Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 89145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Chances are she’ll reward you with sex for not pushing for sex,” Finn finished. “I learned that the hard way after the twins were born. And this is why I blame and thank her for Kian.”
I chuckled and took a drag from my smoke.
“Step five, listening to your wife should include responses that prove you’ve been listening,” he went on. “Women are hella good at picking up autopiloted answers.”
I could vouch for that. I’d lost count of the times my mom had smacked me upside the head for just nodding and humming when she got going.
“That’s a good one.” Shan inclined his head.
Liam rubbed the back of his neck and squinted at nothing.
“Step six,” Finn said. “Clichéd but true—fuck her brain before you fuck her pussy.”
Could not relate one bit. Don’t get me wrong, what’d made me fall for West was the whole package, no pun intended. He was intelligent, kind, funny, and driven. And none of that had been necessary when we’d first met. I’d just needed that spectacular body of his. He was the hottest man to walk this earth.
Kellan eyed Shan a little. “That’s only kinda true for us.”
“Thanks, do not need the details.” Finn interrupted.
“Well, we want the brain-fucking as well, to put it as crudely as my son,” Shan reasoned. “Just not as the keys to the castle.”
“Jesus Christ.” Finn closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. “Kellan’s ass is now known as the castle. Fuck me, I’m seeing images again.”
I couldn’t help it; I cracked up hard—and I wasn’t the only one. Safe to say, seeing his dad and his best friend together was still a mindfuck for him. And who could blame him? I’d freak the fuck out if I came home one day and discovered Kellan was with my mom or dad—and Kellan and I hadn’t even grown up together.
“Emilia!” Finn shouted and stood up abruptly. “Fuck this noise—I’mma replace those images with something holy.”
“Something holy,” Liam laughed.
Finn stalked off, yelling for his wife.
“But, Finn!” I called out. “What about the last step? We’ll be lost without it!”
He stuck two middle fingers in the air to the sounds of more laughter.
As fun as dinner had been, the next couple of hours knocked it out of the park. The music was cranked up, the dining table filled up with snacks and a goddamn ice cream machine, and we got to tire the kids out. And ourselves.
The patio hadn’t been too bad because it was in the shade, but out in the sun—fuck me, I stuck to the pool. ’Cause it wouldn’t surprise me if we’d hit triple digits today.
“Make a bigger splash this time, Daddy!” Ellie jumped up on my back, and I secured her legs and arms around me.
“I’m gonna try, but Colm’s a fuckin’ mountain,” I replied.
“Hey.” Colm shot me a look as Ryan climbed up his back. “What if I have body issues?”
I smirked. “Do you?”
He snorted a laugh. “Nah. Let’s go!”
“On the count of three!” Kellan hollered. “One! Two! Three!”
I took off in a sprint, with Ellie squealing in my ear, and everyone in the pool cheered as we jumped in. I managed to pull up my legs right before we hit the water, and Colm and Ryan were right next to us.
Fuck, this felt good. I hadn’t had this much fun in a long-ass time.
Ellie and I resurfaced to more cheers, but Colm and Ryan were once more declared the winners of the biggest splash.
“Damn it all!” Ellie cried out.
“All right, that’s it.” Finn pushed himself out of the pool. “Come on, shortcake. You and I will show Colm and Ryan how it’s done.”
“I will win, Daddy!” Ryan guffawed.
“You’ve won enough, son,” Finn replied.
I grinned and swam to the edge to help her up. “Okay, go with Finn, baby. I’ll cheer for you.”
“Yessss!” She was game.
Perfect timing for me. While she ran for Finn, I swam over to the stairs where Trip was sitting, happily eating his soft-serve cone with the best amount of jimmies. As in, a shit-ton.
“You in a sharing mood, son?” I approached like a predator, and he eeep’d and struggled to decide. He couldn’t contain his grin, at the same time as he was possessive of his ice cream.
“One bite!” he bargained.
One was fine.
I chuckled and eased up like a whale on the last steps, and he extended the cone to me. I went for the melting top and got a mouthful of rainbow jimmies too—fucking perfect. Then he immediately backed away to keep the cone out of the water zone.
“Delicious.” I gave his knee a squeeze. “You havin’ fun, sweetheart?”
He smiled goofily. “Very. I almost taught CJ to swim. He’s struggling.”
Well, CJ wasn’t five yet, so he had time.
Speak of the devil…
CJ splashed toward us and removed his floaties as soon as he was on the stairs, and he—