Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
He nods and forms burger meat into disks. “I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but your mom was a bitch.”
“It always shocked me how different my mom and Debbie were. Like two sides to a coin. And let’s be honest, Ray and Deb raised me in all the ways that matter. Mom couldn’t wait to dump me off here on the last day of school every year so she had the whole summer away from me.”
“Christ,” he mutters and glances at me. “She told you that?”
“It was written all over her. You should have seen how gleeful she was. As the end of school approached, she got giddy. Told me all about her fun plans for when I’d be out of her hair.”
“I’m never violent with women,” he says. “But I’d like to punch her out.”
“Yeah, well, other men took care of that for you. Never while I was around, surprisingly. It was weird how she seemed to have morals about not bringing guys home when I was there, but then as soon as school was out, she ditched me and probably slept her way all up and down the West Coast.”
“Did you not want to be here?” He looks stunned as he asks the question. “I always thought you liked it here.”
“I would have lived here full-time if I could. Aunt Deb asked Mom to let me just be here with you guys, but Mom refused. Anyway, that doesn’t matter.”
“It fucking matters,” he grumbles, but I keep going.
“Gideon and I traveled with you to Toronto for a game—this would have been about ten years ago or so. We always went with you.”
“We won that game, two to zero. I remember, Wills.”
I lick my lips. “Yeah, well, when I got home, Sabrina was waiting in front of my apartment with Aiden. She had a suitcase packed for him, told me she didn’t want to be a mom anymore, and to have papers drawn up and she’d sign them. And then she left. We never saw her again. But I had to take Aiden to the hospital that night because he was so sick, Ry. He had bronchitis so bad, he could hardly breathe, and he was burning up with fever. And she just left him.”
I shake my head, feeling the tears want to come.
“He was the cutest little guy. A little small for his age because I’m pretty sure she didn’t feed him enough. He was quiet. Withdrawn. He’d do exactly what I told him to, without saying a word. For the first two weeks he was with me, I didn’t know if he could talk.” I brush a tear off my cheek. “But then he started to come out of his shell. He started to feel better. I’ll never forget the first time he laughed. It caught me so off guard, I just cried and cried, and he was so worried that he’d done something wrong.”
I’m crying in earnest now, and Ryker hurries around to me and hugs me close.
“We’ve known our fair share of shitty parents,” he murmurs against my hair.
“It’s why I couldn’t leave him out here without me. I couldn’t do it.”
“I get it.” His hands rub up and down my back, soothing me. “He’s lucky to have you, sweetheart.”
“We’re both lucky. Sabrina did us both a favor the day she left him with me. It was so hard, but I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
“Because you’re so amazing.” He kisses my cheek. “And so brave.” His lips move to my lips, and he brushes back and forth lightly.
My stomach growls, making us both smile.
“Feed me, Captain.”
The bedroom lights up with a flash, and then a loud boom sounds around us, and I’m suddenly cradled in Ryker’s strong arms.
“Holy shit,” I whisper. That clap of thunder woke me up out of a dead sleep.
“Another storm’s rolling through,” he murmurs. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
He’s behind me, wrapped around me, and I can’t help but rotate my hips against him, brushing his growing erection with my ass.
“Is that the distraction you need, Trouble?”
“Mm-hmm.” Reaching back, I cup his cheek, and his hand journeys down my stomach and over my clit, then down farther to guide my leg up and over his thigh, giving him better access.
His fingers find my center once more, and lightning strikes.
“Fuck, I can see you when the room lights up,” he whispers against my ear. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than you.”
His finger slips through my already-soaked slit, and his chest grumbles against me.
“You’re so fucking wet.”
I push back against him. “And you’re so fucking hard.”
“I’m always hard when I’m around you.” He nudges the head of his cock against my opening, and when lightning strikes again, he pushes inside, circling my bundle of nerves with his fingertips, whispering the filthiest words in my ear. “That’s right, fucking take it. Goddamn, this pretty pussy was made for me. Only for me.”