Total pages in book: 216
Estimated words: 206530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1033(@200wpm)___ 826(@250wpm)___ 688(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 206530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1033(@200wpm)___ 826(@250wpm)___ 688(@300wpm)
Darren rolls his eyes as he drags out a chair and sits down at the table. He loosely holds up a hand. “I’ll be on my best behavior. Scouts honor. Martha won’t leave this house until she’s fully charmed.”
“Miranda!”
He laughs and slaps the table. “This shit is too easy. Lighten up, man.”
“Jesus Christ,” I swear, shaking my head and heading back to the kitchen to double check the food is perfect. I don’t know why I’m so goddamned nervous. Darren is the only one I have left apart from Chloe and I just—
I breathe out before going into the kitchen, stopping myself from pushing through the door. I’ve been hovering over the catering staff like a bear ever since they got here an hour ago. I’m sure the food is fine. They’re professionals.
I just want everything to be perfect.
The past three weeks with Miranda have been… I can’t even wrap my head around it. We’ve spent almost every night together, either at my apartment or her house. I’ve never had so much sex in my entire life, even when I was a horny kid in my twenties. Rediscovering sex has been, just… and sex with Miranda, Jesus—
No words. No fucking words can do it justice.
During the day I’m constantly thinking of her. But even though I’m getting less sleep than usual, somehow I have more energy than I have in years. For the first time in I can’t remember when, I’m passionate again about the product line—the designs of the new robotics boards themselves, but also the business side.
Before Miranda, Darren was the best part of my life. He’s the one thing I didn’t fuck up. I protected him from Dad and though he had some wild days in college at Stanford, Darren’s turned out to be a really good guy. In spite of me, really, because there were times I was the bad influence before I got my shit together. Fuck but I couldn’t be prouder of him.
The echoing doorbell jolts me out of my thoughts.
She’s here.
I freeze for a second before jumping into action.
Darren moves to stand up but I’m already jogging into the foyer to the door. I pause before opening it to look back at him. He followed and is standing in the hallway.
“The full Darren charm offensive,” I order one last time before taking a deep breath and opening the door.
It’s good I took that deep breath because Miranda looks show-stoppingly gorgeous today. And it’s not the outfit. She’s just wearing a modest knee length skirt and a white blouse. But Miranda, I swear she fucking radiates.
Her smile is so bright when she sees me that it’s like the damn sun coming out.
I lean forward and brush a kiss across her cheek. Even the brief contact is enough to stir my blood. I swallow a groan. My dick’s gotten used to seeing her and automatically fucking her.
It’s Pavlovian at this point. Seeing Miranda equates clothes immediately coming off, followed by me burying my cock as deep inside her as possible. It’s like the first thing I have to do after even the shortest time apart is to reassure myself that she’s real and that she’s mine. By completely dominating her body. Repeatedly, if possible.
I move back but grab her hand, hoping my dick will get the message that this is just a social call. I don’t need to be popping wood in front of my brother for Christ’s sake.
I usher her into the house. “Miranda, this is my brother Darren. Darren, Miranda.”
She walks forward with a sunny smile, her hand out.
Darren forgoes the hand and hugs her.
“Dylan won’t stop going on about you,” Darren pulls back with a charismatic smile, “I swear I feel like I already know you.”
Miranda’s smile goes shy and she glances my way, but I can tell she’s pleased by the warm reception.
“Come in, come in,” Darren places a hand to the small of her back and guides her to the large, open dining room off the entry way. “We busted out the fancy china and silverware and everything.”
Miranda laughs as Darren leads her and pulls out her chair.
I can’t take my eyes off her as her eyes dart all around the room. What is she seeing? I spent a big part of my life hating this place. I didn’t come back here for years after I found Chloe like that…
It was only after Mom and Dad were both gone and Darren wanted to move in that I could cross the threshold again. Dare did the lion’s share of sorting and getting rid of Mom and Dad’s stuff. As guilty as I felt about not helping him with it, I just couldn’t. No, it was only after he renovated and redecorated that I could step foot back in this house.
And even with the new coat of paint and the wall between the old game room and the living room ripped out to open up the space downstairs, I’m still far too aware of all that went on underneath this roof.