Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 110549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
He drew her into his arms, holding her tight to him. “I never stopped caring about you, Lincoln,” she told him. Her eyes opened, locking on me. I gave her an encouraging smile. She slowly wrapped her arms around him. Fuck, she needed this. She never got closure with him, and if I had anything to do with it, she would never need closure because she would get to have him, too.
As long as I continued to be her rock, that was enough for me.
“West—”
“I’m not done talking,” she interrupted him. He obediently shut up. “You were supposed to be something fun, something to pass the time until I could get the fuck out of here. Jessie—he’s always been my rock, my number one person. No one, not even you, could ever be on the level that Jessie is on, Lincoln, and if I take what you and Jessie are offering me, I would be cheating you of having a real relationship with someone else.”
He ran his hands over her back. “West, I haven’t looked at another woman the way I look at you since I met you. I haven’t had any real feelings for another woman since you got locked up six years ago. I don’t need to be on Jessie’s level. He’s always been there for you since the first moment you two met all of those years ago. I know no one will ever be on his level, but babe, I’m okay with being with you in any way that I can.”
She shook her head. “It’s not fair.”
“Feels pretty fair to me,” he said with a shrug. He hooked his index finger under her chin and tilted her face up. I watched as he brushed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. “Let me have this with you,” he quietly begged her. “I don’t need to be equal to Jessie. I’ll never need to be on his level.”
She shook her head, but he grabbed hold of her chin and slanted his lips across hers. I stood up from my chair and walked up behind her, sliding my hands over her hips. She sighed, her body relaxing as she began to kiss him back. I brushed my lips over her neck before I gently nipped her earlobe. “There you go, baby girl,” I soothed.
Lincoln slowly pulled his lips from hers, and he ran his eyes over her face. “It’s as easy as this,” he assured her as she slowly opened her eyes. “You can have both of us, baby.”
“Promise you won’t ever make me feel bad for not putting you first?” she asked him.
He smiled down at her, and her body relaxed. I pressed a kiss to her temple, a silent reminder that I was fine with this as well. “Never,” he promised her. “Jessie will always be your number one person, and I’m okay with that. He’s your rock, the one person you can always rely on. But you can have this with us both, babe. Just let it happen. Don’t overthink anything, and don’t worry about the dynamic between all of us. Everything will fall into its own place.”
She drew in a deep breath. I wrapped my arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. She gripped my forearms, her nails biting into my skin before she released a slow breath. “Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll give this a try.”
14
West
Jessie walked over to where I was sitting on a random stool in the garage, watching him and Lincoln work. He handed me his credit card. “Order some subs, yeah? Really craving a sub right now.”
“Foot-long wheat, turkey, pepper jack cheese, spinach, banana peppers, jalapenos, pickles, black olives, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, and two lines of mayonnaise?” I asked him as I pulled my phone out of my pocket.
Jessie flashed me a sexy grin that had my core clenching. “You remembered.”
I laughed. “It’s the only thing you would order.” I nodded my head in Lincoln’s direction. “Find out what he wants.”
Jessie grunted and rolled his eyes. “He can pay for his own damn sandwich.”
I silently narrowed my eyes at him. We stared at each other for a moment before Jessie relented with an exasperated sigh. “One of these days, those fucking pretty green eyes won’t fucking work on me,” he grumbled. I only shot him a sweet smile that we both knew was bullshit. I was the furthest thing in this world from sweet. He rolled his eyes but pressed a kiss to my forehead before he turned in Lincoln’s direction. “Lincoln, we’re ordering subs. What do you want?”
Lincoln shook his head, not turning his attention away from whatever he was doing. “I’m good, man, but thanks.”
I sighed. “Lincoln,” I called, watching as he stopped what he was doing to face me, “please eat something.”
He grunted. “Fine. Jessie knows my usual order,” he told me.