Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24983 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24983 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Juniper tried to hold back her smile, but I would see how much my confession pleased her. And it made me want to pick her up and run back to my house. If she was this beautiful when she was happy, I had no doubt she would look like a fucking goddess when she climaxed.
“Let’s eat,” I growled as I dropped my arms from around her, then took her hand in mine. I laced our fingers together and led her back onto the main drag, then out to the parking lot where my Jeep was parked.
I got her settled in the car, then got in and started the engine. Rather than going somewhere nearby, I decided to take her to the little town where I grew up—the only place where I blended in amongst the other dwellers.
Juniper watched with curiosity as I turned on Main Street, passing through the town square. It was a place that many of us avoided as much as possible due to the memories of that Halloween.
I shook off those thoughts and pulled into the parking lot in front of Something Wicked. There was a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant next door called Monster Mac. Maggie’s best friend, Ella, had opened it right after the incident. She’d been a chef at a four-star restaurant in Chicago and had come home for a visit at Halloween. When she sprouted wings, pointed ears, and a tale, she resigned herself to staying in Screaming Woods.
Her restaurant was all about comfort food, and it had the best mac and cheese I’d ever tasted.
“I hope you don’t mind something a little less fancy,” I said with a grin. Juniper smiled brightly and shook her head.
“Lady M isn’t really my speed. I just wanted to try their crepe cake.”
I laughed as I removed my gloves and threw them on the dashboard before exiting the car. I had a feeling Juniper would appreciate the relaxed atmosphere, and everyone in town knew to avoid touching me without a barrier.
I opened her door and helped her alight, then held her at arm’s reach while my eyes traveled over her body. Her dress clung to her figure in all the right places, and I couldn’t wait to pop open every one of the buttons that lined the front. Her legs looked a mile long and ended in pretty flats that matched her purple dress.
After a thorough inspection, I pulled her in close and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. When we parted, I murmured, “You look gorgeous. I should have told you earlier.”
Juniper blushed prettily, making me smile. “Thank you. I don’t normally care for the clothes my mother picks out, but I actually really liked this dress.”
“Me, too,” I replied with a wink as I released her and took hold of her hand. I shut the door and guided her over to the door of Monster Mac.
Ella was standing behind the hostess stand when we walked in, and she looked up at the ring of the bell. “Hey, Silas,” she greeted me with a welcoming smile. Then her eyes shifted to Juniper, and her brows went up. When she spied our linked hands, her jaw literally dropped. But she recovered quickly and pasted a smile on her face. “Well, hello there.” She stuck her hand out toward Juniper, who hesitantly shook it. “I’m Ella. Maggie’s best friend.”
I rolled my eyes and tugged Juniper’s hand back, tucking it into mine. “How about you get us some food before you run over to gossip with my sister?”
Ella made a comically disappointed face and sighed. “Take a seat wherever. I’ll have Dennis out with bread shortly.”
She grinned and disappeared through a door marked “Staff Only” as I took Juniper to a booth in the back where it was quiet and a little secluded.
Dennis soon brought the promised bread and took our orders. When we were alone again, I cradled Juniper’s hand in one of mine and played with her fingers. “Tell me more about you,” I requested with an encouraging smile.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
Juniper giggled. “I’m not very interesting.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.” As far as I was concerned, she was the most fascinating person in the world. “How about your favorite—”
“No freaking way!”
I sighed at the sound of my sister’s flabbergasted voice. “That took even less time than I expected.” Juniper looked confused, so I muttered, “Ella tattled to Maggie.”
“I should have heard it from you, big brother,” Maggie sniffed as she slid into the booth next to me—making me wish I’d sat on the same side as my girl. “You can really touch her?”
Ignoring her question, I introduced the girls. “Juniper, this is my nosy—but pretty awesome when she isn’t a pain in the ass—sister. Mags, this is my girl, Juniper.”
Juniper’s eyes lit up when I called her my girl, and it made me want to skip dinner and take her straight to bed. I reminded myself that I needed to be patient.