Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Then the yelling.
It’s Brendan. And he’s angry…
Why did he come back? He made it clear where he stood. He’s no doubt angry that I didn’t accept his proposal.
I sigh, scurrying to my clothes, which I haven’t bothered to put on since our lovemaking earlier, and hurry down the stairs to the back door of the bakery.
I open it. “Would you cut out all that racket?”
He walks past me into the bakery. “You’ve got some explaining to do.”
I scoff. “No, I don’t. I’m just not ready—”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” He runs his fingers through his hair, and it almost looks like a lion’s mane—a red-blond lion’s mane.
“What now?” I set my hands on my hips, trying to maintain a strong stance even though my whole body is throbbing in his presence.
But I don’t feel strong in front of him. I feel…small. Not weak, but small. He is so big, so tall, so muscular… My God, my pulse is racing—and it’s not out of anger or fear.
It’s out of arousal.
“I just had an interesting chat with your cousin.”
I can’t help a smirk. “You’ll have to tell me more than that. You know I have many cousins.”
He doesn’t reply.
“I hope you’re not talking about Pat Lamone.”
“For Christ’s sake, Ava. I’m talking about Donny. Donny and Callie were just at the bar because I had some questions.”
“What kind of questions?”
“About the insurance claim on my place. You see, I got an interesting phone call once I left here. Seems my claim hasn’t even been adjusted yet. They were calling to apologize for the delay.”
I bite my lip, fiddle with my lip ring.
“Stop doing that. You know how that makes me—” He grabs me, crashes his lips to mine.
I open for him. It’s instinct, pure and simple. Our bodies speak to each other. Even when our minds are angry, our bodies speak to each other in passion and desire.
He breaks the kiss almost as suddenly, wiping his mouth. “Fuck it all.”
“Brendan…”
“I just have one question for you, Ava. Did you know? Did you know that your fucking family paid for my so-called insurance claim?”
“I…”
“Just answer, damn it.”
“I did, Brendan. I did—”
He opens his mouth, but I hold up my hand to stop him.
“Wait just a minute. I only just found out. Brock told me.”
I let out a breath. “Good old Brock.”
“And I told him how much you would hate it.”
“I do hate it, but here’s the question, Ava. Why didn’t you tell me? As soon as you found out, you should’ve told me.”
I bite my lip again, fiddle with my ring, and then I stop. He’s going to accuse me of turning him on again.
Hell, what do I care? So I fiddle with my lip ring. If it turns him on, good.
He stands rigid beside me, clenching his jaw.
“I don’t know why I didn’t tell you.”
“Did Brock tell you not to?”
I rack my brain. Did he? Right now all I can think about is that kiss.
“Honestly, I don’t remember, Brendan. Maybe he did, and maybe he didn’t.”
“It’s irrelevant. You should’ve told me when you found out. How are we supposed to have a relationship when you keep secrets from me?”
“I… I knew it would upset you, and—”
He drops his gaze and turns away from me. “So you decided, unilaterally, not to tell me. Great.”
I grab his shoulders and force him to turn around and face me. “It’s not that simple, Brendan, and you know it.”
“It’s every bit that simple, Ava. Every bit. I love you, damn it. I love you, and I want a life with you. I would put a ring on your finger right now, and, thanks to your family’s meddling in my insurance claim, I can afford one.”
“Brendan, I already told you that—”
“Yeah. You told me, didn’t you? You told me you had to deal with your family first. Before you could make a commitment to me. I get it. I do…but this new development that you didn’t tell me about…” He shoves his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know where I fucking stand anymore.”
“Brendan, no. You know where you stand. I love you!”
“Do you? Do you fucking love me, Ava? Because you show it in a really strange way.”
I run to him then, grab on to him, melt my body into his.
His arms don’t go around me. He’s stiff as a board.
I pull away, and I do something that I know I’ll regret later.
I purposefully tug on my lip ring, run my tongue around it.
Knowing that it will arouse him.
It does just that.
He stalks toward me like a wolf, grabs me, smashes his lips to mine again.
It’s an open-mouthed kiss. An animalistic kiss. Tongues and teeth everywhere, passion and desire exuding.
And anger. Anger overshadowing it all.
Not just on his part but on mine as well. He’s accusing me of keeping things from him. He’s right, but he doesn’t understand the need I have to figure this out for my family.