Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
My head snaps back toward Lucas. “She has?”
“Stripper,” Jules says. “She dates one of the players on and off again. I’m assuming on right now since she’s here.”
A weird sensation of anger and hurt wells up within me, something I’ve never felt before.
Jules merely leans over and pats me on my knee. “But no worries. I’m sure they’re just chatting politics or something.”
I give a disgruntled snort at the suggestion, and despite the fact I’m telling Jules a lot without saying a word at all, I push up from my chair. “I’ll be back.”
Ignoring Jules’s snicker, I make my way into the living room without any clue as to why I would do something so foolish. When I reach Lucas and the stripper, she is standing very close to him and twirling her hair around her finger. He seems captivated by what she’s saying.
Lucas sees me and smiles with sparkling eyes. “Hey, Stephy. Rona here was just telling me about a big party she’s having tomorrow at the beach. It’s only a few hours away, but she promises topless volleyball.”
My jaw drops as I digest what Lucas is telling me and I honestly can’t think of anything to say in return.
It doesn’t matter, though, because he has more to say. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“Um, yeah,” I mutter as I shift from foot to foot with unease. “I was just coming to tell you goodbye, since I’m leaving.”
I totally wasn’t leaving and was hoping to make another run at the barbecue, but I seriously don’t think I can handle Lucas talking to this bimbo about naked volleyball.
“So, um, goodbye,” I mumble as I start to turn toward the deck so I can get my purse. “I’ll see you around.”
“Stephanie,” Lucas calls out, and I stop to look over my shoulder. “There’s no need to be jealous of Rona.”
My face heats up with embarrassment as I notice a few people standing around look to Lucas since he was quite loud in his proclamation. My eyes flick to the blonde and I can see she’s highly amused. My eyes then narrow, and I shoot a sinister glare at Lucas. “I am not jealous.”
One eyebrow arcs upward. “Kind of looks like it.”
I step back toward Lucas, and as I lean into him I growl, “I. Am. Not. Jealous.”
“Perfect,” Lucas says with a beaming smile. “Naked volleyball at the beach it is.”
“We’re going to have so much fun,” Rona says as she bounces up and down a little, making her boobs jiggle. To Lucas’s credit, he doesn’t look at them, but keeps his smirking eyes leveled at me.
My face gets hotter as my head starts to buzz with anger.
I suddenly realize I am not just angry…I’m absolutely infuriated. Not at Rona, because I think she’s doing what she usually does. But at Lucas, that he would even consider such a thing.
“Are you seriously making plans to do naked volleyball in front of the woman you are currently fucking?” I ask slowly so there is no mistaking what I want him to know. Unlike him, though, I say it in a low enough voice only he and Rona hear me.
Lucas grins at me and I’m stunned when he grabs me by the back of my head and pulls me to him for a hard, quick kiss. When he releases me he says, “God, you’re fucking adorable when you’re jealous.”
“Aagh,” I snarl at him in frustration. “You are impossible.”
Spinning around, I bolt for the door that leads to the deck, intent on grabbing my purse and getting the hell home.
If you leave now, my subconscious says, you’ll lose him to naked volleyball.
I don’t give a shit, I hiss back at my subconscious.
Just before I reach the door, I feel a hand clamp down on my elbow and I am pulled to an abrupt stop.
“Oh no you don’t, Stephy,” Lucas says. “We need to talk.”
I try to pull my arm away. “No, we don’t.”
“Yes, we do.” And the next thing I know he is dragging me back through the living room into the hallway and straight into Garrett and Olivia’s master bedroom. He shuts the door behind us and releases me.
I spin on him. “What are you doing? It’s totally rude to be in their bedroom.”
“You don’t have to worry,” he says with a sly smirk. “I don’t plan on fucking you here.”
“Don’t plan on fucking me anywhere,” I snap at him.
He just smiles placidly at me and I can tell he still thinks I’m freaking adorable.
“I am not jealous,” I tell him again as I cross my arms over my chest.
He crosses his arms to match me. “I’m not jealous either.”
“Fine,” I retort.
“Fine.”
“So where does that leave us?” Lucas asks.
“I’m going home,” I reply primly.
Lucas’s eyes grow dark and he gives me a mischievous grin. “Sounds good. I’ll meet you there.”