Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 118693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Angie sat on the desk and flashed me a huge smile. “You haven’t done the deed with Finn yet? How long have y’all been dating?”
I shrugged. “A few weeks, about a month.”
Covering her mouth, she spun and looked at Harmony, who was smiling like a fool. “I know! You know what this means, right, Angie?”
“Oh. My. Goodness. Holy. Shit,” Angie said while turning back to me. Both stared at me in a creepy kind of way, their smiles so big I wondered if they were planning something I should be worried about.
“What? What does that mean? What are we evening talking about?” I asked.
Harmony walked up and motioned for Angie to slide over, and in a moment they were both sitting on the desk and looking at me with goofy grins. “You’re the one,” Angie purred while covering her heart with her hands and batting her lashes.
Harmony leaned closer to me and said, “Oh, Rory, no woman has ever managed to do what you have.”
My eyes drifted between the two nutcases. “What have I managed to do?”
They looked at each other and then back to me. “Cause Finn to fall in love.”
I nearly choked. “What!? Finn is not in love with me. We’ve hardly been dating for that long.”
“He hasn’t slept with you. Unless he finds you physically unattractive, he’s falling in love with you.”
My eyes narrowed as I let Angela’s words sink in. “Do you think he finds me unattractive? Is that why he hasn’t even attempted to make love to me?”
Harmony shook her head. “No! Okay, let’s backtrack. Has he done…other things?” She wiggled her eyebrows, and I instantly flushed.
“Oh, look at her cheeks turning red. I’ll take that as I yes!” Angela said with a laugh. “What has he done? No, wait, I don’t want to know, ’cause he is still my brother. Does he make you happy, though?”
Pressing my lips together, I nodded. “Very happy.”
Both women started acting like middle school girls as they jumped up and danced with excitement. I couldn’t help but giggle at the two of them. “He also scares me. Thrills me. Makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. I’m so confused.”
Harmony instantly sat again. “Scares you? Why does he scare you?”
I chewed on my lower lip as I fought to keep the tears from my eyes. Jesus, does holding a baby make you more emotional?
“I…I think I’m…”
Angela and Harmony leaned in closer to me and both asked, “Yes?”
“Well, I think I’m falling in love with him, and that scares me.”
Harmony tiled her head and gave me the sweetest smile. “Oh, honey, why does that scare you?”
Glancing back down at Presley, I finally let out everything I had pent up inside. “Because I want things with him that I’ve never even entertained before.”
Angela dropped to her knees to look me in the eyes. “Such as?”
I swallowed hard, then blew out a breath. “My whole adult life I’ve been working toward one goal: becoming a lawyer and making my parents proud of me. There are so many things I have given up to make that happen. Relationships, friendships, fun. Hell, even my dream to be a teacher. Then Finn blew into my life like a tornado and turned it upside down. I don’t wake up in the morning and think about my schedule and what I have to do at work—I wake up thinking about him. Longing to be in his bed with him, wrapped in his arms.”
Both women sighed.
“I count down the hours until I can see him again. Hell, I even play hooky at work, and I have a huge case I should be focusing on. I’ve never wanted more, but with Finn…” I closed my eyes and whispered, “…I want so much more.”
“And that scares you? Rory, you can have a career and have Finn in your life as well,” Harmony said as I opened my eyes.
“I know. But it’s being able to separate the two—and then you have my father, who forbids me to date firefighters and has some kind of beef with Finn. If he found out we were dating…”
“Whoa. Wait a second—you’re hiding your relationship from your family?” Angela asked.
With a nod, I frowned and replied, “Yes. It’s been so stressful lying to them. And Finn’s job. Every day he goes to work…” My voice trailed off as I tried to keep it steady. “…I worry. I grew up watching my mother fear for my father’s life, and I’m not sure I can do that.”
Angela reached for Presley and placed her in the small bassinet next to the desk. Then she took my hands and pulled me up.
“Okay, I’m not buying that. I’ve grown up with a father and two brothers as firefighters, and do I worry? Hell yes, I do, but the risk is part of their job.”