Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 103159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
My heart raced in my chest, and all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and give her a kiss that would wake her up better than the coffee ever could.
“You might want to practice a bit more, son.” My dad grinned. “Actually, a lot.”
Looking confused, I poured myself a cup of coffee. “What do you mean?”
Blayze cleared his throat, and it was obvious my mother and Georgiana were attempting to hide smiles.
Finally, Blayze said, “Dude, you look like you want to kiss the hell out of her.”
“Who?” I asked, pretending not to understand.
My mother tossed the hand rag she was using over her shoulder. “Oh, come on, you guys. The second Kipton walked into the kitchen, it was obvious something happened between the two of you.”
Kipton’s mouth fell open while her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry, what?”
“So obvious,” Georgiana added, nodding.
Dad jumped into the conversation once again. “Then you come walking in, happier than I’ve ever seen you, when you should be grumpy as hell. I heard what time the two of you got home. And you stayed the night here.”
“It was easier,” I added.
“For what?” Blayze muttered under his breath.
Leaning against the island, Kipton made a strange sound, but otherwise remained stunned into silence.
Dad cleared his throat. “Hunter, let me give you a piece of advice, if I might.”
“Would you not give it to me if I asked nicely?”
Ignoring me, he went on. “Don’t try to hide your feelings from your family. They—and by they, I mean your mother—can smell a relationship brewing twenty miles away.”
My eyes swung over to Mom, who sipped her coffee and grinned behind the cup. “It’s true.”
When I turned to look at Kipton, she was biting her bottom lip now, trying not to laugh.
“They say what happens in Vegas stays there, but not with a mother like ours,” Blayze laughed.
Turning back to my mother, I slowly shook my head. “How do you know these things?”
She shrugged. “It’s a gift. Of course, I actually noticed it the moment the two of you first met. And when Kipton stepped foot into this kitchen this morning, it was like looking into a mirror of my past. I remember that look.”
“What look?” Kipton asked.
“The look of a woman who’s been kissed by a Shaw.”
Georgiana nodded. “Yep, it’s a powerful thing, I’m not gonna lie.”
Blayze chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you, Georgie.”
She looked up at him with such love in her eyes, and for a moment, I wanted what they had. More than I’d ever dreamed I would.
Georgiana beamed back at my brother as she softly said, “I love you too.”
When I looked over at Kipton, she was smiling at Georgiana and Blayze. Her eyes dipped to her coffee, then they were on me.
I couldn’t help it, I smiled back. When she returned it, I lost the battle. It only took a few steps to cross the kitchen and stand in front of her.
With wide eyes, she whispered, “What are you doing?”
“Something I’ve been dying to do since the second I woke.”
Cupping her face in my hands, I leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. “Good morning, Kip.”
Her hand came up to my chest and she grabbed my shirt, like I was the only thing keeping her upright. It made me feel stronger than I ever had before. “Good morning, Hunter.”
Then the room burst into cheers.
Somewhere in the mix of it all, I heard my mother say, “I never thought it would happen!”
About that time, Dustin walked in and shouted, “Noooo!”
Everyone turned to look at him.
Walking over, my mother gave him a pat on the chest. “Well, good morning to you, too, Dustin. Grab a plate while the eggs are still hot.”
Dustin slowly shook his head. “Does no one else see what a bad idea this is?” he asked, pointing to me and Kipton.
“The only thing I see is me, about to kick you out of my kitchen,” Mom warned.
Rolling his eyes, Dustin sighed and started piling food onto a plate. “Dude, I’m happy you found someone you think is the one.”
The three females in the room all gasped. My mother instantly had tears in her eyes, and Kipton looked at me with a shocked expression.
“But if you two start this now, it’s going to end badly.” Dustin sat at the table, talking between bites. He eyed Kipton. “Are you really going to be able to manage the next month or so, watching Hunter go out on dates with other women? They’re going to come on to him, grab him, keep trying to kiss him. And he’s going to have to act like he’s loving it.”
Kipton chewed nervously on her lip as she looked around the room.
My father sighed as he walked up to me and put a hand on my upper arm, giving it a squeeze. “I think Dustin’s right. You should both wait until you can be open and honest with everyone. If you decide to have a relationship behind the scenes, it might not turn out well.”