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)
“So, what?”
“Is he as good in bed as I imagine?”
“What?” I squeaked. But the sound had two of my cousins looking over, making me lower my voice.
“Oh, come on. We both know something was already going on there before you started shacking up at the club.” Worried her voice might carry, I casually walked back to the basement as if I were looking for something. “And if you’re both on lockdown there, you’re totally fucking. Is it hot? I mean, I’m sure the sex is hot. But is the sneaking around hot? Damn, I wish I’d been that brave.”
“You are very brave.”
“Not brave enough to bounce around on Spike’s cock. And, believe me, I was interested.”
“I don’t think you two are compatible. You’re too all over the place. And he’s very stationary here.”
“I’m not talking about marrying and making babies with him. I’m talking about sex. Good, hot, sweaty, toe-curling sex. Skinny guys like him are always hung… Yes, Cosmo, please,” she said, clearly sitting at a bar somewhere. “I probably just need to get laid,” she admitted. “Which might happen on this trip if I could stop winning at the tables. But until then, I will live vicariously through you. Come on.”
“I don’t—”
“Gracie Goose, come on. You know you can trust me. I would never break the confidence. And I know you. If you’re doing what I strongly suspect you are doing, you are probably equal parts excited, exhilarated, terrified, and guilty. You need someone to talk to about it. So talk.”
I glanced around the basement.
“Give me one second,” I said, tucking the phone in my pocket to rush up the ladder.
The glass room was empty.
So I hauled myself in, closed the door, and sat down.
“Okay,” I said, trying to catch my breath.
“Alright. All ears. You two are banging, right?”
“Do people still say ‘banging’ these days?”
“I do. Stop stalling.”
“Yes, okay, yes.”
“I knew it! For how long?”
“I mean, there were some… things leading up to it. But actually having sex, just since I was put into protection here.”
“I knew he had blue balls that day!” she said, and there was a laugh somewhere in the background. “I probably should have eaten. This is only my second drink and I’m feeling it. Anyway, yes. Love this. Details, please.”
“It’s been…” Fantastic. Life-altering. “Really great,” I settled on.
“I bet. The sneaking around must be making it even hotter.”
“Kind of.”
“But, also, because you’re such a rule-follower, you must be anxious too.”
“Definitely. It doesn’t help that it’s all-hands-on-deck around here. I feel like I’m bumping into someone everywhere I go.”
“Are you in Nave’s old room?”
“The basement.”
“The basement? Why are you in the basement?”
“Fallon thought it was extra safe.”
“Well, I guess if no one is going up to the glass room, it is pretty private down there. So, heart check. You okay?”
“Heart check?”
“Come on, Gracie. We both know you are not a casual hook-up kind of girl. In fact, I don’t think you’ve ever slept with someone who wasn’t a boyfriend.”
“You’re not wrong,” I agreed.
“I mean, it has been ages since you’ve dated anyone, though, so I totally get needing to get back on the D. But… because of that history, how’s your heart?”
I fought back the instinct to lie.
“It’s… a little confused,” I admitted.
“Aw, of course it is. Especially since he saved your life. And because you kind of knew him before this, so there is already a bit of a connection.”
“And because we’re both locked down here, we’re talking more. And…”
“And?”
“And he’s a surprisingly nice guy. Like, he had a rough past, but he was good too. And he washes the hummingbird feeders and feeds the squirrels and… and he looks at me like I’m a puzzle he hasn’t figured out yet. And he holds me like he doesn’t want to let go.”
“Girlllll...”
“I know,” I agreed, squeezing my eyes closed when tears threatened.
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying!” Yet.
“Are they happy tears or sad tears or confused tears?”
“All, I guess.”
“My sweet little tear factory. Well, let’s tackle sad. You want more than hooking up?”
“It’s probably too soon to make that claim.”
“And yet.”
“And yet,” I agreed.
“Confused… because you don’t know if he feels the same?”
“No. I mean, yes. I just… I know it can’t happen. Not for real.”
“Because of the club rules.”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, there have been exceptions…”
“Niro and Andi and Valen and Louana don’t count, since they were in love as far back as we remember.”
“Okay. Well, then there is Billie and Rowe.”
That was the one instance that I could compare what was going on with Perish to. Because Billie was a princess who had a wicked crush. Rowe had turned her down. Then, well, stuff happened. Now they’re married with lots of kids.
“I don’t remember, but I don’t think Rowe had quite the, uh, extensive criminal background that Perish does.”
“I think we know this family well enough to know they aren’t going to judge him based on that.”