Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Nope. Your balls have nothing to do with why I’m here.”
Griff frowned, his forehead wrinkling cutely. There was no denying that Griff was hot as fuck. If he wasn’t my best friend’s brother and, well, straight, I would have definitely hoped to get into his pants.
“What?”
Oh shit. I’d been staring at him. “I said, old man, your balls are safe with me.” I was only a couple of years younger than him, but he acted older, so it was a good way to give him shit.
A few people looked our way. Griff froze, and I bit my cheek, trying not to laugh. God, messing with him was fun. Not in an asshole way, of course. If I’d thought it really bothered him, I would never do it, but I thought…I thought Griffin Caine enjoyed me more than he wanted to admit. I sure enjoyed him more than I ever thought I would.
“I hate you. I can’t believe I used to think you were my favorite of Kellan’s friends.”
“Wait. Are you saying we’re not friends? You’re mean to me, man. I’m not sure how I put up with it. Sometimes I even cry at night when I’m trying to go to sleep, thinking…how can I get Griff to like me?”
He rolled his eyes, automatically filling up a mug of my favorite dark beer and handing it over. “Sorry about your luck. I think it’s a lost cause.”
“I’m a determined guy when I want something.” My voice was low, this flirtatious lilt to my words, and holy fuck, why had I just given Griffin my flirty voice?
“Why did you sound like that? Your voice did that smooth, honey-on-a-biscuit thing you do when you’re trying to have sex with someone.”
“Wait. You know my trying-to-have-sex voice? And that was the wrong one, anyway. I just gave you my flirty voice.”
He frowned. “That’s not much better. Why did you give me that?”
I paused, shifted. “Shit. I don’t know. It just happened.”
“Well, don’t do it again. It’s strange.”
“You really are a bossy motherfucker, and don’t worry, I have no plans to.” Of course, I hadn’t intended on it in the first place, but that was beside the point.
“Good.”
“I agree.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“We’re really weird,” I said, and we both dissolved into laughter. A few people looked our way again, but I ignored them. Griff was still chuckling, his head tilted down, this half grin on his masculine face.
It was strange, when I thought about it, the way my friendship with Griffin had changed since Kell and Chase got together.
“Did you eat?” he asked when our laughter died down. Griff’s didn’t offer much of a menu, but they had a small kitchen in the back and a few choices of greasy bar food.
“Nah, I’m good. Thanks, though.”
He stood there for a moment, and suddenly things felt a little awkward, like we thought we were supposed to say something, but neither of us knew what that was. Our gazes held, and damned if the back of my neck didn’t tingle, which should not have been happening at all.
He cleared his throat. “You, um, seen Kellan since the barbecue?”
“No, but we talked on the phone. He’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”
“Yeah, I know,” Griffin replied. “I’m having lunch with him this week.”
“That’s good.”
The unfamiliar, thick silence enveloped us again, before someone walked up to the bar. Griff made drinks, and I tried to keep my eyes off him. A few people came in, and he got a little busy. Every once in a while, I’d look over at him as he talked or laughed with customers. He knew what most everyone wanted to drink before they asked, and they all enjoyed talking to him. Griff was good about that kind of thing. I teased him about being grumpy, and in some ways he was, but he also drew people in, probably because they could sense Griffin cared about other people in ways not many did.
“Jesus Christ,” I mumbled before finishing my beer. My brain had done a whole hell of a lot of contemplating weird-ass shit lately, and I was ready to be done with it.
My phone buzzed, so I pulled it out. It was a text from this guy I got together with from time to time. He lived about half an hour away, but he said he was driving through Havenwood and had a couple of hours free, and wanted to know if we could get together.
An orgasm never hurt anyone. I hadn’t hooked up since our trip to Richmond, and even that I’d cut short. All I’d done was dance and make out with the guy before feeling strangely guilty and hitting the brakes.
Just as I was about to reply, Griff returned. “Want another beer?”
“Nah, I’m good. Might head out and meet up with this guy.” He looked like he’d sucked on a lemon, and I chuckled. “Show me how you really feel, why don’t you.”