Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
That got him going, and he launched into a story of when his girls got into trouble, which, let’s face it, happened all the time.
Adrien squeezed me to him and spoke quietly in my ear. “I’m picturing holidays and introducing my son to your family.”
I shivered and looked up at him.
Fuck me, that was almost as hot as dirty talk. Shit like this was gonna make me fall for him insanely quick—I could feel it. For the first time ever. It was overwhelming, not to mention a bit of a mindfuck, to be so certain about something I’d never experienced in the past. I guessed those who said “sometimes you just know” were right.
“I’m ready to bribe his ass off to get him to like me,” I murmured. “Elliott has Lakers tickets through work. If he doesn’t shitcan me, maybe we can go.”
Adrien’s eyes lit up with amusement, and he pressed his lips to my forehead. “Remember, I’m raising a little geek. I think he’ll be starstruck by your charisma, but you don’t need any Lakers tickets. Bring a science magazine, and you’re good.” He paused. “His father wouldn’t mind going to a Lakers game, however.”
I grinned. We could make that work. “How about I bring something signed by Roe and Jake? Better yet, we can visit them when they’re filming in LA.” They were always up to something.
“Mornin’,” I heard someone say.
Danny. Followed by Emerson. They trailed into the common room, and I sat up straighter.
CHAPTER 4
Joel Hayward
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Can we go to the beach tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. Right after I pick you up from school.” I pulled her covers up to her chin and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
She blinked sleepily and grinned. “I hope you fall off your surfboard again. I’ve never laughed so hard!”
I huffed a laugh and sat down on the edge of her bed. “Sometimes, you remind me a little too much of your uncle.”
I shouldn’t have brought him up, but I couldn’t help myself sometimes. She’d just spent the weekend with him, and that always left a mark.
“He’s awesome,” she said frankly. “After we had McDonald’s in his office, he and Javier showed me where they fight and work out, and I whooped Uncle Ellie’s butt!” She had to be talking about the studio in the basement. I knew they sparred there.
“That sounds fun,” I murmured. “You ready to get some sleep?”
“No, but I flippin’ have to, don’t I? Parents never listen to their kids.”
Lord, she was laying it on thick, my little smartass.
I woke up with a groggy start when someone banged on the door and yelled we had a briefing in the common room in two minutes.
“Fuck.” What was that, half an hour?
Elliott groaned and untangled himself from me, and he almost rolled right off the narrow bed. “Fuck me in the ass, that was barely a power nap.”
I chuckled and yawned. “Let’s revisit my fucking you in the ass soon.”
He smirked and pulled on a pair of jeans from his backpack. “The relief I’m ridin’ is strong enough that I might actually agree.”
Fucking score.
I was mostly teasing him. I did wanna top him at some point, but I preferred to bottom.
That was no joke about the relief, though. Fucking hell, it felt as if my lungs had grown in a matter of hours, allowing me to breathe easier.
Now we just needed Blake, and I’d be the happiest bastard on this earth.
I dumped my backpack on the bed and dug through it. We’d shopped on the go in Spain when we’d needed something. I stepped into a pair of jeans and unpacked one of the beaters still left in its packaging, then grabbed the black flannel shirt.
“Jesus.” Elliott snuck in and kissed me hard. “I’m gonna have to get back in shape. You’re too sexy.”
I smiled and kissed him too. This was fucking ridiculous. How the anger and hurt and betrayal had just vanished into thin air. Well—I’d redirected mine to Piper. But I couldn’t think about her now. I didn’t want to.
“Don’t change a damn thing.” I loved every inch of his body. He’d always been a little stockier than me, and that was how I wanted him. All strength and masculinity, scruff, silver mixing with the brown, those sexy eyes…
Focus.
We’d get to the fun shit later.
It wasn’t easy. Years of mourning and fuming, of missing him, suddenly replaced by relief and fucking giddiness, combined with the crippling pain of knowing my daughter was scared out of her mind somewhere. My head couldn’t be more fucked.
We finished getting ready, and we ducked into the bathrooms to take a quick leak before we made our way to the common room.
I folded up the sleeves of my shirt.
Everyone was accounted for.
Coach and Danny had made coffee.
I didn’t say no to that. I poured a mug for Elliott as well. He took his spot next to Coach by the whiteboard, so I sat down next to Crew and Mercier.