Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
A meaty thud made me turn and watch as James took Max down with a hard tackle. They continued grappling for a few minutes before breaking apart and continuing to play.
Still not able to find Jack, I started to take a step away from the obstacle portion when two strong arms encircled me from behind. Trapping me in their steely embrace.
“Jack!” I squealed right before he tossed me over his shoulder.
Not one to waste an opportunity as this one, he made sure to rub my ass through the shorts I was wearing as he climbed the steps into the bounce house. I looked down just in time to see him throw me through the air and land in a puddle of muddy water before diving over the side of the slide and plunging down before I could retaliate.
Looking around the area, I spied a little nook beside the stairs that would conceal me and crawled to it.
“Jack,” I yelled.
“What?” He yelled back suspicion in his tone.
“Do you smell that?” I yelled back.
He poked his head in but didn’t see me. “Smell what?”
Crawling in carefully, I waited for him to turn his back on me before taking out his legs at the knees. He recovered quickly, but by that time, I already had him on his back and my legs straddling his chest. My knees were in his armpits
“What The Rock is cooking!” I whispered, and then went for his nipples.
The man was a freaking rock when it came to anything but his nipples. He could go all day long with you tickling him, but you get anywhere near his sensitive nipples and he goes nuts.
His hands easily caught mine before I did much damage, and held them securely against his chest.
Jack’s laughter shook his chest, and made me very aware that his bare chest was underneath my thighs. “Jack?” I whispered huskily.
His hands ran up my thighs and then spanned the length of my hips. “Yeah?” He answered gruffly.
I leaned forward until my lips were against his ear, grinding myself down against him. “Can you go get the beer out of the car?”
He laughed. “Yeah, Win. I can.”
***
“As long as you’re living my baby you’ll be.” I whispered through my tears, and then gave Cat a kiss on her rosy cheek.
Kodiak gave a doggy sigh as I stepped over his large form taking up most of the space beside the foot of Cat’s bed.
Walking as quietly as I could out of the room, I managed to make it into bed before I broke down in tears. “Dammit, that book gets me every single time!”
He chuckled. “Why do you read it then?”
I sighed. “Because I always wished that my momma would read it to me.”
“You do know that it’s creepy, right?”
“His mother loved him.” I replied angrily.
“His mother was a creeper and a psycho. I mean, who sneaks into their child’s room when they’re an adult?” He asked with a smile in his voice.
“I’m going to.”
“You will not. You’ll get shot.”
“We’ll see.” I said stubbornly.
“You won’t.”
This was a seriously old argument, and I knew that this wouldn’t end well if I didn’t end it myself.
“I would have to say that today was very successful.” I said, snuggling close to Jack.
“Yeah, we’re going to have to add on to the house if she gets any more shit.” He agreed.
“Stormy sent a fucking jungle gym. It’ll get here Tuesday.” I told him.
“Joy to the world.” He said with barely contained enthusiasm.
Not. Stormy wasn’t a real part of our lives now that she moved up north. She came home on holidays, but that was it. She didn’t want anything to do with Texas, and seeing me and my children reminded her of how much she’d screwed up, or so she said.
Although it was devastating not to see her, I knew she needed to be away from here so she could heal. Yet, it wasn’t any easier when I was rewarded with a five-minute phone call every other week.
Shortly after I’d disappeared, my mother had shot herself in front of Stormy, killing both herself and our unborn sister. According to my sister, my mother had told her it was because she was devastated over what she’d witnessed, and, unfortunately, we’d never know.
Jack’s fingers tangled into the hair at the base of my neck. “You’re quiet.”
“Is it bad that I’m happy?” I asked quietly.
“No. Don’t you think we’ve suffered enough?” He asked.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I do.”
“We’ve been lucky so far, but nothing will ever stop me from living each day like it’s the last day of my life. Too much has happened. We’ve lost too much time together. We’ve lost family that we loved. I think it’s time to stop worrying if we should be happy, and just be happy. They’d want that for us.”
“I love you, Jack.”
“Love you too, Win.”