Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“He slept with Nana tonight.” I rolled to the side and watched as he emptied his pockets onto his dresser. “He’s starting to get antsy about her leaving.”
“Aren’t we all?” he asked wryly.
“She gave us her blessing,” I replied. “She said that she wishes she and Pop had gotten together earlier.”
“Oh yeah?” He smiled.
“What did your parents say?”
Rumi sighed. “They’re worried.”
“I knew they wouldn’t be happy.”
“I wouldn’t say they’re not happy,” he said, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed. “Just worried for us. Worried for Bird. They understand why we don’t want to wait but in their words, getting married for any reason other than wanting to be married isn’t exactly something we’d recommend, Rumi.”
“Maybe they’re right,” I said as he reached out to brush my hair away from my face.
“You gonna marry me someday?” he asked softly.
“Happily.” I wasn’t kidding. Even with all of the chaos going on around us and the fear that gripped me every time I thought of Nana being locked away somewhere and Bird taken away, the knowledge that Rumi and I were together now, permanently, filled every spare part of me with hope.
“Then someday might as well be tomorrow.”
“I think we have to go register for a license first,” I said as he stood back up to strip off his cut and jeans. “You can’t get married same day in Oregon.”
“Then we’ll do that tomorrow and get married the next day.”
“The day Nana turns herself in?”
“You think it would be safe to wait longer than that?” he asked quietly.
“Probably not,” I mused. “But our anniversary is going to suck.”
Rumi barked out a quiet laugh. “We’ll pick a different date to celebrate, then.”
He walked to the door and locked it, raising his eyebrows as he glanced over his shoulder.
“We’re alone.”
“We are.” I pushed the blankets off.
“You think Bird will still come in here at some point?” he asked, stripping off his T-shirt. He turned to toss it into the hamper, and I took in his wide shoulders and the tattoo that covered most of his back. I’d seen it a few times when he was changing, but I hadn’t ever had time to get a good look at it.
“He might,” I murmured, distracted. “That thing must’ve taken hours.”
“It took a minute,” he said with a nod. “But since Micky waited to get his until I had mine, we were gettin’ tattooed all fuckin’ day.”
“He waited for you?” I asked, grinning. “You guys are so cute.”
“I think he was just tryin’ to put it off,” he replied dryly as he came back to the bed. “Pussy. Sit up, sugar.”
I pushed myself up and raised my arms, thankful that I could do it without my ribs protesting. Rumi sighed happily as he stared at my boobs.
“You can touch them, you know,” I joked, arching my back a little.
“I want you naked first. Lift up.”
I laid back down and let him strip my sleep shorts and underwear down my legs.
“You haven’t been shavin’,” he murmured.
I shot back up and grimaced as my ribs screamed. “How the hell was I supposed to shave when I could barely bend over?”
“I like it,” he said with a laugh. “Why are you mad?”
I glared at him.
“I’m serious,” he said, still laughing. “It’s different.”
“You don’t shave your balls,” I shot back.
“I trim them,” he replied defensively.
“Sure you do.”
Rumi’s chest shook with laughter. “Fuck, I love you.”
“Don’t try to backpedal.”
“Who’s backpedalin’?” he asked, bending over me until I dropped back down onto the bed. “It was an observation, No. I don’t mind that you have a seventies bush.”
“I don’t have a seventies bush!”
“It’s kind of sexy,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss me. When I wouldn’t kiss him back, he let out another huff of laughter. “I wouldn’t try wearin’ a swimsuit in public though.”
Then I was laughing and pushing at his chest. “You’re such an ass!”
“I’m so happy I have you naked again. I’m not sure where to start,” he said to himself.
“On the other side of the room,” I shot back. “With your hand.”
Rumi grinned wide as he climbed onto the bed, settling his hips between my thighs.
“If I thought you were serious,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “I’d probably cry.”
“I didn’t think we’d ever be like this again.” I ran my hands up his arms, following the movement with my eyes. Rumi hadn’t ever been big, he was built lean like his dad, but it was all muscle. I don’t think I’d ever felt safer than with his arms around me.
“I knew we would,” he replied, leaning down on his elbows so he could run his thumbs over my jaw.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He kissed me lightly, his lips barely rubbing against mine, but it didn’t last long. Soon, we were frantic.
“You have to be quiet,” he said as he ran his open mouth down my neck. “The walls in this house aren’t very thick.”