably doesn’t want to see it. He just turns and starts to walk across the bar toward the blonde, who’s been sending him the same “fuck me” vibes since we got here.
“Lucas,” Simone calls out to her brother.
He doesn’t look back.
“Lucas, you don’t want to do this.” Her voice has a note of desperation and my gut churns for her.
Lucas still doesn’t look back.
“Lucas, look at me damn it,” she yells loud enough everyone in the bar hears it. Lucas stops and looks over his shoulder.
“Guess what?” she asks tauntingly, and I don’t like the sound of her voice. “I’ve been secretly making out with your roommate and he loves it.”
A blast of adrenaline spikes through me at her admission, and while I don’t think she said that for any purpose other than to distract Lucas, it still pisses me off.
It pisses me off more, though, when she turns and wraps her arms around my neck, going up to her tiptoes to press her mouth against mine. My lips part in surprise and her tongue slips in.
Fuck that feels so goddamn good.
I fist my hands hard so I don’t pull her to me. I don’t participate in the kiss, but fuck if I can find the willpower to push her away. Slowly I find myself starting to fall prey to her sensuality and I actually reason to myself that it would be okay just to have her once.
“What the fuck?” Lucas yells, and it startles Simone enough that she steps back from me. She turns to look at her brother, her eyes roaming over his face to gauge his reaction.
Fury sweeps through me that she’d out us like that. That she’d touch me, kiss me, when she said she wouldn’t. And a rage so hot that I still want this woman more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life courses through me.