Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Gotta stop thinking such dangerous shit…
“It’s okay.” My best friend takes her hand. “Deep breath. In”—he demonstrates—“and out. Good. Just like that. It’s going to be okay. Marcus and I are here for you.”
With a shaky exhalation, she presses a hand to her chest. “Thank you. I’m really sorry. I know they’re just bugs and I’m much bigger than they are, but…”
“Don’t apologize.” He takes her hand. “Just sit. Relax. You want to talk about something else?”
“Please.”
Her trembling voice gets to me.
Despite all my sage warnings to Josh, I’m getting possessive. I can’t seem to stop.
I grab a T-shirt from my suitcase. “Give me your key. I’ll check out your room.”
“Really, I don’t want to trouble you.” She hesitates, and her eyes soften. “And I wish you wouldn’t go.”
Those pretty blue eyes of hers tell me she feels safer when I’m here. Fuck if that doesn’t feed my need to protect—and my desire to touch her.
Recklessly, I toss the shirt back in my bag. “Then I won’t.”
“Let’s get your mind off it, sweetheart,” Josh suggests. “Let’s talk about the property. Do you have any other thoughts?”
She gives us a short, jerky nod. “A lot. But I left my notes in my room. We need to understand zoning and any environmental-based restrictions or impacts…”
“And?” my buddy prompts.
“Sorry.” She shakes her head. “My head just isn’t focused on work.”
“It can wait until tomorrow.” Josh squeezes her hand. “What do you normally do when you’re afraid?”
Kate hesitates, then responds with a self-deprecating smile. “This is the first time I haven’t had my dad nearby. Since I was a kid, he’s pulled me onto his lap and cuddled me. Somehow, that makes my world okay again. I didn’t realize until now how much I was going to miss that when I moved away.”
“Can you call him?” I say, hoping to preempt Josh’s instinct to give her what she needs.
It’s my instinct, too.
She pulls her phone from her purse and glances at the screen. Her eyes well up. “It’s nearly midnight in Phoenix. He’s already in bed. He works so hard, and I hate to disturb him.” She sniffles. “I’m really sorry. You two must think I’m a wreck. Ninety-nine percent of the time I’m a strong, independent woman, but—”
“Stop apologizing. We don’t think you’re a wreck,” Josh assures. “We all have fears. We all have our moments. It’s also been a long day with the flight and the time change. None of us are at our strongest when we’re tired.”
Kate nods, but it’s obvious she’s still emotional and beating herself up over it. Sometimes, words help people find their center again.
Sometimes, like now, they don’t.
I sigh. This is going to go sideways before it goes to hell, but I can’t watch Kate suffer anymore.
After crossing the room, I hold out a hand to her. “Come here.”
Her startled gaze bounces up to me and clings. I see a thousand questions on her face, but she doesn’t ask a single one. The trust in her eyes is a lightning rod for my desire. I do my best to stifle it, but she can, no doubt, see my erection behind my shorts. Still, she slides her hand into mine and slowly stands.
I get sucked into her blue stare as I bend and lift her into my arms. Her flip-flops tumble to the carpet.
“Marcus…”
As protests go, hers is weak.
“Shh. You need comforting. I can help you.”
With that, I cuddle her closer. She stops hesitating and curls against me, settling her head onto my shoulder and quieting altogether. Josh is right behind me, pouring her a glass of wine and plucking up the little tube of lotion the hotel provided. As I sink onto the edge of the bed, bringing Kate onto my lap and wrapping my arms around her, I slide my palm over her hip. She sighs in contentment.
Immediately I realize that, not only is she not wearing a bra, she’s not wearing any fucking underwear. Right now, the only thing keeping me from her pussy are two thin layers of cotton. It’s all I can do not to slide my fingers under her hem and between her legs so she forgets everything but pleasure.
Josh presses the vino into her hands. “Drink, sweetheart.”
Wordlessly, she does, swallowing half the glass before settling the stem into my pal’s grip with shaking fingers. “Thank you.”
“Just relax. We’re going to make everything okay.” He sets the wine aside, then opens the tube of lotion and squeezes a dollop onto his palm. He cradles her foot and thumbs his way up her arches until she moans.
Josh and I are falling into familiar patterns. I’m a protector. He’s a caretaker. For us, Kate is dangerous.
When we had Taylor to focus our energies on, we were both content. Hell, I can’t remember a time I ever felt happier. The sex was off the chain. Josh and I were so in sync, and we were both sure Taylor would come on board, adding more than her body to the equation.