Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
We’d lost our virginity in that room. And afterwards, when we’d consumed as much of each other as we could for one night, we’d snacked on crisps and chocolate chip cookies. I’d held her in my arms, feeling like the luckiest bastard in the world.
Our eyes locked, and I noticed a small shiver go through her. Was she remembering, too? I was aware of her every step as she approached, moving closer until she reached me, mere inches away. She held out the bag, “Want some?”
My eyes flicked to hers, and I swallowed thickly, then silently, I nodded and leaned forward. She watched as I grabbed a handful, not letting her gaze drop while I shoved them in my mouth. She didn’t move, almost like she was holding her breath.
Ah, shite. This was bad.
I wanted Charli. I wanted her fiercely in a way that was disconcerting, given I wasn’t ready to be with anyone, not even for a no-strings night of sex.
And it couldn’t be no-strings with her. There was too much history there, too many feelings and regrets. What ifs.
“Hey, don’t ruin Rhys’ appetite, too,” Jo scolded playfully. “I’ve spent all day slow cooking this lamb. The new chef from Aidan’s restaurant sent me the recipe.”
“Aidan has a restaurant?” Charli asked in surprise as she came around to sit on the stool next to mine. Clearly, she hadn’t been filled in on what a blazing success our friend had become.
“Oh, he actually has several,” Jo replied. “He’s one of the top restaurateurs in the country now, if you can believe it. He’s been working on opening a new place not too far from our city hotel, and he hired this incredible chef to work for him. He’s going to get another Michelin star with her, mark my words.”
Charli blinked, her surprise somewhat adorable. She casually offered me more crisps, the gesture so natural and comfortable I felt my chest constrict yet again. “Hold on a second, so he already has a Michelin star?”
“Got one last year,” Jo smiled. “We were all so proud of him. You should come to the opening of the new restaurant with us in a couple weeks. I’m sure he remembers you from when you visited that summer and would love to see you.”
The suggestion made me unexpectedly irritable. Aidan was still single, had never married, and the idea of him getting a look at how Charli had grown to become even more stunningly sexy and beautiful made me feel like breaking something. Christ, I really needed to get a handle on my feelings. I had no claim over her, and besides, she’d just gotten divorced. I doubted she was thinking about starting anything new with anyone, even with a handsome, successful, wealthy motherfucker like Aidan.
“Oh, sure, maybe,” Charli replied. “What about Theo? Is he still around?”
I cast her a narrow-eyed glance, not thrilled with her asking after yet another of my handsome, single friends. I was such a fool for her already. It was almost laughable how I’d offered to listen if she needed someone, to be her friend. There was absolutely nothing friendly about how I felt for Charli Moretti.
Jo inhaled a breath and rubbed at the back of her neck. “We don’t see Theo as often anymore. Maybe a couple times a year because he works a lot. He’s a superintendent with the Gardaí.”
“A superintendent? That’s impressive.”
“Right,” I couldn’t help but scoff. “I bet it involves a lot more sitting at a desk pencil pushing than he likes to let on.”
Charli cast me a glance, her eyebrows raising at my salty tone. I never expected it to annoy me so much, her calling another man’s achievements impressive. What was wrong with me? I adjusted my features, my tone self-deprecating when I continued, “Or maybe I’m just jealous that he turned into such a bad ass.”
“Hey, you were in the French Foreign Legion. That’s pretty bad ass,” Charli countered.
“Indeed,” said Jo. “But we were all very relieved when Rhys finally came home to us.” Her eyes were gentle as they settled on mine. “I used to worry about you when you were gone.”
“I know,” I said, aware that my decision to enlist was hard on the entire Balfe family. They’d all been concerned about me, but I’d been too wrapped up in my own issues at the time. “At least, now, I’ve turned into a right boring bastard, and the only shooting I do is with a nail gun when I’m deep into another home improvement project.”
Jo chuckled as she went to stir the gravy, and I felt Charli’s eyes on me.
“Home improvements?”
“Rhys bought himself a lovely little house in the city a few years ago,” Jo volunteered. “It was a period building in need of some repairs, so he took on a lot of the work himself. You should bring Charli over sometime,” she suggested. “I bet she’d love to see what you’ve done with the place.”