Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“No, you’re not. One of my favorite nurses at the hospital went back to school later in life. You should follow your dream. You can be a doctor, or if you don’t want that, they have a great nursing program here. Oh my God. I think you should do it! This is so exciting!”
And I felt it from Linc, this pure, honest joy he had for my mom, and damned if it didn’t do things to my heart.
“No…” Mom said, looked at Linc, me, Jude, then back at Linc again. “Really?”
Holy shit, was she truly considering this? “Yeah, Ma. I don’t know why I never mentioned it before. I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“You should do it, Mama K,” Jude added.
Mom looked at Linc, and he said, “Come on…you know you want to. I can help you study when you need it. I’m really fucking good at what I do.”
She grinned, and I damn near fell off my stool with the brightness of it.
“Yeah…maybe I’ll look into it. It might not be feasible, but I think I’d like to check it out.”
I reached over, threaded my fingers with Linc’s, and squeezed his hand, hoping he could feel my gratitude in the touch.
Linc had everyone laughing at dinner, even Jude. We had a nice meal, and then Linc and Jude offered to clean up, while I teased them about how I couldn’t because of my arm.
Afterward, the four of us played a game of charades of all things. When it was over, Mom said she was tired and went back to the guesthouse. Jude asked if he could play around with the project bike we’d gotten, and I told him he could.
“I can go so you and Jude can do the bikes,” Linc told me, but I pulled him to the sofa with me and down onto my lap.
Across from us and over the fireplace was the flat-screen TV, which we hadn’t turned on all night.
“Jude lives with me right now…and honestly, I’m not sure how long it will be. Something is going on with him. But that means I’ll see him more often than I see you. I can work on bikes with him later.” I nuzzled his throat. “Thank you,” I whispered against his skin.
“What are you thanking me for?” Linc turned, letting his ass fall off me to sit beside me, his legs over my lap.
“For telling my mom she should go back to school. It’s something I should have mentioned to her before, but even if I had, I don’t think she would have done it. Hearing it from someone other than me really makes her feel like it’s something she can do, I think.”
“See? You should keep me around. I’m really quite handy.”
“I’m trying to keep you around. I’m not the one who had to be persuaded.”
Linc nodded, leaning against the arm of the couch. “Tonight was… It was perfect. I’ve had nights like this with Beau, Kenny, and Beth, but this was different. I…I felt like I belonged in a different way than I’m used to…so thank you.” Kenny, Beau’s brother, had Down syndrome, and they were an incredibly close family.
“You belong, Red. I think you belong more places than you let yourself see. You play it off like it’s all a joke, but I know it’s not, and even if you didn’t belong anywhere else, you would here…with me.”
“Who knew you were so sappy?” he teased, and I cocked a brow. “Thank you. I’m trying, Rush.”
And I knew he was. “Stay the night with me. Then we can finish what we started earlier.”
“What! No! Your mom will know I’m staying so we can have sex.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “So? Don’t tell anyone this, but we’re adults, which means we can fuck anytime we want. And it’s really good sex.” When he didn’t look convinced, I added, “I’ll worship you…spend the whole night praising you and telling you how fucking perfect you are.”
“You really don’t play fair.” Linc dropped his head backward, and I took that as an invitation he wanted my mouth on his throat. I leaned in and gave him just that, licking his collarbone and savoring the shudder that rocked him. “You know I can’t say no to this… No, I can, I just don’t want to.”
That was what I wanted to hear.
Linc slid off the couch and held his hand out for me. I took it, letting him help me up, and then we turned off the table lamps on either side of the couch.
I smacked his ass, and he laughed, running toward my room. Quickly, I gave chase, a predator after his prey, so I could feast on my reward of Lincoln Gray’s body laid out for me.
“Shower first!” he said as he rounded the corner. “It’s been a long day.”