Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Echo studies me for so long that my stomach clenches and tries to grumble all at once, and my nipples nearly turn themselves inside out because they get so hard—hard nipples are not something I’ve had a problem with in the past. Also, my dick starts to do things in my jeans that I’d rather her not notice. Just as her face softens, which also does things to my balls, I rush to the door to scurry down the ladder before I can make a treehouse fort or tent thing out of my jeans. I duck down and turn around, and I think I have things down, but when I tuck one foot behind the other, expecting to find a step, all I find is air.
Suddenly, I’m falling and flying at the same time, which, yes, I know is a hard contradiction, and I find out just how hard when my rump hits the ground with an impact hard enough to jar my teeth and rattle my bones.
“Who, who!” Granny hoots. I guess she’s still standing at the patio door and saw the whole thing.
I crank my head around with a groan and realize my brothers are all standing out on the back deck, minus Ransom, because he’s doing the whole honeymoon thing right now, or at least sleeping in after his wedding night. Shudder, shudder, shudder. I don’t want to start thinking about that at all. It’s much easier to stew in one’s own indignity and let the mortification sink in like the buzz after a fine wine.
“I guess that’s one way to get your arse down fast,” Lennox chuckles.
Alden, who is normally fairly composed, doubles over with laughter. “His ass is literally grass,” he pants out. “Literally.”
Even Atlas is grinning since he knows me better than anyone and can tell I’m not hurt. “Bacon’s getting cold,” is all he says as he turns back to the house.
I get out of the way, pick myself up, brush the crushed blades of grass off my behind, and extend my arms at the bottom of the ladder just in case Echo falls.
She doesn’t. She climbs down carefully, not to mention sensuously and gracefully. She makes that ladder look like a work of art. Also? Her bottom looks terrific in those jeans as she climbs down. I mean, superbly terrific. It’s the kind of terrific that not even a hard fall could obliterate from my mind.
And it is why I end up having to take a stroll around the backyard before breakfast and wind up eating cold eggs and bacon after all.
CHAPTER 6
Echo
I don’t know why I thought staying in a tree house would be kind of cool. Yes, it helps save money, and since I’ve been looking after myself for years now, I’m all about budgeting. Hotels are expensive, and they kind of give off an impersonal feeling. I thought the treehouse would be an adventure.
Turns out the most adventurous part of my entire day was blowing up the air mattress and making it with the sheets and pillows provided. When that was done, I wasn’t sure about hanging out with the family that wasn’t my family yet, so I made excuses about having to shop for clothes since I only brought so many. I know, I know, why did my suitcase weigh like a thousand pounds if I only brought a few outfits?
Well, tech stuff. Yeah, I never travel light, and I always come prepared. Just not with more than three changes of clothes, and I’m tired of cycling through the same blouse.
I hate shopping. I suck at it. Malls are not my thing. Give me a computer or even a tablet or a phone, and I can make magic happen, but give me stores and hangers and clothes racks, and I’m useless. I guess buying a pair of jeans, three shirts, and a dress was my adventure for the day. Oh, and a pair of flip-flops. Can’t forget that vital item.
After scaling the ladder to my lofty, leafy abode, locking the door, and turning on the lantern that was also provided with the air mattress this morning, I’m more than ready for bed. I don’t know how many days it’s going to take me to make a decision, but I’m not thinking about anything tonight. I’m exhausted. And it’s more than just the shopping I did. It’s everything.
Like finding my kind of husband, getting him to sign the papers, meeting this huge, kind of crazy family, going to a wedding, getting chased by raccoons, moving into a treehouse, and being here a lot longer than I thought I would be. I took a week off work, so I have a few days yet to decide if I can bring myself to live like this.
If I can bring myself to do so much good for the world, side by side, with him.