Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
“Shut up, Randi. You’re not the one whose stuff got ruined,” Lexi snapped, coming back to the door. She crossed her arms, meeting his gaze head on. “I had to order it online. And it’s not just the list price, you know—you have to pay for shipping, too.”
Rome nodded seriously, then pulled a wallet out of his back pocket, opening it. “How about this? I give you a hundred and fifty, and you let your sister off the hook long enough for us to talk about last night. I’ll have her back to you in a couple of hours.”
“Her virtue is priceless,” Lexi countered, her gaze calculating.
“Two hundred.”
“You have to take her somewhere nice this time,” she said slowly. “And no more fights.”
“Do I get a say in this?” I asked.
“No.” They both replied at the same time, Lexi flipping me off and Rome smirking. Smug bastard.
I couldn’t decide if I was flattered or insulted. Then Rome started counting out bills and Lexi’s mask slipped—her face was full of that same excited joy she’d had as a little girl. I decided to be okay with it. It wasn’t like money was plentiful around here.
My weekend visit had gotten way too serious, way too fast.
It was a lot to take in—I needed to think. And it wasn’t like I was abandoning my family to run off with a random stranger, right? We’d already spent the night together and he’d been a perfect gentleman. Well, aside from grinding me to orgasm against a bar wall before wading into a fight.
Denial. Denial was the best way to process that particular incident.
“I’ll grab my bag,” I said, pushing past my sister.
Rome finished counting out his bribe, then Lexi asked, “Can you wait outside for a minute? I need to talk to Randi before she goes.”
“Sure,” Rome said, obviously trying not to laugh. He stepped out, and Lexi shut the door behind him. Then she turned to me, and I caught a flash of guilt on her face.
“Being around him makes you stupid,” she said. “And now I feel sort of like a pimp.”
“That’s because you just sold me to a man for money,” I pointed out gently.
“I think it’s more like babysitting. He’s paying me to watch Mom so that you can go out on a date.”
“Except Mom isn’t a child.”
“Well, someone still has to babysit her,” Lexi replied, obviously suffering from an attack of conscience, even as she fondled her wad of cash. I was the one who should feel guilty, though. How had I missed seeing what was really happening here?
Because you didn’t want to see it. You wanted to have your own life.
“Look, you don’t have to go with him. You know that, right?”
“Of course I know that,” I told her. “I think the more important question is whether you’re okay with it. You’re the one stuck in the trenches, and I’m headed to the reunion tonight. Maybe we should spend the afternoon together. I can’t pay you two hundred bucks, though.”
“No, you want to go with him,” she said, fingers tightening on the stack of twenties. “It’s okay so long as you still have dinner with me and Kayden.”
“Special macaroni and cheese?”
“Is there any other kind?”
“No,” I said, smiling at her. “It’s a date.”
“Then get your ass out of here and don’t be stupid.”
Leaning forward, I rubbed my nose against hers and stepped out of the apartment.
“Rome—”
He pounced, catching my arm as he shut the door behind me. Then he wrapped one hand around the back of my head and pulled me in for a deep, hungry kiss. My mind went gloriously blank. He backed me into the wall, pinning me as his tongue invaded my mouth. Desire exploded between my legs and I suddenly remembered just how amazing last night had been before things fell to shit.
The man had a talent.
Wanting more, I wrapped my arms around him, my fingers digging deep into the hard muscles of his back, kneading him like a cat. He flinched, pausing for just a second. Something was wrong. Rome’s mouth covered mine again, but I pushed against him, stopping him.
“What happened to your back?” I asked, concerned. Rome focused on my lips, clearly distracted.
“It’s nothing.”
“No, it’s not,” I insisted. He shrugged.
“You weren’t the only one who got beat up last night,” he admitted. “I think someone slammed a chair across my back. Right at the beginning of the fight. No serious injuries, but it’s looking nasty this morning.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, so I slid under his arm and around his back, then started tugging on his shirt. I pushed it and his vest up out of the way to find a large bruise shaped like a three-sided rectangle. Raising my hand, I traced the skin gently, wondering how much it must’ve hurt.