Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“She has no idea. I swear it. She is clueless about the man she was married to,” I said with irritation.
Liam gave me a pointed look. “Get her goddamn phone, go through her texts, emails, recently deleted. If you can’t do this, then Lick is going to be briefed and given the job.”
I’d never hated Liam Walsh. I had even considered him one of my best friends. Until now.
Micah had stayed to finish the call with Liam, but I’d been dismissed. Going outside to this fucking party wasn’t going to help my mood.
This morning, I’d struggled with letting Nixie sit on my lap in front of Salem, which was the only reason I allowed it. I needed to stop whatever pull she had over me. Then all it took was the mention of Lick seeking out Salem, and I’d snapped.
If that brought out the jealous monster in me, then what the fuck would I be like after I fucked her? I had already lived that once. I knew the possessive beast it had created in me back then. Hell, just thinking about another man touching her all these years later and calling her his wife spiked my blood pressure.
Shoving the door open, I stalked outside to be met with the familiar smell of the bonfire and steaks on the grill, along with the sounds of rowdy laughter, talking, and…
Holy Mother of God!
I stopped, transfixed on Salem—or, well…her ass. She was leaning over the hot tub, giggling about something while reaching for a glass. But her almost-bare ass was sticking up, and I couldn’t breathe. I heard Nina’s cackling and Goldie’s voice, but I couldn’t look anywhere else.
She stood then, and I choked as I tried to suck in oxygen. Goddamn, her ass had matured into a fucking dirty fantasy. My eyes trailed up her back, stopping on the two dimples that sat just above her glorious, round backside and her narrow waist, which nipped in, giving her the perfect hourglass figure.
She held her glass up over her head, and Nina clapped and cheered. I had no idea what they were doing, nor did I care. I just wanted more of this view.
Then she turned and sauntered over to a pitcher that I recognized as Goldie’s margarita. Her tits bounced with each step, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted them to pop out of the scanty top or if I should go wrap a towel around her.
Pepper called out something, and I heard Dolly’s laugh, but my eyes didn’t waver.
“Brick’s already threatened to blind three guys, and Jars warned Anson he was going to rip off his balls for looking in that direction. I’d be careful where you let those eyes roam,” Fox said, coming up beside me with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. “Anson was sporting wood though. Pecker sticking straight out of his shorts,” he added with a chuckle.
The sight of Nina and Goldie in bikinis was nothing new. All the men had seen them hundreds of times. The interest was in Salem’s ass. Covering her with a towel had just won for what I wanted to do more. She stumbled, then burst into a fit of giggles. She might be more than tipsy.
I tore my gaze off her to look over near the fire. At least five pairs of eyes were on Salem.
Motherfucker.
“But that ass though. Damn, the things I’d like to—”
“Don’t finish that sentence. I don’t make threats,” I snarled at him before stalking toward the pool, where the ole ladies were given the prime spot and exclusivity to the hot tub and pool until Dolly was ready to go inside.
Only then would Micah allow the others to venture toward it. The gazebo, however, remained off-limits. Ole ladies were the only ones with the privilege to use it.
“Oh, look, I won,” Nina called out cheerfully. “Pay up, Goldie.”
Salem paused and seemed confused, then turned to look in my direction. The small frown on her face slowly spread into a massive grin. Unlike any she’d given me since I’d found her again. It hit my chest like a hammer as I remembered how that smile had once owned me. The smile that had always been mine alone. No one else had made her smile like that. Just me.
She probably smiled like that for her husband. The thought weaseled its way into my head like poison burning into my soul. I didn’t want to think about that.
What all he’d had—that was mine. The burning only got worse.
“Rome…” My name came from her lips with a slur.
Yep. She was drunk.
Her brow puckered, and then she shook her head. “No. It’s Tex. Not Rome. Rome is gone.”
The sadness in her tone wasn’t helping things. It only pushed me closer to the edge of my sanity.
I shot Nina and Goldie a glare. “How much did you let her drink?” I demanded.