Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I whisper as he stares at me. “Are you hungry?” His eyes drop to my mouth, seeming darker than seconds ago.
“Starved.”
I don’t know if it’s the look in his eyes or that single word spoken in his deep voice, but my body reacts instantly in some very inappropriate places. Clearing my throat, I drag my eyes off his and turn to the stove.
“You should go get Winter. She’s probably worried she did something wrong.”
It’s quiet for a long moment, then his muttered “fuck” hits my ears before I listen to the sound of his footsteps getting farther away.
CHAPTER 14
miles
Walking into Clay’s apartment, I follow the voices I can hear coming through the open door of his living room. When I step inside the room, I find Tucker and Miranda on one of the couches, with Willow and Clay on two of the barstools turned to face them. I can’t see Kingston or Winter, but I can hear them playing over by the treehouse that was built inside the room. The entire space is almost as big as my entire apartment, with a play area that includes the treehouse that is in the shape of a tree and almost reaches the ceiling, a fully stocked bar, a giant TV with two smaller ones on the side of it, and couches to hang out on.
Late last night, Willow, Clay, Tucker, Miranda, and Kingston got back to Nashville after spending some time in Colorado, where Clay has a couple of properties, he likes to check on from time to time. And since Kingston has never really experienced snow or at least no more than a dusting of it here in Tennessee, Tucker and Miranda decided to fly out to meet Clay and Willow for a few days.
“You’re home early.” Clay stands to greet me with a one-armed hug. “Winter will be happy. She’s been asking where you were since we got her from school.”
“He’s lying. She’s been asking for Emma non-stop,” Willow says, causing my gut to twist as I bend to kiss her cheek.
“She’s not exaggerating either,” Miranda says, coming over to join us, with Tucker right behind her. “She begged me to call Emma to see if she could come over as soon as she saw me.”
“She had a good time with her this week,” I tell her while shaking my head at Clay when he holds out a beer in my direction.
“Yeah, Emma said the same, and she would have come over this evening, but she’s meeting some guy for a drink tonight.”
“Pardon?” I lock my eyes on her, wondering if I heard her wrong.
“Oh no,” Willow says quietly.
“Oh no, what?” Miranda asks, glancing at Willow, then her eyes come back to me and widen.
“Shit,” Tucker mutters, while Clay laughs.
“Where is she meeting him?” I ask without thinking.
“I don’t know.” Miranda shakes her head. “She didn’t tell me. Is there something going on between you two?”
The question causes my jaw to get tight.
“No,” I bite out because that is the truth. There is nothing going on between us. And I should not feel the death-grip of jealousy wrapping around my insides from finding out she’s going out on a date with another man, she is not mine.
“Can you find out where she is?” Clay asks, and Miranda looks over at him.
“Well… yeah.”
“Do that, baby,” Tucker orders softly, and she looks at me, then bites her lip before pulling out her phone.
After typing, her eyes find mine once more. “What happened between you two?”
“Nothing.”
“Something happened if you’re pissed about her going out on a date with another guy,” Willow says, and I scrub my fingers through my hair.
“Nothing happened.”
“But you want something to happen?” she asks softly, and I suck in a breath.
That’s the real fucking question isn’t it. Do I? Yes. Is it smart? That—I’m not sure about.
Any kind of relationship with Emma would take complicated to a whole new level. She is not a woman I could fuck and walk away from. She’s woven into the tapestry of my family through her close relationship with Miranda, Kingston, and now my brothers, and Winter. Not just that; she deserves someone who is willing to give her all the things she’s looking for, someone who will put in the effort needed to build a healthy relationship.
And I don’t know that I’ve got that in me.
I’ve had one relationship in my life, and it failed miserably, because I’m not the kind of man who’s very good at compromising. I like to be in charge and have a difficult time letting anyone else take the lead.
When Miranda’s phone pings with a text, everyone watches her as she clicks on the message, then her eyes meet mine, and she murmurs, “She’s at The Note.”
The Note. I’ve been there a couple of times. It’s a swanky bar not far from here… and a good place for a first date.