Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
The words dripped sex.
Goosebumps raced.
I should shove him off. The most astounding thing was that I didn’t want to. My mind blown that rather than fighting back, I wanted to sink into the indulgent promise he was clearly making.
Wondering if it was a little of the good that Meems had been talking about.
I nearly scoffed at myself.
I knew how horribly bad it would be, but God, I wanted to bottle up this feeling, keep whatever he had seduced in me and put it on a shelf as proof that it existed.
The main door swinging open had Silas stumbling back, and I tried to shove off the reaction, totally flustered and probably flaming red since my blood raced at ten thousand degrees.
“Well, hello, dear brother.” Elena’s voice was full of an accusatory laugh. I couldn’t see her from where I was sitting, but if I could, I was sure her expression would contain a gleeful allegation. “I hope we’re not interrupting?”
“Hi, my Siwas.”
Kai was with her, and there was no stopping the soft smile that started somewhere in my heart and lifted to my mouth.
Silas grunted behind me. “Not interrupting a thing. Just was showing Brinley how to get into the laptop I brought her so she can make herself useful while she’s here.”
It could have hurt. Stabbed deep enough to cause a wound. But I knew he was covering. Covering for what he didn’t want to feel, either.
There was no way this was one-sided.
“Huh. I thought I heard some heavy panting in here.”
“Don’t be crass, Elena.”
“Crass? I live at an MC compound. That was hardly crass.”
“Cwass.” Kai giggled, and my spirit thrummed, and I was fighting a wild grin as I finally gathered myself enough to push to my feet.
“Oh, there she is.” Elena drew it out, her eyes widening with the tease.
“Here I am and totally breathing normally.”
It was a lie.
I’d been two seconds from hyperventilating from the mere brush of Silas’s hand.
“Mmhmmm.”
“What do you want, Elena?” Silas scuffed.
“Kai and I were bored and thought we’d come see what Brinley was up to. We thought she might need some help. We’re about to go bonkers inside that house, you know, since you won’t let me get a job.”
“You don’t need a job,” he grunted.
“Well, maybe I want one. I have a freaking bachelor’s in business and there’s absolutely nothing to do with it.”
My eyes must have bugged out of their sockets from the surprise because Elena sent me a pout. “Received online and without interacting with a soul. Shocker, right?”
“Don’t need this today, Elena,” Silas rumbled, agitation flashing through his body.
But it was hurt flashing through Elena’s. “I’m not a little girl anymore, Silas.”
“We’ll discuss it later.”
“We’ll always, ‘discuss it later’.”
Pain rebounded between them. Silas because he so clearly wanted to shield her from every horrible thing in the world and Elena because she so clearly needed to be set free.
A clear conundrum since I doubted there was a really good solution for either of them.
Silas finally sighed. “You can help Brinley out here in the office today.”
Elena squealed like she was that little girl that she wasn’t close to being.
“That is if Brinley doesn’t mind.”
Now he was asking for my opinion?
“Um, obviously that’s a yes from me,” I said, trying to coerce the thickness from my voice.
“Because we’re besties, obvi,” Elena added, grinning conspiratorially my way.
At this point, I wasn’t even sure that was an exaggeration.
Silas hesitated, narrowed attention pitching between us, before he shook his head and turned on his heel and walked out into the shop, Elena’s overeagerness robbing him of a response.
Then she laughed. “God, he’s so easy to rile up.”
“It’s only because he cares about you.”
Elena swayed Kai as she strode around the high counter, a smirk lighting her pretty face. “Ah, how the tables have turned. Now you’re the one sticking up for him?”
“Me? Sticking up for him?” I hooked a thumb toward the shop. “No way.”
Kai mimicked me, giggling as he gurgled, “No way!”
Crap, this kid could melt the polar icecaps.
“I just want the best for you.” I shrugged, like it was no big deal that I meant it.
“You want me to have a little of that good?” She wagged her brows the way she’d done earlier in the kitchen.
Amusement had me shaking my head as I plunked myself down in the chair in front of the laptop.
“And what good is it you’re looking for?” I deflected.
Elena pulled up another chair and plopped Kai onto her lap. “I want to own a gift shop. Maybe have a man who looks at me the way my brother looks at you. You know, the simple things in life.”
I could feel her rolling her eyes, like the thought of them was impossible.
With Silas, they just might be.
My mood turned serious as I looked across at her, taking us back to our conversation last night. “Are those some of the risks you’re willing to take?”