Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 139076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
“Go!” Fox shouted, trying hard not to smile. “I’ll see if you’ve got some Febreze or air freshener. Or just a damn candle.”
Winter laughed all the way up the stairs while Fox ran into the kitchen. He tossed the plastic bowl into the sink and opened the cabinet doors under it. He almost whimpered in relief when he found a full complement of cleaning supplies. Grabbing the apple-spice scented air freshener in one hand and the bottle of Febreze in the other, he alternated between squirting one into the air as he walked and spraying the microfiber couch and chairs. They hadn’t fucked on the couch…recently…but he was nose-blind at this point. Fox had no idea how Winter’s family would react to the news of them dating, but he really didn’t want them finding out because the place smelled like a whorehouse.
He made a couple of passes at the throw rugs just in case and hurried to the kitchen to stow his supplies. The loft smelled of a chemical apple pie, and he just hoped the fabric dried before anyone tried to sit down.
Winter returned to the first floor with clothes in hand. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. His wild hair had been pulled into a ponytail in an attempt to tame it, and a hint of cologne wafted around him.
“I smell apples,” Winter announced as he handed over the clothes to Fox.
“Better than sex. I didn’t think you’d want to announce you were fucking me quite like that.” Fox grabbed the T-shirt and pulled it over his head. He looked down and was surprised to find it was one of Winter’s. He grabbed the pants and looked at Winter’s empty hands. “No underwear?”
“I’m wearing them,” Winter announced with a cheeky grin.
Fox’s eyes snapped to Winter’s crotch as if he could see his underwear through his jeans. It was seriously wrong that he was getting hard while still panicking over the sudden arrival of Winter’s family.
Winter slipped a finger inside the waistband and tugged. “They’re a little snug.”
“No shit. I wear a size smaller than you. What about me?”
Leaning in, Winter pressed a kiss to his parted lips. “If Marcus is visiting, it’s not good news. Knowing you’re commando under those jeans will make the meeting more tolerable.”
“Big Sexy,” Fox purred. “I had no idea you could be such a dirty fucker. I like it.”
Winter grinned and started to kiss Fox again, when there was a loud knock on the door. Winter growled, and it wasn’t friendly. Fox cursed and quickly pulled on the jeans, carefully tucking everything before drawing the zipper up.
“Cologne?” Fox asked. Winter pivoted on one foot to turn back toward Fox while reaching into his pocket. He tossed him a small bottle of cologne. Fox quickly spritzed himself and shoved the bottle in a utensil drawer.
Fox drew in a calming breath as Winter walked to the door and opened it, revealing Marcus and Ethan on the other side. The oldest Varik struck Winter as incredibly serious and grumpy, while Ethan was this boundless ray of sunshine. They were the strangest pair, and yet they seemed to balance each other perfectly.
“I’m guessing it’s not good since you didn’t bother to call,” Winter grumbled.
“Are my visits ever good?” Marcus said.
“See! That’s what I was saying,” Ethan said, stepping into the loft, in front of Marcus. “I think we just need to pop by for random visits, so you don’t always think it’s bad news.” A grudging smile spread across Marcus’s lips, and there was no missing the love in his eyes for his mate. So maybe Marcus wasn’t always grumpy.
Ethan didn’t take more than a couple of steps into the loft before his nose wrinkled. “Febreze? Oh…and air freshener.” A positively wicked grin consumed Ethan’s face as his gaze slid from Winter to where Fox was standing in the kitchen.
Fox desperately held on to his friendly smile while repeating to himself that he would not blush. Between his pale skin and red hair, blushing meant he became a bright red beacon.
“We didn’t catch you guys in the middle of some cleaning, did we?”
“We…” Fox stopped and cleared his throat when his voice cracked. “We were just tidying up when we heard you come into the building.”
“Uh-huh,” Ethan replied, making it very clear that he didn’t believe a word of it.
Winter sighed. “We were about to fuck, but that’s been put on hold for now.”
“What?” Marcus sputtered, and Ethan cackled like a madman.
Fox was more concerned with the mutinous expression on Winter’s face as he stared at his brother.
“Fox is mine. We’ve been together for a while. I’m keeping him,” Winter growled. He’d even widened his stance as if he were waiting for his brother to fight him over his claim.
There was some outraged part of Fox that wasn’t pleased about being claimed like a piece of property, but it was a really small part that was drowned out by the chorus of happy cheers throughout the rest of his body. Winter wanted him enough to claim him in front of his family, to fight for him.