Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 71768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
And anyway, who was he to judge? I mean, could he really be that happy being an accountant? Ironing his jeans and crunching numbers? The thought alone made me break out in a cold sweat.
Luckily for me, his opinion had never mattered. I liked the freedom that came with my job—I could work from anywhere, anytime I wanted. It didn’t tie me down to any place or any thing. And OK, sure, it didn’t necessarily make it easy for me to settle down like Monica, or any of my other friends from college who just so happened to have mortgages, pets, and a lawn, but I was OK with that. Mostly.
I sighed.
Monica let out a giggle next to me. “Still such a klutz.”
“Um…” I took a large gulp of what was left of my champagne and ignored the way Rip’s green eyes seemed to assess every part of my suddenly too-naked-feeling skin. Ugh, I knew I should have gone for something more turtlenecky. Instead I was in a sleek black number that made me wish I had leg warmers and a cardigan covering every inch of my exposed body. “You hit me, your fault.”
Her brown eyes lit up as she smirked at me. “Then maybe you should drink your champagne faster so you have enough liquid courage to walk up to Rip and tell him how you really feel without puking on his shoes.”
I nodded solemnly. “Good plan. I’ll just let him know I want to strangle him with my bare hands or take scissors to that perfect hair and clip the curl that refuses to straighten behind his ear.”
“Must you fixate on the curl again?” she teased. Her perfectly tanned skin glowed in the moonlight as her curly brown hair bounced at her shoulders.
I deflated, and for a tiny second, I wanted to bolt in the opposite direction. Her brother was my opposite in every way that mattered.
I was pale skinned with hair that wasn’t sure if it was blond or brown.
He had jet-black hair, light-green eyes, and, thanks to his naturally golden-tanned mama, the most gorgeous skin I’d ever seen up close in real life.
Monica draped an arm around me, and a fabulous new designer scent wafted between us. “Come on, he’s not that bad. He’s just… controlled.”
I snorted into my champagne and let the last drop fall on my tongue. “He told me I was the worst date he’d ever had—and then he proceeded to tell me that he’d been on a blind date with a girl who would randomly shout, ‘I want to have your babies’ like her ovaries had taken over her voice box and common sense.”
Monica’s red lips pressed into a line before she burst out laughing. “Yeah, that one was my fault. Met her at yoga, liked her purse, bad judgment call. I thought she was just… peppy.”
“Ya think?” I snorted and tried not to stare at his fit body in that black suit or the way he seemed to own the room without even trying.
People just naturally flocked to Rip.
Women found reasons to touch him.
And I wanted a reason to just dig my hands into his hair and mess it up.
“Building up courage?” Brooks, Monica’s husband, wrapped an arm around each of us and stared ahead at Rip. “Tell me again about the time you spilled wine on his crotch. It’s my favorite story.”
I flicked his arm away in annoyance. “Remind me why I’m friends with you two again?”
“Because you love us!” Monica blew me a kiss and then detached herself from her husband. “Thanks for watching the kids again tonight. It’s been so long…”
“So long,” he echoed. “Because we both decided two-minute shower sex doesn’t count—”
“No,” she interrupted. “I decided that when you say hurry, get there, it takes away all of the romance, and when your kids are banging on the bathroom door, it’s kinda hard to feel blissed out.”
“Mommmmmyyyyy, I need my Lucky Charms!” Brooks said in a perfect imitation of their three-year-old, and then, “I’ll be your lucky charm.” All low and seductive.
“Yeah, could have gone my entire life without witnessing this moment.” I pointed between the two of them. “Why are you even still here? It’s your ten-year anniversary! Go eat Lucky Charms and have your weird shower sex!”
Monica’s face fell. I knew what she was going to say before she even said it. “I feel guilty leaving the kids.”
“They’re both upstairs sleeping,” I pointed out since I’d been the one to read Brown Bear, only to have Rip come into the room and tell me I was doing the voices all wrong. “Besides, Rip and I have this covered. Remember, we did manage to plan a surprise party and getaway for you guys without you knowing.”
Barely, just barely, without killing each other.
“Oh, I knew.” Brooks nodded, and his long, messy brown hair fell over his forehead, making him look more boyish. “I just knew you wanted it to be a surprise, so I let you have your fun. You can’t keep secrets, Colby, ever since you cheated your way out of the math compass test at UW.”