Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“That’s cute,” I say as I lift her into my arms.
“Brax!” she shrieks. “Put me down!”
“No,” I say, suddenly feeling a hell of a lot calmer now that I have her in my arms. “You’re not going to run away when you hear something you don’t like without even having a goddamn conversation.”
Needing to have this discussion out of bed so I can focus, I carry her into the living room and set her down on the couch, then sit a few feet away from her on the same couch.
“If you would’ve asked before you ran away, you’d know that Camden was only asking if he should ask his dad to find a new publicist because he assumed you’d be quitting after we had sex.”
“And why would he think that?” she asks, jutting her chin out in a challenging manner. Fuck, I’ve missed this woman so much. I love everything about her. How she can be both soft and hard and give me shit while still showing how much she cares.
“Because he asked if we were back together, and I didn’t answer him.”
“And...?” she says, throwing the ball straight into my court.
“And...” I tug her over to me, pulling her onto my lap to straddle my thighs. She’s soft and warm and smells amazing. “I don’t think we should rush shit. It’s been a long time, and we’ve both changed, but I want to see where things go. I wanted you all those years ago, and I still do.”
“I want you too,” she agrees. “But you’re right. It’s been a long time, and things have changed.”
I cup the side of her face and kiss her supple lips. “I can’t wait to get to know you all over again.”
“What is this?” Kaylee glances at me.
“A box.”
She playfully rolls her eyes. “For me?”
“Open the damn thing.”
She doesn’t need to be told twice as she undoes the ribbon and tears the box open to reveal a shimmery black dress with matching heels. Since we were on the road to Jacksonville, I couldn’t go to the store myself, so I had the hotel concierge handle it, but I made sure he sent me pictures so I could pick which one I wanted.
“It’s beautiful,” she says, awe in her voice. “What’s the occasion?”
“I’m taking you out.”
The smile that spreads across her face, along with the hearts in her eyes, makes it worth the effort. She’s always been one to appreciate a thoughtful gesture. It’s as if she’s never expecting it, so when it does happen, she’s that much more excited about it.
“Go get ready. I’ll be back to pick you up at six o’clock.”
Technically, we’re sharing a room since I have no desire to sleep in a separate bed than her—regardless of us taking shit slow—but all my stuff is in my room, so I head over there to get ready. I made reservations at a Japanese restaurant since Kaylee mentioned she loves it. After taking a shower and shaving, I get dressed then go out to the main room to wait until it’s time to pick up Kaylee. Camden and Declan aren’t there, but Gage is sitting out on the private balcony.
“What’s up?” I say, sitting in the chair next to him.
He offers me a hit of the joint he’s smoking, but I shake my head, not wanting to be high when I pick up Kaylee. He shrugs and takes another hit before he takes a sip of his drink. While we sit in silence, I glance at him. He’s the same age as the rest of us, but he looks older, more tired, and I’m worried about him. We all smoke and drink, but Gage is intoxicated more than he’s not. We all know why that is, and because of it, we’ve looked the other way. But I can’t help wondering if we’re only hurting him by not forcing him to deal with his shit.
“See something you like?” he finally says when he catches me staring.
“I’m worried about you.”
He chuckles humorlessly and shakes his head. I expect him to argue, to defend himself, tell me I’m a dumbass and to mind my own business, but all he does is take another hit of his joint.
“Where are you off to tonight?” he asks after a few minutes.
“Taking Kaylee out on a date.”
A small smile graces his lips. “That’s good, man.” He takes a swig of his drink and then stands. “You both deserve to be happy.”
“So do you,” I say as he walks inside. The slight tenseness in his shoulders is the only sign that he heard me.
At six o’clock, I walk over to Kaylee’s room and knock on the door. When she opens it, donning the dress and heels I bought for her with her blond hair down in waves and her face full of makeup, I consider saying fuck it to going out and taking her straight to bed instead.