Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
I laugh at Thane’s hip thrust at the end of his sentence before jabbing my fists into his glove-covered hand. We’re on day four of our intense self-defense class week, and I finally feel like I’m getting a handle on things. “I didn’t do anything. I just—”
“Brought the life back into their eyes.” When he nudges his head to Brodie and Lucy at the side of the makeshift gym, doing karate moves, I follow the direction of his gaze. “Lucy hasn’t stopped smiling, and I haven’t seen Brodie like this since…” He stops, swallows, then shifts his focus back to me. “I’ve never seen him like this.”
“He loved your sister. He still does.” And our connection is more about sex than anything else, isn’t it?
Don’t misconstrue what I’m saying. In between putting Lucy first and the extremely hectic schedule that will ensure that, we barely have time for anything else.
I don’t mind. Sneaking around makes our exchanges more fire-sparking and adventurous. In the past four days, we’ve done it on almost every surface of his home except the place responsible for his guilt the morning following our first encounter.
We steer clear of Brodie’s room because, as much as I want to believe what we have is more than lust, I have no basis for my claim.
We fuck, and then we maintain an amicable but flirty relationship during daylight hours.
Well, I thought we did. Thane is clearly seeing something we thought we were hiding.
“I’m not saying he didn’t.” I bob in just enough to miss Thane’s sweep over my head with the pad on his hand to bring me back from my thoughts. “But he’s different this time around.”
“There’s no ‘this time.’” Even I can hear the deceit in my tone. The sex is out of this world. I’ve climaxed more times the past week than I have in my entire sexual existence, but moaning doesn’t give much leeway to talking, and we have so much to discuss it should be the first item on our agenda when we’re away from the prying eyes of an almost six-year-old. “I’m his daughter’s nanny.”
I stop swinging my fists when Thane murmurs, “And sucking the marrow from his bones every night.” He drops his hands and glares at me when I cannot deny his claim. “Oh, fuck no. You do that too?” My squeal ripples through the basement when he unexpectedly bobs down and throws me over his shoulder. “You look like you and suck dick. You’re coming home with me. Someone miswired you, so it’s only right I try to bang out your kinks.”
Brodie acts as if he didn’t hear Thane’s lewd comment. “Remember what you’ve been taught, Henley. No one can make you do anything you don’t want to do. If you don’t want to go with him, stop him.”
“Yeah, Henley. Squeeze his head off until he runs away crying like Nathan Banks!” Lucy jumps in.
“Lulu! You’re meant to be on my team,” Thane says before I shorten his breaths by activating the maneuver I perfected earlier this week.
I can barely wrap my arm around Thane’s thick neck, but the tightness of my hold, along with my feet making contact near his groin, sees me soon placed back onto my feet.
“Yes!” Lucy leaps up for a high five when Thane stumbles back while gasping in fast breaths.
“You suck!” He works his head side to side to make sure nothing is pinching before he locks his eyes with me. “And so do you.” With his nose twisted up, he pffts at Brodie before making his way to the stairwell. “I hate you, man. Seriously, I loathe every fucking inch you’ve been working down her throat.” He acts as if Brodie’s glare has no heat whatsoever by spinning to face Lucy before asking her if she wants to help him lick his wounds with three rounds of dessert. “It’s the least you can do after you tapped out on me. Your dad already got the girl. He didn’t need to win this round too.”
Lucy’s excitement is palpable as she slings her eyes to her father. She isn’t just excited about Thane’s offer of a sweet treat. She’s over the moon after his comment that her father won the girl.
Although I’ll never tell Brodie this, Thane and Lucy spent most of our first self-defense class pondering ways to force us together. They had no clue my hurt ran deeper than being ditched after a one-night stand. Most of it centered around ghosts of my past.
Brodie holds out to Lucy’s silent pleas for almost thirty seconds before telling her no amount of whining will have her skipping her vegetables tonight.
“I’ll eat them all. I promise.” She crosses her heart before waiting for the final head bob of approval from Brodie.
When she gets it, she practically flies into Thane’s arms. “Let’s make like geese and get the flock out of here.”