Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
“What the fuck are you doing?” I hear Thayer ask.
“Well, I was enjoying a soak in the hot tub. Now, I’m going to bed.”
“You know what I mean. What are you doing with Valen?”
There’s a pause, and I hold my breath, waiting for Holden’s answer, hoping he doesn’t throw me under the bus.
“Pissing her off, mostly. Why do you care?”
“Find someone else,” Thayer says cryptically.
“To piss off?”
“To stick your dick in. If this shit gets ugly and somehow fucks shit up with Shayne and me—”
“Calm down. I was bored and she was the only one awake. Nothing happened. End of story.”
I clench my jaw, refusing to acknowledge the sting of embarrassment at his words. I shouldn’t be surprised. This is Holden we’re talking about. He just fingered me in the jacuzzi, for Christ’s sake.
“If you’re bored, read a book,” Thayer says. I don’t stick around to hear the rest of the conversation.
I slink down the hall and into my room, resisting the urge to slam the door a little harder than necessary. I don’t waste any time stripping off my wet bathing suit, letting the top and bottoms land on the carpeted floor with a wet thud. After getting dressed, I run into the bathroom to hang my suit. I consider showering. I need to wash the chlorine—and the Holden—off me, but I’m not risking running into anyone else again tonight.
Holden
I didn’t get a chance to talk to Valen last night after I gave her the orgasm of her life. Thayer’s nosy ass held me up with his spiel while I stood there trying to conceal the raging hard-on in my shorts. By the time I got upstairs to talk to her, her—my—door was closed. I debated on stealing my bed back, but thought better of it, deciding that I prefer to keep my balls intact. Balls that were blue courtesy of Valentina Solorio for the second time in my life. I went back to my room both horny and frustrated—never a good combination.
Something about the way Thayer warned me away from her for the second time pissed me off, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. It’s not like I want to date her. But he should know that the second you tell me something is off-limits, I only want it more.
After replaying visions of Valen coming in my arms, I stared at the wooden beams in the ceiling until the early hours of the morning before I finally passed out. Soon after, Ryan came back, and judging by the smile on his face and the scratches down his back, I’d say he had a good time. He only stuck around long enough to pack up his stuff, and then he had to head back to campus. As much as I hate the fact that I’m not playing with the team yet, I’m glad I don’t have to rush back for practice after a night of drinking and fucking. Better him than me.
By the time he left, and I managed to fall back asleep, it was probably close to eight o’clock. The sound of dishes clanking around has me rolling over to check the time with a groan. Grabbing my phone from the bedside table, I see that it’s 11:08. Knowing I won’t be able to fall back asleep even if I tried, I swing my legs over the bed and reach for the gray sweats I left on the floor. I shove my feet in, then pull them up my legs, not bothering with a shirt. At the bottom of the stairs, I catch sight of snow falling outside the window. When I follow the noise to the kitchen, I stop short, rubbing my eyes to make sure I’m seeing this right.
Shayne’s bending over to check something in the oven, Thayer seems to be chopping something up at the counter, and Valen’s pouring what looks like champagne into a flute of orange juice while the sound of Christmas music floats from the portable speaker.
“Well, isn’t this domestic as fuck,” I grumble, moving farther into the room.
“Say one fucking word,” my brother warns, pointing the knife at me.
Shayne shuts the oven door, but before she does, I catch a glimpse of the turkey inside. “Merry Christmas Eve!” she says, then frowns. “You look like shit.”
“Couldn’t sleep.” I hazard a glance at Valen who avoids my gaze with a scowl on her pretty face as she studies the contents of her glass as if it holds the secrets to the universe. “What’s all this?” Every single inch of the counters is covered in food and bowls and…chaos.
“Turns out, Christmas dinner takes a lot of preparation.” Shayne uses the back of her hand to swipe a piece of hair away from her face.
“So you decided to start a day early? At eleven A.M.?”