Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
As if she picks up on my reference, she goes to her hind legs, pawing at my chest.
“Pepper, heel.” Pepper immediately jumps back at Rowan’s demand, looking between us confused.
“Baby, get dressed.”
She does a quick glance down, then spins to race back up the stairs.
My phone dings with a text from an unknown number.
Is there a reason you are unlawfully entering our house, policeman?
I respond with a simple— yes
Bubbles pounce on the screen, then stop, then start and stop again. Either Cruz is sending me a book of words, or he’s contemplating how to tell me to fuck off.
Do not hurt her, Ford. She is a precious gem. She is not weak and doesn’t need you fucking with her head.
Message clear. He’s not happy.
Rowan is the strongest woman I know, and she is more than precious. Trust in that.
Cruz— Things have taken a turn since we left. You have a modicum of our trust. If we hear anything concerning, I’m driving my sun-kissed ass back to Nashville. Alex has a mean right hook. Ask Robbie what happened when he screwed with Ember.
Me—I don’t even know what a sun-kissed ass is but keep it where it is. She’s safe with me.
“What’s going on?” Rowan hits the bottom of the stairs, and my eyes immediately lock in on her shirt. It’s well-worn and three sizes too big.
“Whose shirt?”
“Alex’s.”
“Why are you wearing his shirt?”
“Because I like it.”
Frustration festers inside and I think long and hard about how I respond.
“I have three missed calls from you and multiple texts from Harley and Jewls. Now Cruz is messaging.”
“Video alerted him I was here.”
“That explains it.” While she talks, I notice the splotchy flush of her face and neck.
I go to her, cupping her cheeks, the heat searing in my palms. “You okay?”
“Yes, why?”
“You’re burning up.”
Her eyes slice to Pepper, who is now laying on her dog bed. “This is your fault.”
“The dog made you sick?”
“She made me jog. I haven’t jogged in a long time. Totally out of shape, so mostly I was chasing her like a winded klutz.”
I grin at the image, then remember the picture. “Is that how you ended up at the fire station?”
“No, we go there every day. It’s part of the routine.”
“Routine?”
“Well, her routine. Alex and Cruz started it with their visitation before they adopted her. Alex is the runner; Cruz is a more leisurely stroller. Now that I’m here, I have to fill in for both of them. Hence the red face,” she babbles, gesturing with her hands for effect. I lean into the counter, watching her with enjoyment.
“How’d you even know?” The answer dawns on her at the same time she asks, “They posted it on Instagram?”
“Yeah, babe. And your ass was front and center.”
She swipes her phone and twists it my way. “Technically, Pepper is front and center.”
“Those men’s smiles aren’t aimed at the dog.”
She glances down again, shaking her head. “Is that why you called and broke in? Because I was at the fire station? Nothing is wrong. No need to worry.” She throws my words back from earlier.
“I am here because I’m a jealous fucker. I was worried because you weren’t answering and you are in a strange place.”
“I go off the grid for half an hour? You’re as bad as my parents.”
Her spark of sass ignites a new hunger, and I tilt her head, kissing her softly. “Did you hear the part about being a jealous fucker?”
“I ignored that part because it’s as ridiculous as the other.”
Time to move on. “I spent all night thinking of this.” My mouth covers hers, coaxing her to open. She parts her lips, the tip of her tongue teasing mine.
The taste of peppermint coats my tastebuds and I immediately need more. She slants her head slightly, giving me full access to devour her. My fingers thread through her hair, eliciting a soft moan that rings in my ears.
She clutches at my shirt, leaning into me for support.
The fresh, calming scent of her lotion, the feel of her soft body against mine, combined with the rhythm of her heartbeat is all too much. My brain kicks in, telling me to slow this down before I go too far.
When I pull away, her eyes flutter open and the urge to beat my chest comes over me.
“You’re still better at it,” she whispers against my lips.
I grin, sliding my hands to the base of her skull and caressing. “You up for going back to my place to hang today?”
She stiffens and her expression goes blank. “I’m working today.”
“On a Sunday?”
“I have some stuff to catch up on before the week. Sundays, I do admin work, including payroll.”
I want to suggest she bring it all to my place but know that, when my sisters get home, she’d get little work done. “How about you come to me when you’re finished? I’d offer to come to you, but it’s Carson and Addie’s last night in town.”