Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“No rest for the wicked,” he said. “What did we get? Three hours?”
“Less,” I argued. “Definitely less.”
“I forgot to unlock the door.” He glanced at it. “Sorry about that.”
“No worries.” I waved him off as I went to my bag and pulled out a pair of socks and a bra. I tugged on the socks and pulled off my tank top.
“Turn around,” Curt ordered.
“Sorry, man,” I replied, keeping my back to him as I put my bra on. I picked up my tank top and turned. “I don’t take orders outside of bed.”
“I’m still in bed.”
“I see that.” I walked to the foot of the bed, grabbed the comforter and top sheet, and yanked them to the floor.
“What the fuck?” he asked with a laugh.
“If I have to be up, so do you.”
“Oh, that’s how it is?”
“You kept me up all night.”
“You weren’t complaining.”
“True.” I let my eyes linger as I looked him over. I’d tasted nearly every inch of that body.
My mouth watered.
“You think we have a few minutes?” he asked huskily.
“No,” I replied, moving toward the door. “Come on.”
Finn was no longer outside the door when I opened it, but I could hear all the kids downstairs. Shutting off the lights in every room as I passed them because apparently my children were incapable, I followed the sound of their voices. Dylan was sitting at the kitchen table, and Jesse was perched on the counter when I entered the room.
“We were going to go to Charlie’s coffee shop,” Jesse greeted. “I would’ve brought you some.”
“We’ve got coffee here, Jess,” I chided. “Where’s Finn?”
“In the pantry,” they replied dryly. “Trying to decide which cereal he wants.”
“We only bought two kinds.”
Jesse shrugged. “We only have drip coffee,” they reminded me. “It’s not the same.”
“I also don’t have a job yet,” I reminded them, shooting a look over my shoulder as I opened the pantry.
“I wanted a breakfast bagel,” Finn informed me, standing with his arms crossed.
“So you’re hiding in the pantry to prove your point?” I asked curiously.
“No. I like it in here.”
“Okay, weirdo.” I gestured him out. “Grab some cereal.”
When I turned out of the pantry, Curtis appeared.
“Late night?” Dylan asked with a laugh.
My stomach churned.
“Later than you,” Curtis replied, walking toward the coffeepot on the counter. “Found you wrapped like a burrito on the floor of the bonus room when we got here.”
“I figured you were the one who moved the TV,” Dylan said, leaning back in his chair.
“You knew better.”
“We don’t have any furniture,” Dylan complained. “We had to set it on something.”
“You couldn’t have set up the game on the TV downstairs? That one’s hangin’ on the wall.”
Finn finally exited the pantry as Dylan shook his head. “It was creepin’ Jesse out ’cause we don’t have any curtains or anythin’ down here.”
Curtis looked at me, raised his eyebrows, and lifted the coffee carafe. I nodded. Maybe I’d shoot the coffee and chase it with an energy drink. I wasn’t sure anything else would fully wake me up. I wondered briefly if you could chew the grinds to get the caffeine quicker.
“Did you unload the mattress?” Curtis asked Dylan as he prepared the coffee.
“No, I forgot it was in there,” Dylan said, dropping the chair back to four legs.
“Go do that now, yeah? Then Jess’ll have somewhere to sleep tonight.”
“I’ll help,” Jesse said, hopping down from the counter.
“I can carry a mattress,” Dylan informed them as they raced each other out of the kitchen.
I barely heard them as I stared at Curtis’s back.
It was such a small thing, but…he’d shortened Jesse’s name.
“Mom, can you help me?” Finn asked, thrusting the box of cereal in my face. “I can’t get the bag open.”
“Sure,” I replied distractedly.
I helped Finn with his cereal and was still standing at the counter when Curtis set a cup of coffee down in front of me. His hand slid around to press against my belly as his lips hit the back of my neck.
“You wanna hit some garage sales today and see if we can find some furniture?”
“Sure,” I breathed, my skin breaking out in goose bumps.
Curtis lifted his head when there was a loud thump by the front door.
“We’re okay,” Jesse called out, laughter in their voice.
“When you’re done, get dressed,” Curtis called back. “We’re gonna go see if we can find you some furniture.”
“Awesome!” Jess called back.
“Do I have to go?” Dylan asked.
“He’s going,” Jesse countered.
“I have furniture,” Dylan reminded his dad.
There was some kind of hushed conversation that we couldn’t hear, then Dylan spoke again.
“Fine, I’ll go!”
“They’re friends now,” Finn informed us gloomily as he stared at the back of the cereal box.
“Oh yeah?” Curtis asked, walking back to the coffeepot. He must have chugged his coffee to finish it, but I wasn’t sure how since mine was still hotter than Mt. Doom.