Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Thinking about it has me darting my tongue out to wet my lips. They're on the plump side, too. I’m always being asked who my doctor is because people want to get their lips done. These suckers are all mine.
“Are you hungry?”
“You know you ask me that every hour?” I retort. “If I didn't know any better I would think you’re trying to plump me up,” I tease but he doesn't laugh.
“I’m taking care of you.” When he’d asked me if I hurt anywhere, I’d told him my whole back. Which is true. I’d left out the ache between my thighs caused by him. “Will you please let me do that?” Oh, no. He pushes on the wall all around me.
Why did he have to say it like that? When was the last time someone took care of me? I was always the strong one out of our trio of girls. The one who didn't panic. Aurora's parents might have been greedy, but mine were worthless. I always came last to them. Sometimes not even last, because they went and forgot about me.
I take a deep breath and give up. “You can take care of me.” In more ways than one. I feel my face start to warm. “Yes. I need more cake.”
Barrow springs to his feet faster than he should be able to for a man his size. Then he’s out the door. I’m picking up on the fact that all the men in the lodge are far from normal. They’re pretty much retired professionals, and not the suit-and-tie sort. More like highly trained and deadly without needing a weapon. Dangerous.
I think that’s what scares me the most. Barrow could shatter my heart.
3
BARROW
“I need this recipe.” I push a fork under the big slice of chocolate cake I sliced for Bells.
“It’s a secret.” Aurora shakes her head.
“No, you need to tell me. Bells loves this cake.” I don’t want to seem menacing, but I definitely want to know how to make Bells happy. And if cake is the way to do it, I’m willing to lean on Aurora.
“I know she loves it. That’s why I won’t tell you the recipe. Bells loves me, and I want it to stay that way.” She gives me a sweet smile. “So if I tell you, you’ll make it for her and steal all my love. Can’t have that.”
“It’s not like that. See, if you’d just let me—”
“Lay off.” Diego stomps in, his eyes on Aurora. “If my songbird doesn’t want you to know, then you don’t need to know.” He grips her hips.
I turn and groan out a sigh of frustration, but not before I peek at all the ingredients Aurora’s pulled from the pantry. Maybe she won’t give me the exact recipe, but I can figure it out. Surely.
“You’ll never guess it correctly, not without my help,” she singsongs as I snag a bottle of cold milk and leave the kitchen.
Diego growls something, and then I hear her squeal. Gross.
I’m not interested in watching any PDAs from the two of them. I’m focused on getting some PDAs with Bells. She finally agreed to let me take care of her. It’s been a fight over the past few days, but now she’s relenting.
Despite my failure at getting the recipe, I smile. Bells wants my help. That’s a win. One I’ll happily take.
Tiernan brushes past me in the hall, and I lift the cake high overhead so he doesn’t disturb it. “Hey, watch it.”
“Sorry man,” he calls as he moves by. “We had that thing in Frozen Falls. Which was fun, you know, taking out the trash, getting my hands dirty again. But Daphne’s got me all…” He shrugs and keeps walking.
I smirk. I know exactly how he feels. This all seems impossible. Four women show up here, and each one is custom-made for us. After years of keeping to ourselves and not saying so much as ‘boo’ to anyone in Frozen Falls, these angels arrive on our doorstep. My angel, in particular, is absolutely perfect for me in every way. I just have to prove I can be the man she needs.
Every moment I spend with her, it’s getting harder to keep my hands to myself, harder to resist the sultry way she licks her full lips. Damn, just thinking about it makes me so hard I worry she’ll notice the rod in my pants.
Calm it down. I take a deep breath. I’m not always great at relaxing, at chilling my blood during a conflict. Diego and Charles can do it just fine, and Tiernan? He runs toward the fight with a grin on his face. But I’m different. I think about what’s going to happen after. How many lives I can save after I’m finished snuffing out my enemies. After all, I’ve kicked plenty of ass, but my strength lies in helping my friends afterwards.