Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“How cute is that?” said Quinley, gesturing at his parents, who were dancing all slow and graceful despite that the song playing was upbeat. “They’re so adorable.”
Isaiah squeezed her hip. “Just so you know, I’m not good at slow dancing.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“What?”
“You’re just so amazing at everything that I was beginning to get a complex. It’s good to know there’s at least one thing you’re not great at.”
“Glad it pleases you,” he deadpanned.
Quinley couldn’t help but chuckle. She wasn’t joking, though. He was just so competent and capable it was kind of intimidating.
Two enforcers materialized and were quick to congratulate them on fully imprinting. It had happened several times throughout the night. She didn’t bother playing down just how delighted she was.
Catching something in her peripheral vision, she looked to see Elle huddled in a corner. As Isaiah and the enforcers fell into conversation, she detached herself from him—laughing at his frown of complaint—and crossed to the redhead. “Are you … are you hiding?”
“No,” Elle denied, folding her arms.
“Oh. Okay.”
The redhead exhaled heavily, clearly annoyed. “You’re not being pushy.”
Quinley stifled a smile. “Elle, you’re definitely hiding. Tell me why.”
“All right, all right—don’t get hysterical. I’m avoiding Joaquin. I mean, not completely. Just taking breaks here and there.”
Ah. “It can’t be nice that he expects you two to carry on like you never crossed the friends line.”
“That’s exactly it,” said Elle. “We promised we wouldn’t let the fling ruin our friendship—I’m all for that. But I don’t know how to act like it never happened. Especially when I want things he doesn’t.”
“Have you suggested maybe having a little space?”
“No, because it’d be like passive-aggressively striking out at him for what he doesn’t feel for me.”
Quinley hadn’t thought of it that way before. “Ah, yeah, I get that. It wouldn’t be unreasonable of you to want a little distance, though. I mean, it’s not like he doesn’t know that you want more. He’s expecting you to both go on as if that’s not the case. Life isn’t that simple.”
Elle smiled. “I like having you around, Quinley. You have this thing where you say stuff that’s very validating.”
“I’m here for you.” Quinley hugged her tight, sensing she needed it.
Elle growled. “Goddamn submissives.”
This time, Quinley didn’t fight her smile, knowing the redhead secretly lapped up the comfort. “Suck it up and deal.”
“Fine. But I’m allowing this under protest.”
“Noted.”
Isaiah joined them, his brow pinched. “Everything okay?”
“She’s forcing a hug on me,” Elle complained. “I don’t know how to detach her from me without hurting her feelings.”
His mouth tilted up. “I see.”
Quinley lifted her head from Elle’s shoulder as she noticed something. “Joaquin’s spotted you, and he’s on his way over. Not sure if you wanna—”
That fast, Elle was gone. Like magic.
Isaiah sighed. “She’s still struggling with the Joaquin thing, I’m guessing.”
“It has to be hard for someone you have non-platonic feelings for to want to spend a lot of time with you ‘as friends.’ If you were angling for that, well, I’d want you in my life. But I’d also want to punch you in the throat on occasion if you weren’t giving me space when I needed it.”
Draping an arm around her shoulders, Isaiah drew her out of the corner. “You’re my best friend for sure, but what I feel for you is far from platonic.”
Aw, he said the best stuff. “If someone had told me a month ago that I’d be this happy in just four weeks’ time, well, I wouldn’t have believed them. Which is sad. But here we are.”
“It seems crazy that I didn’t know you existed last month. It feels like you’ve been around for years. You’re so much a part of me that it’s weird to think of when we weren’t bonded.”
She knew exactly what he meant, because she felt the same way. Part of it was the imprint bond, but part of it was just how seamlessly they’d clicked. Sometimes, you could meet a person, slot into their lives, and feel like you’d known them for years. It had been that way with them. “When are we having our mating ceremony?”
“Whenever you want, providing I don’t have to wait long.”
“Maybe next weekend, then.”
“Works for me.”
They halted as Aspen stumbled their way with Bailey on her back. The mamba had her arm curved around the bearcat’s throat, trying to choke her out.
Deke swore long and hard as he and Camden caught up with them. “What is wrong with you two?”
“She needs sleep, that’s all,” Bailey told him. “Say ’night, ’night, Aspen.”
Deke plucked the mamba from Aspen’s back.
Camden hauled his coughing mate to him. “I turn my back for thirty fucking seconds …”
“Let’s just keep them apart for the rest of the night,” Deke proposed.
“The rest of their lives sounds better.” Camden guided Aspen away, rolling his eyes as she began hurling insults at Bailey—who only laughed.