Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
That was it.
Tanner wasn’t going to fall in love again. The pain wasn’t worth it. So what if all his brothers had met their soulmate?
There had to be one wild, crazy Malone left to live up to their reputation.
Right?
Wrong.
Because he hadn’t counted on fate walking back into his life.
Only this time, she's not alone.
Those Malones are back! They’re wild, charming, and protective. And they fall hard for their women.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
Six months ago . . .
The dart flew through the air, hitting just to the right of the bull’s eye.
“Ooh, nice shot. Wait, do they call it a shot in darts? Probably not, right? Nice throw, I guess.”
Turning, Tanner looked down to see a short, curvy redhead standing beside him. She smiled, her blue eyes dancing with humor.
Well, hello, gorgeous girl.
She was wearing a white top with the bar’s logo on it. The top was stretched tight across a pair of magnificent breasts. A short apron was tied loosely around her waist. A pair of well-worn jeans finished off the outfit.
Nothing remarkable, but she wore it well.
“Well, thanks, darlin’. Yeah, I think you’d call it an excellent throw.”
“Excellent, huh?” she said dryly.
“Stupendous? Wonderful? Absolutely mind-blowing. I’ll take any of those.”
Her grin widened. “That’s good of you.”
He shrugged. “I’m just that sort of guy. Always willing to take on feedback.”
“As long as it’s good feedback?” she asked.
“Exactly.”
“Can I have a go?”
“You don’t have to work?” he asked.
She shrugged, looking around. “Things are quiet right now and I’m owed a break. Give me a second to tell Harry.”
Tanner watched her stride over to the bar, where an older bartender nodded as she said something. Damn, she filled out those jeans well. When she returned, she smiled up at him.
“You ever played darts before?” he asked her.
“Doesn’t seem too hard. You just throw the pointy end at the round board and hit the middle, right?”
Oh, she was cute.
Tanner grinned. “Right.”
She took the dart and threw it. It landed against the wall about a foot to the right of the dartboard and fell to the floor.
“Huh. That looked easier when you did it.” She frowned, looking puzzled. As though she’d immediately expected to be an expert.
“Would you like some pointers?”
“Sure! That would be awesome.” She ran over to pick up the dart and brought it back.
She seemed out-of-place in this seedy bar—like a ray of sunshine and sweetness.
It made him feel . . . protective.
He took the dart from her. “Okay, watch me.”
Tanner showed her how to throw it as she watched with deep concentration, biting her lower lip.
After he threw it, he reached out without thought and freed her lip. “Careful, darlin’, you don’t want to hurt yourself.”
Another big smile.
Damn. He wasn’t looking for a hookup tonight. He’d just come here for a drink and to decompress.
But, hey, he wasn’t going to turn her away.
“All right, I’ll try.” She retrieved the dart. Another throw. Again, it hit the wall and fell to the floor.
“Well, hell. This is way harder than it looks.” She bounced her way over to the dart on the floor again.
And, yeah, he looked at her ass again.
It would be hard not to. Round and pert and when she bent over. . . okay, now he was feeling like a dick. He raised his gaze back up, looking over to see his brother, Raid, watching in amusement from where he sat at the bar.
Asshole.
“Here. Can you show me again? Please?”
She smelled so good.
Shit.
He needed to clear his head a bit. But with the way she was looking at him . . . yeah, he was pretty sure that she liked what she saw.
Well, who could blame her?
As the youngest Malone brother, he really had gotten all the good looks, charm, and intelligence.
Moving in behind her, he held her hand, his other hand on her hip to keep her in place. She tensed and he immediately stepped back.
“Everything okay, darlin’?” Shit. Had he overstepped? Scared her?
She took a deep breath, then shook it off. “All good. Sorry. Where were we?”
Hmm. Tanner wasn’t so sure that she was all good, but he moved in behind her when she smiled encouragingly back at him.
Then he helped guide her arm back. Fuck, her ass felt so good against him.
Don’t get hard.
Don’t be a dick.
As she let go, the dart flew and actually hit the dartboard this time.
“Yay!” she cried out, jumping up and hitting the top of her head against his chin.
Tanner let out a grunt of pain.
“Oh my God!” she cried, turning to stare up at him in shock. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you all right?”
He smiled. “All good.”
“You’re bleeding. Oh shit. Oh hell. I’m such a dumb klutz.” Tears filled her eyes.
Tanner frowned at her, not liking the way she just spoke about herself. “You are not dumb or a klutz.”
She drew a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at his lips. “Where is the blood coming from?”
“My tongue. I think I bit it when —”
“When I whacked your chin,” she moaned. “Dumb. So dumb.”
“Stop,” he said sternly. “You are not dumb. Do not speak about yourself like that.”
The girl nodded, still looking miserable. “Ooh, what about ice? Ice can help.” She reached for a glass on the table beside them and scooped out some ice.