Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
It was in those moments that all my warning bells started to go off. Sex was one thing. People fucked each other all the time. Hell, I’d had sex with people when I didn’t even know their last name, but movies and cooking made my heart ache for him even more. Made me wish for things I wouldn’t even put into words because I knew they would never happen. Caused me to worry that I wouldn’t survive this, wouldn’t survive having Chase and losing him.
But I also didn’t have it in me to walk away. That much was obvious.
They still hadn’t arrested anyone for the armed robbery. It was all the folks of Havenwood could talk about. I knew it was stressing Chase out. He’d space off when we were spending time together but would try to brush it off when I asked if he was okay. Last night, though, he’d told me he couldn’t get it out of his head. Somehow he’d decided it was his fault or his responsibility to figure it out. Don’t ask me how he came to that fool conclusion when it made absolutely no sense, but that was Chase Hawthorne, and things like that were probably part of the reason I loved him.
Griff, of course, was being all Griff-y about it, worried someone was going to rob my shop or something because I had so much money lying around? That wasn’t the case, but it might be nice if it were. The first time Chase had been by, he asked about the security of the place too. I did all that I could. And it was amazing showing Chase what I’d built, seeing him impressed by me.
It was Friday night, and Chase was off. He’d invited me over, and I’d wanted to spend time with him, but I’d also promised Josh I would go to Richmond with him. We hadn’t spent much time together lately, he’d said, which I knew was an excuse for him to worry that I was spending too much time with Chase.
We were going to one of our favorite gay bars in the city, which yes, I fucking loved. I didn’t make enough time to go party in Richmond, and I loved to dance, but a tiny part of me wanted to stay and soak up all the time with Chase I could have.
I might have been a little obsessed with him, but he was fucking gorgeous and sweet and had a great cock, so who could blame me?
I was startled by the sound of the door to my studio opening. We were closed, but I hadn’t locked it because this was Havenwood and you didn’t have to do that shit here.
When I saw Buck striding toward me, I automatically frowned. “I’m afraid we’re closed for the day.”
“I don’t want you to teach my son.”
Fuck, I should have expected this. “He was signed up by his mother, Buck. I’m not going to turn him away.” It had taken me a while to be able to chat with Bridget. I hadn’t told her what her daughter said—that Buck mentioned him being soft like me—but I did tell her I was running a special on siblings. They got a month free and then half price. I also told her I could work with her if that was too much. Of course, there was no special, but if Buck Jr. wanted to learn art, I would make sure I could teach him, even if it was for free. I knew his mom would never accept it if she thought it was a handout, though. We hadn’t had our first class together yet, but it was scheduled for next week.
“I don’t want you to teach my son,” he said again, his voice tight.
“We’re closed. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” I’d be lying if I didn’t admit my hands shook. Buck was an asshole—an asshole who was about a foot taller than me and had at least fifty pounds on me. But I wasn’t going to back down. That wasn’t me.
So I stood, went to walk past him to open the door, but he reached out and grabbed my arm, his fingers tight on my biceps. “I teach my son to be a man. He’ll take a class with you over my dead body. Cancel with Bridget. I’m not fucking around, Kellan. I don’t give a shit who your brother is either.” Without another word, he let go of me roughly, pushing me slightly as he did so, and walked out.
My lungs hurt, I was breathing so hard. I rushed over and flipped the lock on the door, and saw his dad, Jimmy, sitting in their truck. I lowered the blinds, slid down the wall, sat on the floor. I gasped, trying to get air into my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. Why the fuck couldn’t I breathe?