Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
I flinch at his words, my stomach clenching painfully. “Doesn’t feel wrong.”
“When we both crash and burn from this, you’ll feel it. It’s going to hurt. We’ll have no one to blame but ourselves.”
“Maybe we don’t crash,” I murmur. “Maybe it doesn’t have to hurt.”
He doesn’t believe me. Suspicion glints in his green-eyed glare. I don’t like this look on him. I like the adoring, ravenous one. Leaning forward, I press a kiss to his handsome mouth.
“I’ve had enough emotional pain, Cal,” I murmur against his mouth. “I can’t take any more of it. But this thing brewing between us doesn’t feel like it’ll kill me. It excites me and gives me hope.”
His lips part and I take my opening. I kiss him as though I have the power to make him see what he’s doing to me. Rather than shy away from my lips, he reads the language of my mouth, trying like hell to understand. This kiss is frantic and raw. I rub against him, needing him to consume me completely. To finish the deal. Set us in stone. His palm grips my ass hard, urging me to rock against his dick as he kisses the life out of me.
“Dude,” Roan rumbles from nearby. “You can’t fuck my sister-in-law in front of her brother.”
I freeze in Cal’s arms, heat creeping up my throat and cheeks. Cal laughs at Roan’s words, but he remains stiff. He pulls my top back into place and then hugs me to him like I might try to swim away.
“Why not?” Cal taunts.
“Because I don’t want to explain to Kelsey how her son is in jail for drowning you,” Roan says, chuckling. “I really, really like my husband, so please don’t make him kill you.”
“As if the rat has anything on me,” Cal teases.
“Maybe not height,” Roan throws back, “but he’ll whip your ass in the gym any day. Trust me. I deal with his smug ass every day we go. I’m the fucking firefighter, but he can bench more.” He grows serious. “Are you two a thing now? I thought…”
That Cal hates me.
I think we all thought that.
“We’re something,” Cal complains.
“Well, before you do something reckless, get your ass out of the water. Sebban wants s’mores.” He starts to swim away but stops to look at us. “Don’t start something you don’t plan on finishing. I can’t choose sides here.”
Cal rubs his fingertips up and down my spine, oddly quiet as he mulls over Roan’s words. I pull away slightly so I can see his face. His green eyes are stormy and contemplative.
“I’m fine, English,” he grumbles. “Let’s get out of here before I change my mind and bring the wrath of Hood River’s rat down upon me.”
The fire crackles and pops, but it doesn’t bother the four remaining people around the fire.
Me.
Cal.
His parents.
I can tell with each passing second beyond the midnight hour, Cal grows more and more agitated. He wants to drag me back to his cabin, but can’t seem to find it in him to tell his parents he wants to abandon them for sex. It’s actually quite endearing.
“I like this one,” David says, tipping his beer at me. “She’s smart. Not just a pretty face.”
Cal lets out a snort. “Glad you approve, Dad.”
“She wants to be a doctor. Those other girls you dated wanted to be strippers.” David laughs so hard it sends Kate into a fit of giggles.
“Unbelievable,” Cal mutters. “My own dad is cockblocking me right now because he won’t shut up.”
I swat at him. “Be nice.”
“Yeah,” David says, swiping tears from his eyes. “Be nice to your old man. I wiped your ass until you were five.”
“Dad!”
Now Kate and I are giggling at their antics. It’s crazy to me how similar Cal is to his father. Like my own dad, David carries his age well. He’s fit and handsome. Always smiling. It makes me wonder if Kate sees the unsmiling David. If she sees the angry one or the one who hurts. I feel special to be let into his world, even if I was lured into it at first as punishment.
David finally collects himself and takes another sip of beer. “So I hear your dad’s a homophobe.”
This time, I’m the one cringing.
“No,” I bark out, rushing to defend Dad. “He’s just a control freak. When my brother came out as gay, he had a hard time wrapping his head around it. He said some horrible things and our family was torn apart, but he’s been trying to do right by Hollis.”
David nods as though he accepts this answer. “Truth is, I was shocked as shit when Roan showed up to dinner one day with your brother on his arm. Cal never mentioned it. Just let me experience it firsthand.” He shoots his son an annoyed glare. “Nearly choked on my lasagna too when Roan planted a kiss on that boy’s face.” He points at Cal. “You’re an asshole for not warning me.”