Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
A smatter of laughs can be heard, but I’m just staring at Rachel in utter disbelief. I mean… good for her for taking the bull by the horns, but I wasn’t expecting it.
Even more surprising is that her hands come to my shoulders before she steps off the chair. She looks me dead in the eye and asks, “Was that okay? I probably should have discussed that with you first.”
“It was fine,” I manage to say.
“Good,” she says with a satisfied smile, and then I nearly fall over when she presses her mouth to mine. When she pulls back, she jumps off the chair and says, “I’m going to get something to eat. Want me to bring you something?”
I thrust my beer at Cage, who takes it without comment. Sweeping my hand toward the patio door, I tell her, “I’ll come with you.”
I mean… after that little public display of affection while everyone watched, why would I want to hang out with these dudes? I’d rather be by Rachel’s side any day.
When we step out onto the patio, I immediately see Kynan manning the grill. He’s got on a ridiculous apron that says, “May I Suggest the Sausage?” and has a hand with the finger pointed down toward his dick.
We walk that way. While I’m not touching Rachel in any way, many are looking at us speculatively. The people out here on the patio hadn’t heard her big announcement, although I’m sure the news will make its way around quickly. Those who are looking now are the ones who saw me hugging her after she had her meltdown, and they are all wondering what the fuck is going on between us.
“I got burgers, brats, and hot dogs,” Kynan says when we reach him. He waggles his eyebrows and points at his apron. “But the sausage is to die for.”
Rachel rolls her eyes, and I’m pleased his childish reference to his dick doesn’t bother me, knowing that said dick has touched Rachel. She said it was in the past. Several years in the past as a matter of fact.
Besides, she let me fuck her at the club right in front of Kynan, and I’m smart enough to know that was her way of proving to me that she was only into me.
Rachel turns to the long table set up beside the grill that has plates and toppings for the burgers, along with bowls of chips and various salads. She fixes herself a hamburger bun with globs of mustard. She then reaches into the bowl of potato chips and grabs a handful, crunching them down on top of the mustard-covered bun.
“That’s interesting,” I tease.
“Don’t even start on me,” she mutters as she picks up the plate and holds it out toward Kynan to put a burger on. “It’s a craving thing apparently.”
“Apparently,” I say with a chuckle.
Kynan’s eyes are shining with laughter, but I’m sure he likes his sausage where it is, so he silently scoops a burger off the grill with his spatula and slides it sizzling onto the pile of chips resting on the bun.
She licks her lower lip in anticipation, but as soon as she reaches to put the top of the bun on, she goes dead still. Her face pales, and she inhales sharply through her nose, which crinkles in distaste as soon as she does it. She shoves the plate so hard back at Kynan that it tips over and the mustard-soaked bun, burger, and chips splat against his chest.
“What the fuck?” Kynan growls as he looks down at his torso, but Rachel is slapping her hand over her mouth and reeling away. She stumbles several feet toward the edge of the patio, bends over with her arms crossing her stomach, and vomits into his landscaping right on top of a prickly cactus.
Without thought, I rush to Rachel’s side and lay my hand on her lower back. She gags and retches for a few moments before she finally straightens up, rubbing at the side of her mouth with the heel of her hand.
“Okay, that was unexpected,” she pants slightly, sucking in some fresh air.
“Has that happened before?” I ask, slightly worried.
She shakes her head and takes the bottle of water I’d been holding for her from my hand. After she takes a tentative sip, she looks at me. “First time, but I’ve been wondering if it would hit me. Doc said it can start at around six weeks.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her almost helplessly and with a huge bolt of guilt that she has to go through this. “That just sucks.”
“It’s fine,” she says with a brave smile. She reaches into her front pocket and pulls out her car keys. “But I think I’m going to run out to my car and get some gum. I wouldn’t want to be talking to anyone with vomit breath today.”