Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 147136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
“Right?” I probed.
“We didn’t have plans?” Brian asked incredulously. “’Cause I thought we were sorta in the middle of somethin’—”
“That can be pushed back until later,” I cut in, bringing my hands to my hips. “Obviously.”
He cocked his head.
“Not sure it can, babe.”
“It totally can.”
“You understand what I’m dealing with right now?”
“Um, should we step out?” Jenna asked hesitantly.
“No. Please stay here,” I replied, eyes narrowed as they sliced back to Brian.
Brian narrowed his back.
This was so not the time or place to have this discussion, and seriously, how painful were blue balls anyway? I was certain men played that shit up.
“Really?” he asked.
I nodded hard. “Really.”
Brian looked to the ceiling and breathed in deep.
“Well, it was a good run. Sweet while it lasted.”
He was talking about our relationship.
“Very funny,” I quipped, catching the smile he was fighting before looking between the kids. “You two wanna hang out here for a while?”
“Yes!” Oliver punched his fist into the air and jumped off the floor. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Olivia shook her hips with a little dance, then cutely high-fived her brother.
“Are you sure?” Jenna asked, concern in her voice. “I don’t wanna put you two out.”
“You won’t be. Go enjoy yourself. We got this.”
She smiled again.
“I like your girlfriend, Uncle Brian. She’s cool,” Oliver said, taking the two small duffles out of his mother’s hand and giving the one decorated with pastel circles to Olivia. “And I guess she’s pretty.”
“She’s super pretty!” Olivia shouted, looking up at me and clutching her duffle against her chest. “Wanna play hair salon? I brought my accessories.”
I smiled big.
“Absolutely. I love accessories.”
“Awesome,” she whispered excitedly, then turned her head. “You hear that, Ollie? Syd is gonna play hair salon with me, and she loves accessories, too!”
“Yeah, whatever. Me and Uncle Brian are gonna play Road Blocks.”
Oliver rounded the couch with his duffle and climbed on, heaving the bag up on the cushion and unzipping it.
Olivia scrambled after him.
“I have my cell if you need me. We shouldn’t be that late so you won’t have to put them to bed,” Jenna said, stepping in front of Brian and laughing quietly at the frustrated expression he was still holding, then wrapping him up into a hug. “I love her,” she whispered, loud enough for me to hear. “Don’t mess this up.”
“Don’t you have a date to get to?”
She leaned away and stuck out her tongue, then gave me a wave, smiling.
“Have fun!” I said, waving back.
Her heels slapped against the wood floor as she exited the room, then the front door closed behind her.
I stepped in front of Brian and grinned up at him.
“Hey, Trouble.”
He didn’t grin back.
“Wild.”
I rolled up on my toes and whispered a promise. “I’ll make it good.”
His cheek twitched, then he wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me close.
“Countin’ on it, babe,” he said against my hair.
I gave him a quick squeeze, then turned my head to ask the kids, “Did you guys eat?”
Oliver looked up from his iPad.
“No. We weren’t hungry before we left. But I’m starving now.”
“Me, too,” Olivia said, keeping her eyes focused on what she was playing and not turning around. “Can we order pizza again, Uncle Brian?”
“Why don’t we make them instead?” I suggested, both pairs of eyes drawing to me with interest. “You can both make your own how you like it and we can even do a dessert one. It’s easy and super yummy.”
“A dessert one?” Olivia sat up taller and licked her lips.
“Yep. We can put chocolate or peanut butter sauce on it and chocolate chips, marshmallows, M&M’s—”
“Let’s do that!” she shrieked, cutting me off and spinning around completely so she was hanging over the back of the couch. “I love marshmallows and chocolate. We can do a s’mores one with graham crackers, right, Ollie?”
“Yeah, totally. Can we eat them on the beach?” he asked, mimicking his sister’s position and looking a milder form of excited.
I looked up at Brian.
He was staring down at me in a way that made my toes curl against the wood.
“Wanna have dinner with us on the beach?” I asked, pressing my hands to his chest. “I think the kids will really like the pizza. I make it all the time, and I don’t mind running out and getting ingredients.”
“Sweet of you,” he said.
I shrugged.
“I’ve been told I can be sweet sometimes.”
His eyes dropped to my mouth.
“Yeah,” he breathed.
“Are you guys gonna kiss like they do on TV?” Olivia questioned through a small, excited voice.
“That’s disgusting,” Oliver muttered. “I can’t watch this.”
Brian’s chest shook with a laugh, breaking him out of his fixation.
I tipped my chin back and waited with eyes closed and lips puckered.
He gave me a very G-rated kiss, sending Olivia into a fit of giggles while Oliver groaned uncomfortably, apparently he lied and totally watched it happen, then Brian pulled back only to press another kiss to my forehead.