Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 131330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
“Ugh,” she groans. “Don’t be a party pooper! Just think about it, if I’m keeping Austin busy, then you and Izaac . . .”
She trails off, leaving her suggestive words to hang heavily in the air between us, tempting me with insinuations that are only going to get me in trouble. But damn it, there’s no denying that she has a point. If Austin and Becs are busy . . . doing whatever they might be doing, then I’ll have all the time in the world with Izaac. Not that it’ll actually go anywhere. Though, he was certainly forward in the pool after lunch. He’s never touched me like that before. The way he moved in behind me, pressing his wide chest against my back, and how his big hand curled around my wrist and roamed over the shimmering gold stamp. My body came alive with his touch, but deep down, he was only trying to coax information out of me the best way he knew how, and it worked like a charm.
I scoff, trying to downplay just how much I wish things could be that easy. “I could be standing in front of Izaac in the nude, wearing nothing but a pair of black heels and a big red bow, and he still wouldn’t notice,” I say, starting to lower my voice as we approach the guys. “So, no. If I don’t get to have a wild night with my brother’s best friend, then you don’t get to have a wild night with your best friend’s brother.”
“Damn,” she sighs. “Can I at least flirt just a little?”
“To your heart’s content,” I laugh.
Becs grins back at me, her arm looped tightly around mine as we finally meet up with the guys, and just as always, when Izaac’s gaze lifts to mine, my knees turn to Jell-O, and I have to pause to keep myself from crumbling.
“About time you ladies got here,” Izaac says in that deep tone that stirs something wild within me. His gaze roams over my face, rendering me speechless as something wicked flashes in his eyes, something I’ve never seen before, but damn, the way it has my pulse racing has me desperate for more.
He’s been weird since the pool this afternoon, like something rattled him, and I don’t buy his excuse about submitting papers for Scandal. The thing about wanting someone for so long in the way that I’ve wanted him, you learn about them. You learn what makes them tick, what gets under their skin, every single one of their tells, and when it comes to Izaac Banks, I know everything. He was lying. There was no application he needed to submit, something else rattled him, and I can’t help but wonder if it was me.
“Can’t rush perfection,” Becs says, indicating our bodies and the stunning outfits she pulled together while also saving me from awkward silence.
Izaac’s gaze drops down my body, slowly dragging over my chest and waist before sailing right down past my thighs and to my heels. He leisurely makes his way back up, a knowing smirk lingering on his lips before meeting my stare with a deep appreciation in his dark eyes. “No you can’t,” he rumbles.
Oh fucccck. Why is there suddenly a fire burning between my legs? And why the hell is he looking at me like that, especially in front of Austin? He’s purposefully gone out of his way not to look at me like this over the past few years.
Izaac holds my stare as my heart beats right out of my fucking chest, and when Becs clears her throat, the spell is suddenly broken. I look away just in time to catch Austin rolling his eyes as an irritated scoff tears from the back of his throat. He grabs his glass and takes a swift drink, chugging nearly half of it before slamming it back down on the bar, way too roughly to be considered safe.
He doesn’t say a word, but I know my brother well enough to know that he’s not going to be able to let this go. He’s going to ruin the whole night if I allow him to, and I didn’t give Becs full authority over my outfit only for my asshole brother to let his bad mood rub off on me.
“Ugh, seriously?” I groan. “It wasn’t enough for you to ruin Mom’s birthday lunch, now you have to ruin tonight as well?”
Austin’s head whips back toward me, fury pulsing in his eyes. “You’re fucking kidding me, right?” he demands. “I’m the one who ruined Mom’s lunch? Get fucked, Aspen. I love you, but you’re fucking delusional. You’re the one who showed up with the Vixen stamp on your wrist. All this bullshit today, this is on you.”
“Fucking hell, Austin. You’re such a hypocrite.”
His eyes practically bulge out of his skull. “A hypocrite?” he sputters.