Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“I think it has.” My voice softens as I attempt to keep my emotions in check. “In a strange way, I feel closer to my brother when we’re together. I’ve spent so much time trying to bury the past, it’s kind of nice to remember and talk about it with someone who loved him just as much as I did.”
Viola nods, emotion flooding her expression. “He loved you so much.” There’s a pause before she murmurs, “They both did. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that Wolf still does.”
My heart clenches painfully until it feels impossible to suck in a lungful of air. “I know.”
“Just know that I’m always here if you want to talk.”
“Thank you.” Viola isn’t only my cousin, but my best friend as well. I’m lucky to have her in my life. She was my rock during a turbulent time. The only person I could cling to and retain a small bit of my sanity with. “I appreciate it.”
The corners of her lips tip upward. “Love ya, cuz.”
Some of the heaviness that has been pinning me to the earth lifts. “Love you, too.”
I blow her a kiss before disappearing through the apartment door and into the hallway. Everything we discussed somersaults through my brain as I take the elevator to the first floor and walk through the lobby. As embarrassed as I was to tell Viola, it’s a relief that she knows.
I hate secrets.
As I push through the glass doors into the waning afternoon sunlight, I spot Wolf’s electric blue Mustang idling near the curb. A shiver dances down my spine as our gazes collide. That’s all it takes for the air around me to heighten and turn charged with irrepressible energy.
My mind tumbles back to the other night at the bar.
Was ditching him a smart move to make?
Probably not.
Deep down inside, I knew he’d come for me.
Once he’d secured my agreement that I wouldn’t try to avoid him, he’d walked out before returning a few hours later after practice. My skin had buzzed with awareness the entire time he was there.
Nerves wing their way to life at the bottom of my belly, threatening to escape as I pop open the door and slide onto the leather before giving him a bit of side eye. There are times when staring full on at Wolf is just too much. It sends my senses into overdrive. His green eyes hold a wealth of secrets now that we’re older.
Much like me, he’s no longer the open book he once was. The tattoos that decorate his arms, neck, and hands are all new, making him look like an entirely different person. As tempting as it is to inspect every single one of them, I haven’t. That would require me to get up close and personal.
How can I do that when I’m trying to keep him at a firm distance?
My gaze settles on his fingers that grip the steering wheel.
It seems like the safest place.
Except…as I continue to stare, all I can think about is what it felt like to have them stroking over my flesh and buried in my body. That’s all it takes for a tidal wave of heat to crash over me before pooling like warmed honey in my core. When I shift on the seat, attempting to alleviate the growing discomfort, a growl rumbles up from deep within his chest.
My eyes widen at the animalistic sound that escapes from him before slicing to his face. The heat darkening his eyes is enough to have my heart skipping a painful beat before pounding harshly beneath my breast.
He wraps his hand around my jean clad thigh. The fingers that I had just been staring at tighten, sinking into my flesh. They keep me tethered to the earth, so I don’t float off into the atmosphere never to be heard from again.
I force out an unsteady breath, trying to dispel the arousal rushing through my veins, suffusing every cell of my being. I’ve never felt attraction like this before, and I’m unsure what to do with it.
Maybe that’s not completely true.
I know exactly what to do with it, but I’m unsure how to take that next step. Or even if I’m ready for it. I’m a twenty-year-old virgin with no real idea how to proceed.
I’d meant it when I told Viola that our relationship was complicated.
“Are you ready to do this?” he asks, breaking into the chaotic whirl of my thoughts.
When I blink, unsure what he’s asking, a slow smile spreads across his lips as the look of intensity is taken down a few notches, making it possible for me to suck fresh oxygen into my lungs.
His voice dips. “I’m asking if you’re ready to drive.”
Heat slams into my cheeks that he’s able to read me so easily. When my tongue darts out to moisten parched lips, his gaze drops to the movement. As he stares, his teeth scrape across the plump lower lip as his lids turn heavy.