Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Now,” Merrick speaks up. “If the ladies think they can rival that….” He waves his arm as if to say they should take the stage.
“Scarlett.” Palmer stands and pulls off the black short-sleeve cardigan she’s wearing. Underneath is her blue corset, just like mine. She, too, is wearing a pair of cutoff jean shorts. “Let’s do this.”
“What? No. Nope.”
“Come on. We dance around the studio all the time.”
“That’s different.”
“We match.” Palmer points to her corset. “Please?” She sticks out her bottom lip.
“Show us what you’ve got, Firecracker,” Archer urges. He’s had a few beers, and I can smell them on his breath. He checked with me beforehand, and I agreed to drive us home in his monster of a truck, and Sterling and Alyssa offered for us to stay here with them, but I’m fine not drinking. It’s nice to let Archer let loose with his family. He’s usually the one making sure he’s taking care of me. He’s been working long hours all summer. He deserves this night to chill with his family.
“Fine.” I turn and point a finger at Archer. “You cannot get pissed off.”
He furrows his brow. “Why would I get pissed off?”
Instead of answering him, I step forward, which causes his arms to fall where they were wrapped around me. Lifting my camera over my head, I hand it to Crosby. She’s due any day, and I know that no roughhousing will happen next to her. “Keep this safe for me,” I tell her.
“Can I take pictures?” She grins, and I nod.
I take a minute to show her how to operate the basic function and then face Archer. “I mean it. No getting pissed off.”
“It’s just dancing, Firecracker.” His eyes are glassy, but his speech isn’t slurred. He’s still sober enough to remember this. He’s shirtless with his hair slicked back, and his muscled chest with his arms should be illegal. Seriously, I get to go home with this man.
“I’m glad you said that.” Gripping the hem of my shirt, I lift it over my head. “Hold on to this for me,” I tell him, tossing the shirt at his face.
“Scarlett.” I turn to look at him and wink. He reaches out for me, and I let him pull me into his chest. “You’re beautiful.” He presses a sweet kiss against my lips.
“Come on, lover boy, let her go,” someone calls out. I don’t bother to turn and look.
“Come back to me.”
I melt at his words. “We’ll see,” I say, teasing him. Turning on my heel, I move to stand next to Palmer, who’s already positioned at the post of the porch. “How are we doing this?”
“I don’t know how you’re doing it, but I’m trying to rile my husband up.” I look over her shoulder at Brooks, whose heated stare is on his wife.
“Mission accomplished,” I tell her with a laugh.
“What about you?”
I shrug. “Just having a good time. It will be a good laugh.”
“Something tells me there won’t be as much laughter as there was with the twins. Those two are a riot.”
“What are you waiting for, ladies?” Maverick calls out. “Are you afraid you can’t compete?” he taunts us.
“Music,” Palmer tells him.
The familiar beat of the same song the twins were dancing to flows through the speakers, and Palmer and I share a grin. She grabs one side of the pole, and I grab the other, and we begin to move. I pretend that there is no one but Archer watching me, and I’m sure Palmer is doing the same.
I shake my hips and drop low, letting my ass hit the concrete before bouncing back up and grinding against the pole. Palmer steps around the pole and places her hands on my hips, and we rock to the beat of the song.
“Cut!” Brooks calls out. He’s out of his chair and striding toward us. He doesn’t look pissed off. No, that’s not anger in his eyes. It’s lust. And those eyes are only for his wife. He reaches Palmer and lifts her over his shoulder, much like Archer does to me. “Bro, Alyssa, thanks for having us. We’re collecting our kid and leaving.”
“Let her stay,” Sterling tells him. “You can pick her up later, or she can spend the night.”
“Go. We’ve got her,” Alyssa adds.
“You”—Brooks points at his brother—“are tonight’s favorite.” He grins, smacks Palmer on the ass as she lifts her head and waves, and they disappear around the side of the house.
“At least he didn’t go inside and wake up all the kids with his caveman act.” Orrin laughs.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and his heat against my back. I turn my head as he leans in close. “Looks like you lost your dance partner.”
I can feel his bare chest against the parts of my back that are exposed, and even through his jeans and mine, I can feel he’s hard for me. “Archer.”