Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
It kind of hurts my heart that he’s calling himself a cryptid. Like he belongs among the likes of Bigfoot, Grey alien, and Loch Ness Monster.
“Time to go,” Donnelly slips between the Cobalt brothers to reach me and my brother. “The backdoor isn’t secure.”
I feel Frog’s hand in mine, and I notice how the Epsilon bodyguards are hustling the Cobalts out of Panera in a flash. Frog gets me safely in the passenger seat of Donnelly’s security vehicle. “We’re right behind you,” she tells me before shutting the door.
Xander lies down in the backseat, his headphones on. Pretty sure he’s just trying to avoid being seen by paparazzi. The camera flashes hurt my eyes, but Donnelly’s able to maneuver us onto the street with ease.
“So we drop off Xander and go to Wawa?” I ask Donnelly about our plans.
“Can we raincheck the Wawa?” he asks, eyes flitting to me, then the road.
I try not to be disappointed, but my stomach nosedives. “Okay, yeah.” I frown. “Is there a reason why?”
“Just feeling more like ramen to-go. That good with you?”
I smile over at him. “Yeah, I could do ramen.”
He relaxes, like he’d been worried I’d be too dejected. It does suck that our Wawa outing is put on hold, considering I’ve really wanted to go with how much Donnelly brings it up. But I promised I’d wait and go with him, and it’ll be more fun if he’s invested in the moment.
Plus, there’s no harm in waiting for a hoagie. Waiting for him to sleep with me—now that has been a true test of my patience.
46
PAUL DONNELLY
Postponing Wawa, which meant postponing having sex with Luna, made the most sense in my head. ‘Cause I haven’t been able to shake what Lily said to me—the part about taking Luna’s amnesia into account. It’s fucked me up all day, really.
Goal: don’t hurt Luna.
Seems easy enough, but I’m her first this time around. She’s inexperienced, and I’m thinking it’s just better if we wait a bit longer.
There’s no harm in prolonging this.
After the mock panel, ramen at the penthouse, and a marathon of a cancelled sci-fi show called Raised by Wolves, I jump in the shower…with Luna. It’s not the first time we’ve showered together in our Jack-and-Jill bathroom, but the more I slam on the brakes to fuck her, the more it feels like I’m edging myself with no release.
Pent-up is a weak word for what I am, but I’ve got it under control.
Standing behind Luna, I shampoo her light brown hair, she melts into the moment and sinks against my chest. Her ass almost brushes up against my cock. We’re talking about Fizzle though, which is about as attractive as a concrete block.
“What’s your unbiased opinion?” she asks again, since I told her she was the mock panel winner in my eyes.
I dip my head to whisper against her ear. “I’m always gonna be partial towards you, babe.”
Her breath hitches, and I harden at that tiny, aroused noise she makes. My blood runs hot. Vapor encases us, and the glass of the shower is already fogged.
I inch back so she can’t feel my erection rub up against her. She tries to look, but I start talking, hearing the huskiness of my voice. “But I’d bet a ham hoagie that Charlie and Ben are at the bottom.”
“Uh-huh,” she agrees. Her eyes are closed while I skate my fingers through her hair in a melodic motion. “I think they did the worst too. But I still might be at the bottom.”
“You didn’t blow it,” I tell her. Genuinely, I believe Luna held her own. She would’ve gotten my vote, and yeah, I might be biased.
I see her and I just see beauty and triumph. Even if the world believes Hales are the most likely to fail, Luna has proven to be the most likely to persevere.
To me, that means more.
“I did make an enemy out of Chett Wagner,” Luna says. “I don’t know if giving him my sweater would even win me points.”
Remembering the sweater ordeal is reigniting an inferno in my lungs. It took too much willpower to keep my feet rooted to the ground and my mouth shut when Chett Prickner wanted Luna to strip. Don’t know why he thought it was a reasonable request when she was clearly uncomfortable.
I’m glad she has the Cobalts to defend her, but I don’t love that she’s in these positions with older, more powerful men to begin with. Chett Prickner should know better, and I was a little ticked off her uncle just sat there. He’s the CEO. He has the authority to shut down anyone on the board.
I’m just a lowly bodyguard and her boyfriend. I’m supposed to shut up and act like wallpaper, or else I might get reprimanded by the Tri-Force and get suspended. I want to be there for Luna while also being there for her younger brother, especially during this stressful period of Xander’s life.