Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry, Miles, but I have to disagree with Noah there.”
I smirk. “No offense taken.”
“Maybe now that you’re home, you can try again,” Layla says.
“You’ll have to give me some tips,” I reply, hoping it sounds playful, joking, with no hint of the fiery desire blazing in me.
Layla scoffs. Her smile is a gift, even the small ones, the twitch in her lips.
“I’m not much of a dater either.”
“Too committed to your career?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes, her cheeks coloring red. It gives her a passionate, youthful look. Hell, let’s be honest. It’s a look that has my manhood stiffening, my end pushing against my pants as precome threatens, as lust lurks at the edges of my resolve.
“I haven’t got much of a career.”
“She’s being modest, bro,” Noah says. “She’s going to be a head chef one day. She works as a kitchen assistant at a restaurant, but you should taste some of her dishes. Absolute heaven.”
Elena beams, clearly happy about her husband complimenting his stepdaughter.
Another reminder, as if I needed one, that I have to calm down.
“I’d love to try something one day.”
“Thanks,” she murmurs, eyes back at the table. Her moment of bravery is over.
It would be a perfect world if I could nurture, support, and protect her until she never doubted herself. Doubt her confidence. Doubt her anything.
“Maybe I’ll cook later in the week,” she says. “At least at home, I don’t have a jerk breathing down my neck.”
I sit up in my chair. It’s like violence has exploded into my being. Nobody has the right to turn my woman’s voice so down as if she doesn’t deserve respect.
“A jerk?” I growl.
“It’s nothing. Just the head chef. I made the mistake of talking about wanting to be a head chef one day, and he’s been riding me hard about it.”
“But why?” I ask, struggling to slow my breathing.
“I don’t know. It’s like he’s personally offended by it.”
“Crab mentality,” Noah mutters. “Only one can rise to the top of the bucket. Only one can climb out by clambering over all the other crabs. Some people hate seeing others happy.”
“I hope he isn’t too bad,” I say, fist clenched under the table.
“No, it’s fine,” she replies. “Hardly worth mentioning, honestly.”
CHAPTER THREE
Layla
“So, how was it?” Tess asks from my laptop, leaning forward eagerly.
We’ve been friends since she stood up for me in third grade, pushing my bully into the dirt. She’s got straightened black hair and always wears punk rock makeup, heavy eyeliner, and bright or sometimes black lipstick.
She’s the only person who knows about the kiss. At first, I was terrified of telling her. I remember her judgmental tone at the wedding when she caught me eyeing Miles.
After a couple of months, it became too difficult to keep it all in. Even now, I spot the disapproval in her tightening eyes, a frown attempting to form on her lips.
“Difficult,” I admit, keeping my voice low.
Mom and Noah are downstairs, watching a movie, but Miles is in his room. It’s on the opposite side of the house to mine, but I still can’t risk him hearing me.
“We talked about my work,” I go on. “About Graham, my boss, and it was weird. It was almost like Miles got pissed on my behalf, but I could be imagining it.”
Or I wished for it.
“He didn’t mention the kiss, obviously.”
Tess nods slowly. “I’d say it was a successful lunch, then. All you have to do is pretend for a couple of weeks. Ignore the kiss.”
“I know,” I snap, “but it’s not as easy as that.”
She leans back.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter. “I’m just so tense.”
“It’s okay. I get it. It can’t be easy, especially because you still want him.”
“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t?”
She shakes her head.
“I guess there’s no point lying,” I sigh, “but you’re right. Two weeks of avoiding him and pretending I don’t feel this way. Can you imagine how destroyed Mom would be if she found out or if we did anything else?”
I almost want Tess to lie and claim that Mom could possibly be supportive. Instead, she looks at me bleakly. We both know any intimacy would upend Mom’s entire world.
“I can’t even imagine how upset she’d be. I can only imagine what my mom would do if I suddenly got steamy with my uncle.”
“That’s not fair. Miles is my step-uncle. We’re not blood-related, and it’s not like we grew up together. The wedding is the first time we ever met.”
“Okay, fine, but play it through. Let’s say the impossible happens, and your mom decides she doesn’t want to stand in your way. Somehow, Noah is okay with it, too. What then? Do you get married? Have kids?”
I look away. Tess has always been able to read me, one of the best aspects of our friendship. It means I don’t always have to outline the tricky issues in life, but now it’s a curse. I don’t want her to see her words’ effect on me, the undeniable truth that I’ve thought about what she just said.