Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68987 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68987 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Made life fucking fun again, instead of just a series of career goals and checkboxes.
Charlie made me feel free. And there was nothing I could want more in a partner.
“I love you,” I whispered as he pulled off, swallowing. I stroked the side of his face, looking down at him. “How do you look so angelic even when your lips are slicked in spit and cum?”
He laughed, sucking his lower lip into his mouth. “How do you look so sweet when you just fucked my throat like you own it?”
“Mmh,” I moaned, helping him up and immediately covering his lips in a kiss. “I’m putting some clothes on and we’re getting out of here. I am so, so late.”
“We’re going to be fine,” he insisted, tossing me a clean shirt.
Charlie pulled into the parking lot of Jade Brewery two minutes after my shift began.
“God, I hate being late,” I said softly, and Charlie reached over to squeeze my thigh.
“We’re here. Go ahead, love.”
I grabbed my backpack and hopped out the moment he parked, rushing to the front doors.
“I’m here,” I called out as I swung the door open.
“Surprise!” a chorus of voices all called out at once, and for a second, I was confused.
My first thought was that I’d just fucked something up—there must have been a surprise party for someone else, and I’d crashed it accidentally. I looked all around to see a bunch of smiling faces, and one by one, I realized that they were looking at me.
…Me.
After shouting surprise, they all broke out into cheers and laughter, and a moment later Charlie came up behind me, gently putting a hand to the small of my back.
“Surprise, baby,” he said, leaning in and giving me a tiny kiss on the side of my head.
“Wait,” I said, even as people were coming up to me and tackling me into hugs. “This surprise was for me?”
“Yes, you dummy,” Harlan said as he walked up, putting his hand out and ruffling my hair. “You’ve never had a surprise party before?”
A wave of emotion hit me. A strange mix of things, and at the center of it, my throat felt a little tight.
“No,” I said. “I’ve never really had many parties thrown for me at all.”
Growing up, even our birthdays had been downplayed in the house. Mom and Dad didn’t have it in them to go all out for seven kids, every single year, and my birthday had been way too close to one of my brothers’. Most birthdays had consisted of a few new pairs of socks and a single cupcake if I was lucky.
Knowing that this whole party was for me… it was overwhelming. Completely overwhelming.
“Jax,” Rush said, coming up next to give me a hug. “Congratulations on wrapping up a tough semester.”
“Hey, boss,” I said. “Um, I’m sorry I’m late for my shift—”
Rush laughed, squeezing my shoulder. “Jax, forget about your shift. You don’t have to work tonight at all. This is your surprise party.”
“So I’m not late?”
Everyone laughed and Charlie hugged me from behind.
“You’re not late. You’re right on time to get this party fucking rolling,” someone said from beside me. I turned to see Kace, complete with a cheap, silly little cone-shaped party hat on his head. “And you know it’s going to be a good one if I’m here.”
“Congrats,” Charlie said near my ear. He was beaming.
“Did you fucking plan all of this?” I said.
“Of course.”
“I hate you,” I said. “By which I mean, I love you. I love you so much I can’t stand it. It’s not even my birthday right now, and I just…”
I had no words. The whole brewery was full of people that were here for me. It was more personal attention than I’d ever gotten in my life.
“You’re worth it,” Charlie said, reaching down to give my hand a squeeze.
“Hey, don’t let the little punk rock vampire take all the credit,” Harlan said, coming back around with Sawyer at his side. “I helped plan a lot for this thing. See those, uh, glittery streamers hung up behind the bar? That was me.”
“You helped?” Sawyer protested, raising his eyebrows. “I found those glittery things, I ordered them, and I convinced you they’d look good.”
“Yeah, but I put them up,” Harlan said, grinning at his best friend. “That’s what counts.”
Sawyer gave him a shove and they quickly started bickering about which one of them used to do more work at the farm.
“You know,” Charlie told me, leaning in close, “I never thought I could describe Harlan as cute before I witnessed him around Sawyer. Everyone should have a friendship like that.”
“They are cute,” I told him, turning to pull him into a tight hug. “But you’re cuter. This is already the best party I’ve ever been to, and it’s barely started.”
“You’re right. Just wait until the strippers we hired start to arrive.”