Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
“Mike who?”
“I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “Does it really matter, she has a date.”
I lean against the counter as my stomach turns. I must not know Mike, because I’ve made it clear to everyone that Bre is off limits anytime anyone even mentions her name. She may not be mine, but she’s still mine as far as I’m concerned. “Fuck.” I jerk my fingers through my hair.
“Seriously, language.” Mom tosses a wash rag at me, and I catch it against my chest. “What are you going to do?”
“I’ll tell you what I’m not going to do. I’m not going to wait around for her to be taken from me again.” I watch her pull in a breath as relief fills her eyes.
Chapter 3
_______________
Aubrey
YOU’D THINK A BIRTHDAY party for a four-year-old would be an uncomplicated event. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I should say that’s not the case when you’re trying to set up for a party while attempting to rein in said four-year-old, who has eaten her weight in icing and is now bouncing off the walls. I probably shouldn’t have let her eat the icing from the container while we were making her cake, but there was no way I could say no to her.
“Ly, baby, please stop spinning before you make yourself sick,” I say, watching her giggle as she spins in circles, turning herself into a mummy with the bright pink streamer tape she stole off the table five minutes ago.
“Okay, Mommy.” She falls in a heap on the ground, her arms and legs spreading out wide like a starfish.
Laughing under my breath, I grab another balloon and blow it up, looking toward the hall when someone rings the bell. I glance at Ly, who’s now making snow angels on the carpet, and smile when she starts singing one of the songs from the Disney movie Frozen. “Be right back,” I tell her, heading for the door. When I open it, I’m surprised to see Denver here so early, and even more surprised by the pissed off look in his eyes. Denver has always been even tempered, so if he’s pissed, something big must have happened. “Is everything okay?”
“You have a date?”
It takes a second for his question to register, and when it does, my stomach drops. I asked Shel this morning if she could watch Lyra next Friday; I never even thought about her telling anyone else about my plans. “I—”
Before I can get another word out, he’s in my space. His hand is wrapped around the back of neck, and his mouth is on mine. I’m so stunned by his aggressive maneuver that I completely freeze from head to toe.
“Kiss me,” he demands against my mouth while looking into my eyes, and I lick my lips in nervousness, which means I lick his. “Fuck.” His mouth closes over mine, and I gasp when his teeth nip my bottom lip hard enough to sting. “Open.”
I shake my head, move my hands to his chest, and start to push him away. Instead, I end up clinging to him, digging my fingers into his shirt when his free hand curves around my ribcage, right under my breast, and his thumb sweeps across my nipple. Sensations I’ve never experienced before wash through me, and an “Oh, God” leaves my mouth on a whimper of need. His tongue sweeps between my parted lips and my eyes slide closed. He taste good, like the ocean and sunshine mixed with mint and cherries.
I kiss him back, my tongue toying with his as my fingers dig into the muscles of his chest, trying to pull him as close as possible. I was right all those years ago, when I thought one kiss from him would change my world, because with his mouth and hands on me, nothing outside of us and this moment exists.
“Mommy.” Like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head, Lyra’s distant voice pulls me back to reality, and I drag my mouth from his and shove at his chest to get away.
“Bre.” He reaches out for me when I finally get free, and I stumble back, hitting the wall behind me. I cover my mouth with my hand as I lift my head, and when our gazes connect, I shake my head and hold out my hand to ward him off. “Bre.” He prowls toward me.
He stops suddenly, jerking his head to the left when Ly excitedly shouts, “Denver!” My lungs burn as he picks her up with ease and holds her against his chest. His eyes bore into mine over her shoulder and I look away, my heart beating like crazy and my chest heaving as I try to pull oxygen into my lungs. “Did you come to help us decorate?” Ly questions with a happy smile as she holds on to his face with both her hands so she’s sure to have his full attention.