Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 34971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
“James, is this true?” Rome asked.
He put his hands on Eliza’s shoulders. “Eliza and I will figure this out on our own. I don’t need my brothers attempting to embarrass me by pretending to protect me. Coffee is done. I’ve made breakfast. Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
James poured her a cup and then went about serving her some food before taking care of his brothers. Once again, he caught sight of Rome watching her eat and he made a motion for him to cut it out.
“This is really good.” She grabbed his arm and looked at the time, wincing. “I need to go help my aunt today. She’s got one of the biggest deliveries. She’s catering to a wedding and we need to arrange them all to perfection.”
“We’ll finish up breakfast and I’ll take you.”
“Thanks.” She rested her head on his shoulder again. It was an action he really could get used to. He had to gain his composure around her or he was really going to fucking lose it. Did she even remember what he’d said to her? Did she want to talk about it?
“Do you like working for your aunt?” Caleb asked.
“Of course.”
“You want to be a florist for the rest of your life?” Rome asked.
“You guys don’t know tact, do you?”
“It’s a simple question,” Caleb said.
“One you don’t have to answer.” He really was going to kill his brothers. Since when were they so protective of him? He couldn’t recall a time they cared this much about a woman he was with.
In fact, in the past, he and Caleb used to go trawling the bars in a couple of towns to chase women. Why did they care now?
“I love working with my aunt. She’s always been there for me and if she ever left me the shop, I’d take care of it, but it’s not where my passion is. To be honest, I don’t know where my passion really is. I know I like to work hard and make a living, but that’s about it. Are you making sure I’m not after whatever family fortune you guys have?” she asked.
“We don’t have any fortune.”
“But if we did, would it help your decision?” Rome asked.
She laughed. “It must have been fun to have you two as brothers. I get the feeling you’re both troublemakers.” She finished her pancakes and coffee. “I’m going to get dressed.” She kissed him again on the cheek.
The moment she was gone, he grabbed his brothers’ half-finished plates. “Out.”
“James, come on.”
“I mean it. Get the fuck out.”
“We were only having a little fun.”
“Yeah, and you both know how I feel about her, so you can continue to have your fun elsewhere. I don’t even want to hear any excuse.”
He knew he was being harsh, but he really liked this woman and there was no way he was going to allow them to mess it up.
With them gone, he cleaned the plates, left them to drain, and grabbed his keys. He poured them both a coffee in the two travel mugs he owned. While he waited by the front door, Eliza came down, wearing a pair of his sweatpants and shirt.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. You look beautiful.”
She blushed. “I don’t think I can get used to that.”
“What? Me calling you beautiful.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of weird.”
“You need to get used to it. I think you are.”
“I don’t know if your brothers like me.”
“They like you. They’re just being a big pain in the ass.” He pulled her into his arms, but he still held the drinks so he had to be careful. Taking possession of her lips, he kissed her. She ran her hands up his chest and sank her fingers into his hair.
She was the first one to pull away. “I really enjoyed last night.”
“Let’s do it again tonight.”
“Won’t I be stealing you away from the other girls?” she asked.
“There is no other girl. Remember what I said last night. You know what it means.”
She averted her gaze and he hated that.
“I … I don’t know for certain … you want me?”
“Yeah, I want all of you and not for just some fun either. I’m not saying that I haven’t had my fair share of women, but I won’t take another woman. I want you, Eliza. Just you.”
“Okay, then another date.”
“And I promise to get my locks completely changed between now and then. Tonight, there will be no interference from my brothers.”
“It’s fine. They’re your family. It must be nice.”
He saw her cheeks go a deeper shade of red. “You’ve got Aunt Betty.”
“I know. I know I’ve got her and I don’t mean to be unkind, but, you know what, it’s nothing.”
“It’s something,” he said, not letting this go.
She pushed some hair off her face. He loved the blonde locks especially like this, a little messy, giving her that just-fucked look. She belonged in his bed.