Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Twenty minutes later, I had a hell of a spread, and the boys were practically foaming at the mouth as I made their plates. They’d just started to dive in when Cricket walked into the kitchen. Her hair was down and a bit disheveled, and she was wearing that T-shirt from a couple of nights ago. Damn. She was positively stunning.
She started towards me, and I gave her a smile and said, “There she is.”
“Hey, Mom.”
She stopped dead in her tracks, and her eyes widened as she turned and found Toby and Garrison sitting at the table. Trying to hide her shock, she smiled and said, “Good morning, guys.”
“Ghost made us pancakes,” Toby announced with a smile.
Cricket tugged at the hem of her t-shirt, trying her best to make it a few inches longer as she replied, “I see that.”
“And bacon, too.”
“Um-hmm... It smells amazing.” She started backing out of the kitchen as she told them, “I’ll be right back.”
Knowing full well where she was going, I chuckled, “Where you running off to?”
“I’m going to change.”
“Why? I thought that was your favorite T-shirt.”
“It is, but...” Her brows furrowed into a scowl. “Are you messin’ with me?”
“Possibly.”
“Oh, that’s gonna cost ya.”
“I can’t wait.”
By the time she made it back, I had a stack of pancakes ready and waiting for her, along with a big cup of coffee. She glanced over at me with an appreciative smile and said, “This looks really good.”
“Good.” I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“I definitely am.” A mischievous smirk crossed her face as she leaned over and whispered, “But you still got payback coming.”
“Bring it on, baby. Bring it on.”
I gave her a wink, and for the rest of the morning, we carried on like usual. The days that followed were more of the same. I still did my shift at the Vault and handled my business at the club. While I was gone, Zeke and Goose kept their watch over her and Toby. Cricket and I made sure nothing in our routine looked out of the norm.
But beneath it all, there was this charge between us. It hung in the air whenever we were close. We tried, but it was difficult to hide. We figured it was best to keep things quiet for Toby’s sake. He was adjusting and doing well, and we didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. So, during the day, everything stayed normal.
But when no one was looking, we stole moments for ourselves. We’d steal a kiss here or there, and Cricket would slip into my room after Toby had gone to sleep. We’d talk or just be together, but by morning, she was gone. It was like we were living two lives—one for the world to see and one just for us. And that was enough—for now.
Cricket was curled up next to me, and I was toying with a strand of her hair when I announced, “I’ve got the run tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I know.” She sounded apprehensive when she asked, “How long will you be gone?”
“Just for the night, but Zeke will be here with you. And Dagger’s gonna stop by, too.”
“What about Goose?”
“He’ll be going with me.”
“Oh.”
Hearing the worry in her voice got me right in the gut. I wanted to pull her closer, squeeze her tight, and assure her that everything was going to be okay, but I resisted. She needed to sort through this herself, so I didn’t move. I just laid there and listened as she said, “It’s fine. I’ve got some things I need to get done around here, and I have that interview next week to get ready for.”
“Sounds good.”
She was silent for a moment, then whispered, “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“Gonna miss me, huh?” I rolled on top of her and started trailing kisses along the curve of her neck. “Can’t say that I blame you. I’m a hell of a catch.”
“Sutton!”
“I know. I know.” I continued kissing her. “It’s hard to imagine being away from all this steel and sex appeal for a whole night, but you’re gonna have to muster the strength...”
“Steel and sex appeal?” she giggled.
And there it was.
The smile I desperately needed to see. “The struggle is real.”
“It most definitely is.”
I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her briefly before lowering myself back down on the bed. “Thankfully for you, it’s just for the night.”
“Yes, thank goodness for that.” Her smile faded as she whispered, “You promise to be careful?”
I leaned over and kissed her on the temple. “Always.”
I lowered my head back on the pillow, and it wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep. I woke up several hours later to find that I was in bed alone. The sheets were cold where Cricket had been. I wasn’t surprised—she always slipped back to her room well before sunrise, but that didn’t mean I didn’t miss having her there.