Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
So was his mouth.
He dragged his lips to my ear. “Jesus, I want you, Beth. I want to roll you over on this bed and have you.”
I tightened my hold on his neck. I wanted that too.
He stilled and sighed, wrapping me in a tight embrace. “We need to stop.”
I nodded, my head resting on his shoulder. He was right. We couldn’t do this with my brother upstairs, Paige and Lucy potentially walking down the steps any given moment.
“Can I take you out on Tuesday?”
I pulled back. “Paige has an evening meeting,” I said regretfully.
“How about I bring dinner and come here?” he asked hopefully. “I can install the door too.”
“Not much fun for you.”
“No, it is. I like the kids. I get to see you. It’s all good. Maybe once Paige comes home, we could go for a drive. Have dessert somewhere.”
I lifted one eyebrow. “Dessert?”
He laughed. “Dessert,” he said firmly. He kissed me again, a light tease of his mouth. “It can be whatever you want.”
“Okay.”
His smile was wide. “Awesome.”
* * *
Ronan
Monday morning, I was in a good mood as I made my way to ABC Corp. It was early as I headed to my office. I paused in the hall, my attention drawn to the sight of Addison standing in front of the window by her desk. Her husband, Brayden, was behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist. Their displays of PDA were nothing new or unusual, but this was something different. I studied them, unnoticed, the two of them too wrapped up in each other to see me there. Brayden’s hand was spread wide on Addi’s stomach, protectively. She was leaning back against him as if absorbing his strength. She held a piece of paper in her hands, and they were both staring at it. Instantly, I realized what I was witnessing. Addi and Brayden had a secret of their own. From the looks on their faces, a joyful one. I was thrilled for them but wondered how long it would be until they shared. Part of me wanted to rap on the doorframe and let them know I was there, but the newer, more aware part of me knew they needed this moment, and they would share when they were ready. I smiled as I quietly kept going. It explained a lot. Brayden’s constant smile, Addi’s devouring of the cake I had brought in last week, then the way she had wept because she thought she was being greedy wanting more of it. Brayden had laughed, taken her to her office, then returned and cut another slab of cake.
“Get more next time, Ronan. We’re gonna need it.”
It all made sense now, including her unusual emotional display. The fact that I wasn’t the only one with a secret somehow made me feel better.
Later that afternoon, I walked into the boardroom, whistling under my breath. Gracie was at the table, studying the screen on her laptop. I stopped and pressed a kiss to her head. “Hey, Gracie-girl.”
I sat at the end of the table, not because it was the position of being the head, but because of the room it afforded me. My shoulders were wide, and I hated being crowded. I reached over and snagged a Danish, smiling at Grace, who was observing me carefully.
“How’s my Goddaughter?”
She smiled. “Fine. Growing too fast. Jaxson laments it daily.”
I chuckled. Jaxson doted on his wife and daughter. He was head over heels in love with them both, and he was a very hands-on daddy. Gracie was my favorite “cousin” in our large extended family, and I had grown close to her husband. They had married under odd circumstances, but he was a good guy, and I was glad they had worked it out. Gracie had never looked happier, and I enjoyed being part of their life.
She tilted her head. “You weren’t at brunch yesterday.”
That had been the only bad part of yesterday. I had completely forgotten about brunch in Port Albany. My mom had texted me asking where I was, and I had apologized but said I couldn’t make it. I had felt her displeasure in her brief reply. “Your brothers will be disappointed.”
I would have to make it up to them.
“I had plans.”
“Jeremy and Paul brought their girls to meet everyone.”
“I’ve met them. I’ve had dinner with them, and I was there last weekend for brunch at Mom and Dad’s. You saw me there.”
“It seemed odd you not being there yesterday, though. It was sort of more official.”
“We’re not joined at the hip,” I snapped, sounding angrier than I expected to. “I can do things on my own without them.”
Grace looked surprised. “Of course you’re not joined at the hip. I was only saying you were missed.”
I ran a hand over my face. “Sorry, Gracie.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”