Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
“I’m fighting the urge to haul you back inside my truck and take us to the nearest hotel. No work, no friends, no family, no goddamned geriatric tribe busting in and cockblocking me. You and me in a locked room for as long as it takes for me to show you exactly how much this means.”
Her breath hitches and she leans into me for support. “I really like that idea.”
“The temptation is strong, Julianna.”
“The only thing stopping me from jumping you is the fact that I could never look your mother in the eye again. And I happen to like Cindy.”
“She’ll get over it.”
Her lips tip against mine.
“Are we drinking or making out in the driveway?” Drake calls from the doorway.
She breaks our connection, looking over her shoulder. “Be right there.”
“I may kill both of them before this weekend is over.”
“They’re only feeding into your reaction.”
“Don’t encourage them.”
She rolls her eyes but does it grinning. “I’ll do my best. Now, come on, we have a very hot, brave, and courageous hero to celebrate.”
11
Jewls
My reflection in the mirror stares back at me in horror.
When I told Harley what happened Sunday night at Major’s house, she insisted we go shopping. I’m not a stranger to nice lingerie; it’s a small addiction. It makes me feel special when I slip into silk, satin, and lace. But since my dating life has been non-existent for so long, I’m the only one who enjoys the effort.
“What the hell were you thinking, Jewls?” I question myself.
The answer slams into me. I wasn’t thinking clearly. My body has been buzzing with sexual tension since last Sunday. This morning only added to the frenzy, and I threw this outfit in at the last minute.
If you can even classify it as an outfit. Every piece of the skimpy fabric is sheer and completely transparent.
One-hundred-percent inappropriate for spending the night in your boyfriend’s family home with his parents under the same roof. Not to mention his inebriated brothers in their old rooms.
“You are such a shameless hussy.”
It’s all Major’s fault. When I came to get ready for bed, my mind was floating on cloud-nine-level bliss. Today has been nothing short of perfect. Well, if you eliminate the lewd interruption this morning.
Breakfast with the trio of terror actually turned out wonderful. Like everyone else, Major had them swooning. I swear Bea and Janice had cartoon hearts in their eyes when they left.
As promised, Major cleaned the kitchen and loaded my bags while I took my call. I spent months memorizing most things about him from afar. But this morning, he surprised me with something new.
All the guys are pretty clean and orderly. But Major is borderline OCD. My bed was made to military perfection, even down to the decorative pillow placement. My bathroom and kitchen were so meticulously cleaned, they were sparkling.
He ignored my suggestion to drop me off at my building entrance and instead escorted me inside. It took a full fifteen minutes to get to my office from stopping to introduce him to my team—who had all heard about him from Tonda. He examined my office, paying special attention to framed degrees.
When his eyes met mine, they were glowing with pride. Then he kissed me, and not a quick goodbye kiss but a full-on, melt-your-panties, grip-his-body-for-support, knee-wobbling kiss.
I spent the rest of the day with countless drops-by of endless curiosity. He left a big impression. No one questioned when he strolled through the office to pick me up early.
When he waltzed in, I knew immediately. He was cleared.
His family was ecstatic when I messaged them about doing something special tonight.
The events of the night play through my mind, adding to the perfection of the day. Through the months, I’ve been around the Powers family many times, but tonight, I was a part of the family. Cindy’s excitement at having her family together was contagious. Jim wasn’t as enthusiastic, but it was obvious he shared her sentiments. The twins were entertaining and kept the glasses full all night.
The few times Major wasn’t at my side, he was shooting me heated looks that expressed exactly what he was thinking. By the time the night ended, my skin was tingling.
I was high on life, happiness, and a little too much wine. Then I found that he’d somehow snuck away to unpack our things and organized all my toiletries to match my set-up at home. So, I didn’t think twice when selecting my nightwear to get ready for bed.
Now that I’ve had a shower and the wine buzz has lightened, I’m rethinking my choice.
“All his fault. Damn him,” I mutter, blaming him again.
“Not exactly sure what I did,” comes from the other side of the door.
My body jerks, panicking that my time is up. Maybe I can cover up with a towel and pretend I forgot my clothes.