Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Here I was, shirtless, my jeans on but unbuttoned, and probably looking guilty as fucking hell. I mean… I’d just slept with Delilah, taken her virginity and given her mine, and it had been equal parts the most amazing and incredible experience of my life, and fucking filthy in the best of ways.
“Then I take my drunk ass upstairs and freeze as I watch you come out of her room, looking all sexed up.”
I felt it then. His anger. It was an icy blast that slammed into me and had me taking a step back.
“So tell me, Malachi,” he said low as he moved a step closer. “What the fuck are you doing coming out of Delilah’s room looking like you just violated my sister?”
I bristled at that. Violated her? What Delilah and I had done was fucking amazing, and even if Aiden was my best friend, this wouldn’t end well, because I couldn’t stand for him saying that bullshit.
“Watch it,” I growled, curling my hands into tight fists at my sides, my jaw locked tight, my annoyance radiating through me.
Aiden took another step closer then stopped and pierced me with an icy stare. I could see him clearly now, the moonlight coming through the large window that was placed above the front door and on the second level.
“So spit it out, Mal. Fucking explain what it is you’re doing here looking like that.” Aiden raked his narrow-eyed glare up and down my partially dressed body. He curled his lip in disgust. “Because if you even say it was just you two having fun, I’m going to beat your fucking ass—”
“I love her.” I let those words rumble out of me.
Aiden’s body froze, his eyebrows lifting to his hairline. “What did you just say?”
“I love Delilah so fucking much.”
Aiden clenched his jaw, the sound of his teeth grinding loud in the hallway. “Since when? ’Cause this is fucking news to me.”
I lifted a hand and ran it over the back of my head, my bicep flexing from the act. “Since the moment I saw her, man. Since the moment I fucking saw her.” My words were pitched low, but they held all the emotion I felt for Delilah. I exhaled, feeling deflated. “I don’t want to fight you, Aiden. You’re my best friend. But I will throw down if it comes to it, because I’m not giving Delilah up.”
Aiden said nothing, just stood so still it was like he was a damn statue.
“She’s too good for me,” I admitted, because it was the truth. “She’s beautiful and smart, funny and cunning. She’s too fucking good for me, but for some reason, she loves me too, and that’s all that matters, right?” My heart ached as I thought about her, talked about her. I felt that love I had for her wash through me. “I fucking love her, Aiden, and I’m not giving her up, not for anyone.”
But despite my words, I could see they weren’t getting through to Aiden. He was too drunk, too hopped up on his emotions and anger to think clearly. And I saw what he wanted to do before he charged forward. I knew the fist was coming at me before it knocked into my jaw. And I let it happen, because it needed to.
“I should have told you from the beginning,” I gritted out, the pain radiating down my jaw and to my neck. “And I’m sorry about that. But that’s the only thing I’m fucking sorry about. Delilah is mine, Aiden.”
I was slammed into the wall from the force of Aiden coming at me again. The guy was like a fucking brick wall in front of me. The second punch came from my left, then the third from my right. And I took it, let my best friend get this out, because he felt betrayed.
I tasted blood, felt warm liquid slide down my no doubt busted lip. But after a second, Aiden stumbled back, slamming into the wall across from me. And that’s when I heard the bedroom door open. I snapped my head to the side and saw Delilah standing there, my shirt draped over her much smaller frame. She was pulling at the end of it nervously as she stared between me and her brother.
“Stop,” she said to Aiden. “Just. Stop.” She looked at me, and I watched as she swallowed, concern in her expression as she took in my face.
“I deserved everything he gave me—”
“No,” she said, cutting me off.
“You deserve a lot fucking more of this from me, Mal,” Aiden said, but there was no heat behind his words. He exhaled and ran a hand over his face, looking almost defeated.
“True,” I said. “I should have told you. I shouldn’t have kept my feelings about her from you.” I looked at Delilah. “Or you. I should have told you right away.” I held my hand out, and she came to me right then. I pulled her in and wrapped my arms around her, her body so much smaller than mine, petite and feminine and pulling every possessive and protective instinct in me to the forefront. “All I want is her.” My words were low, murmured against her hair.