Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
“I told you she thought it was cute.” He touched his lips to mine then said, “Stop worrying. She likes you. It was me who wanted dinner alone with my mom. I didn’t want more pressure on you, but also, I haven’t seen her in six months, and we’re close.”
“Oh,” I mumbled.
“Yeah.” He smiled. “And don’t worry about doing a big dinner. Stella says everyone can come over to her and Mace’s house. She rocks in the kitchen almost as much as she rocks a stage.”
Did he say what I thought he said?
“Stella Gunn?” I asked to confirm.
“Yeah, Mace’s wife.”
“Stella Gunn, the award-winning, multi-platinum, kickass rock star?”
I felt Cap’s body move on mine with his laughter. “Yeah. That Stella Gunn.”
“I might pass out again,” I told him.
His tone changed yet again when he murmured, “Wonder what I can do to keep you conscious.”
I had some ideas.
I shivered as his hand slid up my side.
Yep, those were my ideas.
He angled his head and kissed me.
There was lots of tongue. There was groping. There was more tongue and more groping.
Then his lips, tongue, and the welcome new addition of his teeth, renewed their relationship with my neck, and the skin of my neck graciously accepted their offerings, though it was my nipples that experienced the bounty.
I’d wrapped my leg around his. He’d pressed his hard thigh tight to my girl bits, and they were more than happy to make its acquaintance.
I’d gotten my hands up his Henley to re-explore the hot, silky skin over steely muscle of his back…
And I was headed down to finally make my move into his cargos and introduce myself to his ass.
That was when he ended the kiss.
“Stop doing that,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him.
He smiled, but noted, “You were dead to the world when I walked in.”
“I’m wide awake now.”
“You were up and showered by the time I got back from my run at six.”
“I go to work at seven and I like to do things in the morning, not rush my getting ready, so I’m an early riser.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “If you want me now, baby, you got me.”
I considered this offer, and I realized something annoying.
He was correct.
The time wasn’t right.
I didn’t want him to do me on the couch.
I didn’t know what I wanted.
I just knew now was not the time to get it.
“Guh,” I grumbled in order to communicate my decision to him.
He brushed his lips against mine again.
Then he said, “Let’s go to bed.”
He knifed off me and pulled me from the couch.
We got down to the preparations of doing that, then we did it.
I was sauntering off to dreamland, Cap spooning me at the back, Patches having draped himself over our feet, and I was on that trip, eventually reaching my destination, not realizing I didn’t mention anything to him about Clarice or Divinity or Jinx or Luna and my nightly activities.
Not a word.
THIRTEEN
HE TOOK HIS BAG
I’d forgotten to change the music on my alarm, but that wasn’t what woke me the next morning.
My hip was shaken, not rough, not gentle, but it got my attention and pulled me from sleep.
Added to that was Cap demanding, “Raye, get up.”
I opened my eyes and turned to my back, beginning to smile.
My smile died on my face when he lifted his hand, his fore- and middle fingers holding a business card.
“What the fuck? You know Clarice?”
His voice was vibrating deeply and his handsome face was hard with anger. I’d never seen that look on him, heard that tone, and both scared me.
Not yet quite awake and facing an alarming unknown first thing, I asked, “What?”
“Clarice Davis. You know her?”
I looked to the business card, pushing up to a hand in bed. “Where’d you find that?”
I thought I’d tucked all that away in my TV/stationery/odds-and-ends cabinet.
Was he snooping?
“Who gives a fuck?” he clipped, then ordered harshly, “Answer me.”
My attention shifted back to him, some of the sleep left me (though, it was important to note, not all), and as I was wont to do when I thought someone was being unreasonable, I got unreasonable back.
Or, another way to put it, ticked.
“Can I get up and brush my teeth before you interrogate me?” I snapped.
His answer was to scowl at me then turn and prowl from the room.
“What on earth?” I mumbled irritably and threw the covers aside.
I hit the bathroom and did my business.
I did this trying to get my head together.
It sounded like he knew Clarice.
He’d been in town six months, but he was a PI. Maybe he’d had run-ins with her, considering her occupation, and his.
Though, it seemed he didn’t like her much.
I also was realizing I should have found the time to share with him about her.
Even so, him shaking me awake before my alarm even went off to get in my shit about it wasn’t cool.