Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Energy thrashed.
Our connection whipping a disorder that raged in between.
His eyes were full of truth but his words still reeked of reservation. “I wish I could be more, Raven. Wish I could be everything.”
There was a warning behind it, and I couldn’t stand the idea of him pulling away, so instead, I pulled him toward me. “For tonight, let’s just be, Otto.”
We’d face tomorrow when it came.
Hesitation billowed through him before he gave, plopping down so he was lying on his side next to me.
Laughter rolled out of me, joy uncontained. I scratched my nails through the scruff on his jaw. “You’d better be careful or you’re going to toss me right out of this bed.”
He curled one of those massive arms around me and pulled me close. Two of us face-to-face. His voice went soft. “Never.”
I wanted to claim that forever.
I snuggled closer, clinging to the light, to the smile that couldn’t be erased. “Good. I’d much rather you tie me to this bed than toss me from it.”
A groan rumbled through his massive chest, and his lips tweaked into a grin. “You really do want to be the death of me, huh?”
“Death by orgasm?”
He chuckled low, and those big fingers threaded through my hair. “Death by your brother is what it’s likely to be, but I’m fairly certain it would be worth it. Seeing your face when you came around my fingers. I’m never going to forget it.”
He tucked me even closer.
I lit, a full body glow. The tease still rolled from my tongue, even though there was a small piece inside me that shivered, sure I was in over my head because I had no real clue what I was doing.
“Are you sure that was worth it? I could think of a few ways I could make it even better. You know, risk to pleasure ratio. Because I don’t know about you, but I’d really like to see your face when you come a few more times.”
A billion, but I probably shouldn’t push my luck.
Otto took me by the chin, and he tilted my face in his direction. Moonlight streamed in behind him, and it cast him in a milky silhouette, though even in the shadows, I could make out the intensity in his eyes.
“You are worth it, Raven. You are worth everything. But I don’t want to wreck what we are.”
“What are we, Otto? Because this feels like us to me.”
TWENTY-NINE
RAVEN
SIXTEEN YEARS OLD
“You’re here!”
Raven flew out the front door and down the sidewalk that cut through the yard. Haddie’s smile was wide as she climbed out of her little red sedan, though she playfully rolled her eyes as she dug into the backseat to grab her bag.
“As if I wouldn’t show?”
“Um, since you’re miss popular now, it was a tossup.”
“Pssh…like I would ditch my bestie for a couple acquaintances who only like me because I have a car now?”
Raven hurried to unlatch the gate and ran through it and out onto the sidewalk.
“Well, I only like you for your car, too, sooo…” She drew out the tease as she rounded the tail of the car parked at the curb.
Haddie playfully slugged her in the arm. “Shut up.”
Giggling, Raven snuggled into Haddie’s side as Haddie slung her arm over Raven’s shoulders. “Okay, fine, maybe I still kinda like you because you’re basically the most amazing person in the world and I can’t live without you.”
Haddie squeezed her tighter. “Now that is what I like to hear.”
“Aww, did someone need their ego stroked?”
“I’ll tell you about something I stroked when we get inside.” Haddie whispered it salaciously at Raven’s ear.
A gasp ripped out of Raven. “Oh my gosh, did you—?”
Raven’s question clipped off when the front door of the house suddenly whipped open, and Otto came striding out. Big body bristling beneath the sun, a grin stretched over his entire face, his blue eyes dancing with mirth.
Raven’s stomach tightened. To hide it, she dropped her gaze, worried it would be written all over her expression. Worried she’d be caught thinking thoughts she absolutely couldn’t think.
But they’d been coming too much lately. This feeling that swelled inside her whenever he was near.
“Is that my baby sister?” he called.
Excitement buzzed from his spirit. Raven knew how much he adored Haddie. How close they were. Could see how he worried since their mom was a mess. Clean one minute and then relapsing the next.
Otto had wanted Haddie to come live with them, but Haddie had chosen to stay with their mom.
She’d been really good for the last three months, though, so Raven was hopeful.
Haddie unwound herself from Raven and did a little flourish and a bow. “In the flesh.”
A rumbly sound echoed out of Otto’s chest as he took the two steps down from the stoop and came striding her way. She dropped her bag and went running for him, and he picked her up and spun her around.