Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71832 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71832 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“Thirty-six hours?” I offered.
“Sounds right. Take me to bed, husband.”
“I’m on it, wife,” I answered, swinging Langley’s slight weight into my arms and starting up the driveway.
“I’m so sleepy.” She tucked her head against my neck and sighed.
“I’ve got you,” I promised.
Eden raced up after us, unlocking and opening the door so I could carry Langley across the threshold. “I’ll have the bags brought up!” She called after us.
“Thank you!” I called over my shoulder.
When I looked down, I almost laughed. My beautiful wife had gone from dead on her feet to asleep in my arms.
Now I just had to find the bedroom. We might not be ready for sex, but I was definitely ready to sleep beside her every night.
At least for the next six months.
4
Langley
“Hold up,” Faith said, stopping me from reaching for a hot pink pair of panties that were ninety-percent lace. “You’re telling me that it’s been two weeks since you married Axel and you two haven’t…” She waggled her eyebrows, her red curls framing her face.
Harper snorted from a table over. “You’re married to Lukas sex-on-a-stick Vestergaard, and you can’t say the word sex?”
Faith eyed her BFF. “Watch it, Harper, or I’ll tell Noble you’ve set a date.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“Try me,” Faith teased, knowing full well Harper was content in her long engagement to Nathan Noble—one of the Reapers’ defensemen and former Seattle Shark.
I laughed, the action freeing some of the exhaustion from the past couple weeks.
Harper Thompson had fallen for Lukas’ best friend, defensemen Nathan Noble, and I was secretly, selfishly happy the Carolina Reapers had taken both Lukas and Noble for the team. That meant my girls were a package deal that came with my sweet new job. But they were both blissfully happy in their relationships, while I was…frustrated.
His hand on my hip, his tongue sliding against mine, the taste of red velvet and Axel combining to create the most intoxicating flavor… I shook my head, trying to toss the memory from my brain.
Married life these past two weeks hadn’t been terrible—quite the opposite actually. Axel was kind and perceptive and listened more than any man I’d ever met.
We’d had picnics in our brand new backyard, the lush green area filled with food and family—our family; Lukas and Faith and Harper and Noble and so many more of the Reapers. We made the perfect hosts, a fantastic duo where he grilled and I baked and everything was...easy. Fun.
Work had been an easy transition too—both the demands of my new job, and Axel’s position, and the way we seamlessly fit into each other’s schedules. I’d never known how wonderful it was to have someone support me as I strode to my office, and then warmly welcome me home after a long day—usually with a fun idea for the evening, whether that be binge-watching Nailed It on Netflix or having a game night with Faith and Lukas.
In reality, everything was perfect.
But, he’d refused to give in to what my body was dying for…him. Those kisses on our wedding day had ignited a longing so intense in my core I could barely see straight.
He hadn’t kissed me since, and it was driving me bat-shit crazy. A man with a tongue like that shouldn’t be denying his wife. Right? At least that’s what I told myself.
So, today was about taking drastic measures. I’d begged the girls to help me prep for my mission—seduce my own damn husband. The notion was so surreal I felt like some sex-starved maniac.
“This is cute,” Harper said, holding up a pretty, pastel pink teddy.
I nodded. “It is. But I don’t think cute is going to cut it. This man is harder to crack than Fort Knox.”
“Ironic, considering he’s pretty much sex incarnate,” Harper noted. “Not that I’d trade Nathan. He’s quite enough, thank you, but Axel? Who would have guessed he would be the one to withhold?”
“Right?” I nodded. “Funny thing? I think it’s just me he’s withheld from.” I looked at Faith with raised eyebrows.
“According to Lukas, he was quite...active,” she confirmed. “Not that we talk about your husband’s previous sex life, which from that comment, I guess we kind of do?”
“Well he doesn’t have a current one to discuss, that’s for sure!” I whined.
Faith laughed, and Harper joined her as she set down the pink lace.
“Faith is better at this sort of thing,” Harper said, wrapping an arm around her friend. “She helped me when I was clueless about Nathan, and you’re far from clueless, Langley.”
I arched a brow at her. “It’s hard to believe a genius like you could ever be clueless about anything.” Harper was a true genius—like Tony Stark level smart. She had a doctorate and a handful of other degrees and had recently developed an athletic helmet that revolutionized safety standards. She also happened to be the sister of the Reapers’ billionaire owner, Asher Silas, who currently had that helmet on all of his players and would be launching it to the public soon.