Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Eventually, little by little, calm came back to our bodies, and Perish slowly pulled away.
He pressed a quick kiss to my lips before leaving me and the bedroom completely, going into the bathroom while I mustered enough strength to scoot to the far side of the bed against the wall to make room for him.
Should I probably sneak back out? Yes. But I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
So I waited for Perish to come back, his massive body making the whole mattress tip toward him as he moved back on top.
My belly tightened, feeling awkwardness swell.
But then his arm slid under me and curled me up onto his chest.
That arm stayed draped across my hip while the other one gently sifted through my hair.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Gonna need verbal confirmation,” he said, his voice sounding concerned.
“‘Okay’ isn’t the right word,” I said, pulling my leg up to cross his hips, my body tightening around him like a one-sided hug.
His body relaxed. Save for his arms, which pulled me tighter too.
“I should go back downstairs,” I said after a moment of just enjoying being held.
“Yeah,” he agreed, but didn’t release me.
“I don’t want to.”
“Good. Not letting you yet.”
My lips curved up as my heart did a that popping thing again.
I couldn’t tell you how long we stayed just like that. Close. Intimate. Content.
But it was the sound of voices in the clubhouse that had us both tensing.
“Rowe, Callow, Niro, and Uncles Sugar, Wolf, and Roan are all heading in to relieve us,” one of them said.
“Good. Almost getting early,” the other replied.
Shit.
Shit shit shit.
I had to get out of this room before my uncles showed up. Because while my cousins might leave me to sleep, one of them was going to come and check on me.
Perish seemed to come to the same conclusion, his whole body tensing.
“I need to go,” I whispered, feeling Perish’s nod. But he squeezed me tighter for just a moment before finally releasing me.
I carefully climbed down, fumbling around in the dark for my clothes and struggling to get them on in the dark.
Perish crept toward the door, listening.
“They’re in the kitchen,” he whispered when I was at his side. “Go there too.”
“But…”
“But?” he asked.
“I probably look like I just had sex,” I admitted.
He reached out, pressing his hands to my face. I knew I flushed when I was turned on. But I felt cool. Then his hands lifted, smoothing my hair.
“Bed messy, maybe,” he concluded. “Gotta go before they move.”
My belly tightened, not used to the tension of sneaking around.
But then Perish opened the door, and I had no choice but to rush out and down the hall toward the basement door.
A quick look said the common room was empty, so I quickly opened and closed the basement door before making my way toward the kitchen, feeling so incredibly guilty that I curled my arms protectively around myself.
They had no reason to suspect anything.
Even if there was a slight ache between my thighs that reminded me with each step what had happened.
“Hey, pretty girl,” Sully greeted me.
“Oh, hey,” I said, feigning surprise. I didn’t have to fake the way the bright kitchen light hurt my eyes. “I just wanted some water,” I said, giving each of them a tight-lipped smile as I tried not to shrink under their gazes.
Sully went to the fridge for a bottle, handing it to me.
“Sleeping alright down there?”
“It’s too quiet,” I admitted. I was a TV-on sleeper thanks to years of living in an apartment with noisy neighbors.
“Noted,” Sully said. “I’ll make sure we put the TV or music on before we leave.”
“Thanks,” I said, giving them another nod. “Well, goodnight,” I said.
It took every bit of self-control I had not to run away.
I just made it back to my bunk when I heard footsteps on the ladder.
God, that was good timing.
I quickly yanked the robe and pillows out of the blanket and climbed in myself.
“Can’t sleep?” Nave asked.
“Just went to grab some water,” I told him, waving at the bottle.
“We’re changing shifts, so someone is probably heading down this way in a few.”
“Okay. Thanks for the warning,” I said, offering him a smile.
“‘Night.”
“‘Night.”
Alone, I pressed my face into the pillow, letting out a little whimper.
I hated lying.
I was terrible at it.
But I could only pray that no one had a reason to suspect anything untoward.
Not long after, there were more voices upstairs followed by heavy footfalls on the steps.
Not many people walked like that.
Perish.
Malc.
And, of course, Uncle Wolf.
Sure enough, there was my uncle. And he immediately walked over to me like I thought he would.
“You good?” he asked, as charmingly monosyllabic as ever.
“Yeah. The club was kind of too tired to sleep,” I admitted. “But they finally put some noise on.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You good?”
“Oh! Yeah. I’m fine. Nothing happened.” At his raised brow, I rolled my eyes a little. These men. “Nothing much happened. And I wasn’t hurt.”