Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
One kiss became another and another, and as I whimpered and whined against him, grinding my hard groin into his thigh, he put his hands on my ass.
“Bathroom?” I whispered hotly against his lips.
He shoved me off him, both of us panting, his dilated pupils a treat to see. “I am not fucking you in a bathroom stall at the airport.” He sounded indignant.
“Why not?”
He grabbed my wrist and yanked me after him, toward where the others had gone. “Because I don’t do that anymore.”
I scoffed.
“I don’t! I’m a grown-up now.”
“I see.”
He growled. “You’re special. I won’t fuck you in some place that’s not.”
The man was a grouchy mess, and I loved it. “That’s not what you said the first day I met you,” I taunted. “You were gonna do me in your car.”
“Five years ago!” he reminded me loudly.
“Oh, okay.” I chuckled.
“I know your whole family now, for fuck’s sake.”
“Which has what to do with anything?”
He rounded on me. “Your father, both your brothers, they like me. Do you know when I’ve had that before?”
“No.”
“Never. I’ve never had that. So I have a chance here to have everything I’ve ever wanted: a man I love and a family that wants me. Why would I do anything to fuck that up?”
He had no idea what he was really saying to me, but that was okay. I knew. “Okay,” I soothed, leaning in and wrapping my arm around his waist. “Let’s catch up with the others since you’re supposed to be protecting Celia too.”
“Inside this airport is the safest she’s gonna be this whole trip,” he assured me, exhaling a sharp breath, wrapping his arm back around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
“I have no doubt, but, um,” I pried playfully, “I can get laid in bed tonight, right? Bathrooms are off your list, but beds are still on?”
He untangled himself from me, scowling, and walked quickly away.
I cackled as I followed. “Please, baby.”
“I will end you!” he shouted as he strode quickly through the terminal.
“No you won’t.”
His growling was really hot.
Everyone was still waiting for the luggage, and when we got there and Breckin saw us, I smiled automatically. I saw no reason to be combative with him, so I promised myself that I would concentrate on getting along.
When Cord bent to ask me what my luggage looked like, I put my hand on the side of his face when I answered. Now that I could touch him, I didn’t plan to miss out on any opportunity to do so.
Outside the baggage claim, two cars were waiting for us. Cord and I went with Breckin’s siblings in a Lexus SUV, and Breckin and Celia went with his parents in a chauffeured Chevy Suburban. Cord chatted easily with Bethany and Brian, and I was thinking that all this had to be weird for them. They hadn’t seen their brother in person for more than eighteen years, and the fact that he was suddenly home must’ve been a little overwhelming if the way they both had stared at him was any indication.
“This must all be a lot,” I said once we were inside.
“It’s just the seeing-him part,” Bethany explained. “I mean, we’ve heard from him over the years, he calls, we call, and we all follow each other on social media.”
“He’s just never been back,” Brian chimed in.
“Well, it’s good he is now, then.”
“Yes,” Bethany agreed, and I could tell she was feeling a bit emotional with the way her voice went out on her.
I couldn’t imagine not seeing my family, but not everyone’s worked like mine. Not that it was anything I had to worry about, not anymore, but the why of it all intrigued me.
The drive to the Alcott home was beautiful, the countryside breathtaking, awash in fall colors.
“Vermont is gorgeous,” I said in awe.
“It is,” Brian agreed, smiling in the rearview mirror.
“Wait until we go through the covered bridges,” Bethany said. “You’re going to love it.”
We took 89 from the Burlington Airport past Colchester and kept going north.
“What are we close to?” I asked.
“We’re passing Malletts Bay,” Brian said. “You can’t see it from here, but that’s where we are. I’ll turn off soon, and we’ll head west toward Lake Champlain.”
“So your house is on the lake?”
“No, we’re farther inland, but it’s only, like, a half hour or so to the water if you want to go. We’re going to pass over three or four covered bridges on the way.”
“Oh, I can’t wait. I just love it here,” I told him, reaching over to take hold of Cord’s hand. I felt him squeeze back, but I didn’t turn to look at him.
When we finally turned off the highway, we drove down country roads, and all I saw were the colors of fall—auburn, gold, red, mahogany, and brown. The birch trees, aspen, and dogwood were like something out of a magazine.