Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 142728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Birds singing outside the window draw my attention. I hook my finger in the fabric shade and pull it toward me, peeking outside.
Oh wow. From the second floor, I have a good view of the rolling green mountains stretching beyond the clubhouse’s parking area. I count the roofs of at least three different houses dotting the property. And is that a children’s playground over there?
The loudest chirping seems to be coming from a bird feeder hanging on a tree near one of the garages. I recognize Sparky’s tall frame tossing handfuls of birdseed on the ground.
“What a beautiful view to wake up to,” Dex rasps.
I drop the shade into place. “You’re the one who has a pretty view out this window.”
“Mmhmm.” He crooks a finger at me. “Come here.”
The mountains can wait. The sexy man calling me over can’t. But still, I take my time closing the distance between us.
He sits up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and closes his hands over my hips when I reach him.
“That’s better.” He stares up at me with appreciation in his eyes. “Goddamn, you’re a gorgeous sight first thing in the morning.”
I lift my hand to smooth down any wild hair, but he captures my wrist to stop me. “I said what I said.”
Placing my knee on the bed beside him, I climb into his lap, shamelessly rubbing myself against him. He shifts his hands to my butt and falls back against the bed.
“You sure are a morning person.” I grind myself against him a little harder to emphasize what I mean by morning person.
He groans and closes his eyes. “I’m an Emily person.”
“Goodness,” I tease, kissing his bristly cheeks. “How are you hard as a brick but still so sweet?”
He bucks his hips up, toppling me against his chest. Instead of helping me wriggle out of my underwear like I was hoping, he kisses me and rubs his hand over my back. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
The raw sincerity in his voice undoes me. “I’m really happy you wanted me here.” I sit up so he can see the teasing on my face. “I have to tell you though, last night was one of the most chaotic ‘meet the family’ experiences I’ve been part of.”
He rolls me underneath him and places kisses along my collarbone. “I don’t want to hear about any other experiences,” he murmurs against my skin.
“What I meant…what I’m trying to say,” ohmygod, he’s so distracting, “is that I like your family a lot. Even your strange and scary brothers. But I don’t feel like I got to meet everyone. Or talk to them as much—”
“Give it time.” He licks and kisses my neck, hitting every sensitive spot. “Everyone was on their best behavior when we showed up. Who the fuck knows what went on after we came up here?”
If that was best behavior, I don’t want to know what bad behavior looks like.
“Mmm.” I lift myself up so I can kiss his lips. “Some exquisite orgasms happened up here.”
Like that’s some sort of switch, he stops the gentle kisses and teasing licks.
“Emily, look at me.” He frames my face with his warm hands against my cheeks. “I love you.”
My heart squeezes.
He said it again.
“I know I said it last night,” he continues. “But I need to say it when I’m not half out of my mind from having my bare dick in your tight, hot pussy for the first time.”
Laughter trickles through me, but tears prickle my eyes. Why? I blink them away.
He braces himself on his forearms and looks down at me. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m not.” I sniffle. “I love you too.” My heart, everything inside me, quivers. “I’m actually scared of how much I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“Why?”
“Because…whenever something good happens, something bad follows.”
“Emily, baby. That’s the ebb and flow of life, isn’t it?”
“No. I don’t know. Why does it have to be that way?”
“It just is.” He kisses my forehead. “But I love you. And I want to spend all my time showing you how much.”
“Okay.” I smile up at him. What does that mean, though? His life is here. With his club. I could sense how much he’s been missed lately. Because he’s been spending so much time around me. I can’t ask him to move in with us. Even if I could, would that be fair to Libby?
“Emily,” he rumbles. “Where’d you go?”
“Right here,” I answer.
“No, your mind’s working overtime.” He kisses my forehead. “Just stay in this moment with me.”
“There’s nowhere else I want to be.”
All those questions can wait.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Emily
“Is this okay?” I hold up a thin, purple V-neck sweater, mildly annoyed with myself for asking Dex to approve my outfit. But what if the women dress up for breakfast and I look sloppy next to them?