Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 17830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 59(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 59(@300wpm)
He greeted his friends with a wide smile and a wave with his free hand. “Hey guys! I’d like everyone to meet Asher.”
“Asher,” one of the men repeated in a deep voice as he stepped forward. He crossed his arms over his thick chest and looked me up and down from beneath his dark furrowed brows. “So what makes you think that you’re good enough for our Cedric?”
My heart pounded, and try as I might to search my brain, I couldn’t come up with a good reason.
“You just better never hurt him,” the man continued, “Or you’ll get my boot right up your ass.”
“Oh, put your dick away, Enzo,” another man said with an eye roll as he stepped forward, extending his hand out to me. “You’ll have to excuse him, he’s just protective; we all are. I’m Hunter, by the way. It’s really nice to meet you.”
Still a little shaken from Enzo’s words, I shook Hunter’s hand with the best smile I could gather. It turned genuine when I saw Cedric marching up to Enzo and slapping him on the shoulder for threatening me. Enzo hung his head and looked sheepish. My man was so much smaller than him, but had confidence and sass which made him mighty.
“This is Talon and his partner Brandon,” Hunter introduced, pointing first to a man who was as tall and broad as he was, and then to the man he was holding hands with; he was much shorter, slim, and had messy hair, glasses, and a sweater that looked straight out of the 90s. They were a mismatched pair that somehow looked perfect together.
I shook each of their hands and received a warm welcome before Hunter pointed to a man who looked nearly identical to Enzo. “And this is Felix.”
“Also known as the good twin,” Felix added with a wide grin. Enzo slapped him in the back of the head and Felix turned on his brother, raising his fists.
Just before they came to blows, Cedric barked, “Stop it!”, and the two of them hung their heads and apologized at the same time. My man was incredible.
“Welcome, Asher,” the final man on the porch greeted, with a smile dazzling against his dark skin. “My name is Grady and it is my greatest pleasure to welcome you to our home. I thank Fate and her blessings for bringing you and Cedric together.”
I shook Grady’s hand, and as sweet as his words were, they also gave me pause. Yes Cedric and I had met by chance, but did he feel like it was by Fate; meant to be? Could I live up to that? What if I disappointed him?
“I’m so glad you’re back,” Felix told Cedric as he threw an arm around his shoulders. “I barely made it through breakfast. I thought I was going to starve.”
Cedric rolled his eyes. “There’s plenty of cereal in the cupboard. Your big ass wouldn’t have starved. Plus, you could cook something; even if it’s just some toast.”
“But I can’t cook like you. No one can cook like you.” Felix was trying to butter my man up, and it seemed to be working like a charm. Cedric had a wide smile plastered on his face and his chest was puffed up with pride.
“Well, come on then; let’s get you inside so I can cook something before you waste away.” Cedric took my hand and led me inside his home, followed by all of his friends.
“Wow,” I whispered once the door shut behind me and I got a good look of the lodge. The walls and flooring were crafted from wood, as well as the stairway and high ceiling of the foyer. A banister ran along the upstairs hallway, which was lined with thick wooden doors. “Your home is gorgeous.” I’d been impressed by the outside, but the interior took my breath away.
“I’m so happy you love it,” Cedric beamed. “It’s your home too, if you’ll have it.” My heart raced with hope and panic as his friends all nodded their heads with smiles. Were they teasing me? Being polite? It was too much to process, so I just smiled tightly and squeezed Cedric’s hand, and thankfully he changed the subject.
“This is my favorite room,” he told me as we stepped into the dining room, where a long wooden table and a dozen chairs sat. “We all gather here to eat and talk.” Cedric pulled out a chair for me and patted the seat. He was such a gentleman who loved taking care of me, even when I was unsure that I deserved it.
I sat down and the other men followed suit; all except Cedric. He looked around the table and said, “I’m going to fix us some lunch. I expect you all to be on your best behavior and take care of my man.” After receiving a flurry of promises, Cedric leaned down to kiss my cheek before practically floating off into the kitchen.