Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 80074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“For your team, not me. Besides, I’m sure you can find one of your groupies—”
“Harley, my dick hasn’t been inside anyone since you.”
“Now I know you’re lyin’. I’ve seen the proof. Remember? I do your laundry.”
He didn’t falter, affirmin’, “I swear on my mother’s grave.”
I jerked back, stunned. Chills suddenly surged throughout my skin, causin’ the hair at the end of my arms to stand straight up.
“Come here.”
I shook my head no.
“Please.”
Still, I shook my head no. I couldn’t move, cemented to the leather seat beneath me.
“Gremlin...”
“Why did you make me believe you were sleepin’ around?”
“I’ll tell you after you come sit on my lap.”
“Jackson, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll answer my question. Now.”
He didn’t budge, not that I expected him to.
Shameless bastard.
Shiftin’ in my seat, I grabbed the bottle of Prosecco chillin’ in the ice bucket and opened it. Gulpin’ down several swigs straight from the bottle.
“Harley, take it easy.”
When I didn’t listen, he grabbed the bottle out of my hands.
“Baby girl—”
“Why would you lie to me?! Huh? Why would you want me to hate you more than I already do?”
“You don’t hate me. You just pretend like you do.”
“Answer my question! Tell me why? After all these years, do you have any idea how many pairs of women’s panties I’ve found in your luggage?”
“No, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
“Seventeen! Seventeen fuckin’ pair! Do you even care how bad that hurt me? How each time hurt me more than the last? Why would you do that to me? Why would you put me through that?”
“Gremlin, if you were hurt by that, you did a fuckin’ amazing job at hiding it.”
“Answer my question! Why would you intentionally hurt me more than you already had?!”
“’Cuz it’s the only way I knew you still loved me!”
I sucked in air, feelin’ as if he just shot me in the chest.
“Jesus Christ, Harley. You won’t even sleep in the same bed as me unless Bailey is with you. And even then, you put her in between us. The only time I can hold you, feel you, is when we’re around our families. A little part of me died the day you told me to go stick my cock in someone else. I’ve been hurting just as much as you have! What other choice did you give me?!”
“Wow...”
“Yeah, no shit. You walk around the house in your little outfits. Do you have any idea the restraint it’s taken not to remind you who you belong to? I should get a goddamn jerking off award for how many times I’ve fucked my fist at the mere sight of you.”
“I can’t believe you have been celibate for this long.”
“Baby girl, let me remind you I’ve been with two people in all my life, and one of them I barely remember ’cuz I was shit-faced every time I fucked her. Imagining it was you just to come.”
I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. Contemplatin’ everythin’ he was communicatin’.
“I’ve never kissed, had any other woman come in my mouth, or made love to anyone other than you.”
I sucked in another breath I didn’t realize I was holdin’. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Just come here. Come to me.”
“I feel like you just dropped an atomic bomb on me. We’ve both hurt each other so much. Where do we go from here?”
“I never wanted to hurt you, Harley. I don’t know what else I can do or say. Shiloh’s forgiven me, and you—”
“Jackson, it’s way more than what happened with Shiloh, and you of all people know that.”
“We were kids. I fucked up. I’m sorry. Think of it this way, we wouldn’t be here with Bailey, and I wouldn’t trade her for anything.”
Talk about feelin’ like shit, he was right. Bailey was worth her weight in gold. She was our everythin’.
“What more can I do to convince you to let us be a family?”
“You’ve confused the term family. It doesn’t have to include me. It’s Bailey you want anyway, and I would never keep her from you.”
“For fuck’s sake. You really believe that, don’t you?”
I shrugged, extremely conflicted.
“If I told you I loved you, would you even believe me?”
Would I?
Does he?
“I know you felt everything I did back at the press conference, and all I did was kiss you. Why do you keep pushing me away? I’m right here. I’m right fuckin’ here. I’ve been standing front and center since day one. Since the first time I ever laid eyes on you.”
“Rudolph, we hated each other.”
“Gremlin, you had to hate me to love me. I don’t give a flying fuck what you say, I know in your heart I’m still the boy you’ve always wanted, needed, loved.”
“I’m so torn and conflicted. I just need some time to think, okay? Can you give me that?”