Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 88992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
I was right. She’s going to be the death of me.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
Brooks
“How many T-shirts do you have?” Audrey shouts from the bedroom. “What are some of these?” She pokes her head around the corner and holds up a Sugar Creek Scrapers shirt. “What is this?”
Steam from my shower billows out of the bathroom around me. “That’s a shirt from an alumni softball game a few years ago. I work out in it sometimes.” The hardwood is cold on my feet. “What are you doing going through my stuff, anyway? I believe I asked you to find me a pair of shorts.”
She shrugs helplessly. “It’s like a treasure trove in here. You have more T-shirts in this bag than I own.”
“I packed in a hurry.”
“Every shirt you own?”
I make a face at her, swiping a pair of shorts off the top of the pile. “That’s a very small piece of my T-shirt collection, thank you very much. I have every T-shirt I’ve ever owned.”
Her jaw drops. “You’re kidding.”
“Afraid not.” I unwrap my towel and toss it onto the bed. “Well, I probably don’t have anything before sixth grade except for whatever Mom kept. But I’ve held on to most of my things since then.”
Audrey stands, looking absolutely delicious in one of my Alfie’s shirts. It hangs from her shoulders and stops mid-thigh. It gives just enough hints about what’s beneath the fabric to drive a man, namely me, wild.
“I don’t think I have an item of clothing from when I was younger, except maybe what I came home from the hospital wearing,” she says. “Mom’s not the keeper type, if you get my drift.”
I kiss her on the forehead as I pass her to pick up my phone off the bed. “My manager, Isaac, called while we were at dinner and shopping last night, and I forgot to return his call today. He shot me a text before I got in the shower. I need to check in with him, if you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t mind,” she says, stretching her arms over her head. The hem of my shirt rises so high it nearly bares her pussy. And I nearly miss calling Isaac back. “I need to call my friends, anyway. Gianna has demanded details.”
“Of?” I ask coyly.
“The size of your dick, mostly.”
“I hope you give me a good report.”
She taps her lip as if she’s thinking. “If it gets foggy, you might have to give me a refresher later.”
I plant a loud kiss against her lips, grab my phone, and head into the kitchen.
We spent the day lying around the house and watching movies. I woke up early this morning, keenly aware that we leave here tomorrow. I get one more day with her before this slice of paradise is over. She seemed more than happy to curl up with me, almost like she shared my sentiments. Maybe that’s true, and maybe it’s not. I didn’t ask.
The sun is in the perfect position just above the trees. Everything is bathed in a warm, peachy glow. I stand at the glass doors and gaze across the lake, wondering what it’s like to be here when the weather is warmer, and you can swim and take a boat out onto the water.
I see those things in my head. Resting on the hammock with Audrey, watching her jump into the water from the rope swing, and her sitting on my lap as I guide a boat through the waves. But it hits me as quickly as the ideas formed—those things won’t happen. I can come back, but she won’t be with me.
Fuck.
I shove all of that out of my mind and switch into work mode. Isaac’s name is at the top of my call log, so I press his name and wait for him to answer.
My stomach tightens, and I realize that I haven’t felt this way since we got here. Frustrated. Angry. Stressed the fuck out.
“Hey,” Isaac says. “Thanks for calling me back.”
“Sorry it took so long.”
“Yeah, no problem. So, there have been some developments, and I need you back in Vegas on Saturday.”
I swallow over a lump in my throat. “Developments? Pertaining to what, exactly?”
“You were right, and Drew Van is filling Duckworth’s seat on the commission. They made a formal announcement this afternoon.”
“Fuck.” I growl, catching myself before I get too loud. “Now what?”
“Nick is flying here on Friday to go over a few things he found pertaining to Drew. You really picked a great enemy, Brooks. That man is a menace to society.”
I step out onto the balcony and close the door behind me. “What do you mean?”
“Drew was behind the bribe that was sent to you before the Hicks fight. Nick’s trying to get his ducks in a row. We haven’t been able to tie him to the PEDs violation, but that could’ve been a coincidence.”