Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 98134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
“I’m so sorry,” she says, teeth clattering.
“Shit,” I say, managing to get up and extend a hand toward her. She takes it, and her skin is freezing.
When she gets up, her dress finally pulls away from her face enough for me to see her. Her skin is pale and her hair is dark. She has big, bright brown eyes and an upturned nose. She looks like a fucking princess, and she makes my breath catch. Her wedding dress has bits of leaves stuck all in the clingy lace fabric and the hem is torn up to mid-thigh on one side, like it got caught on something. I realize I’m admiring the shape of her leg and blink, forcing my eyes somewhere else. “Come on,” I say, hand still holding hers.
“Should Liam and I wait outside the truck and give you two some privacy?” Carter asks. “I mean, if you guys want us to watch, that’s cool, too.”
“We slipped,” I say. “Can you shut up and help? She’s fucking freezing.”
“Oh, it’s not so bad,” she says through clattering teeth.
“Where are your shoes?” I ask, looking down at her feet, which are covered in dirt.
“I tried to pull a Cinderella. But I lost both shoes instead of just the one. So much for my fairy tale exit, huh?”
Something about her carefree attitude despite a moment in her life that has got to be near rock-bottom strikes me. Her eye makeup is smeared and there’s a twig stuck in her hair. Her car looks like it’s posing as a letter of the alphabet and her wedding dress is covered in dirt. All this, and she’s making lighthearted jokes?
“Did you hit your head?” I ask.
“You know,” she says. “I’m starting to get offended by how often people ask me that.”
“No,” I say. I reach up, gently touching a small cut on her otherwise perfect forehead. “You’ve got a cut. We should take you into town and have the doctor take a look. You could have a concussion.”
“Hear that?” Carter says as we reach the truck.
Liam is giving us a mildly interested look from the back seat.
“Jesse is already trying to convince her to let him play doctor. Don’t listen to him. The only one here who’s qualified to be your doctor is me. I got certified in CPR a few years ago. If you need mouth-to-mouth, I’ll take one for the team and administer it, Jake’s sister.”
She narrows her eyes at him. “My name is Andi. Has Jake really not told you guys my name?”
I open the passenger door for her in the front, jerking my thumb for Carter to get his ass in the back with Liam. “Your brother treats you like a national secret.”
“Same goes for you guys,” she says, lifting her huge dress and trying to get up into the truck. She struggles, so I kneel and thread my hands together, giving her a makeshift step.
She smirks at my gesture, curtseys, then plants her filthy foot in my hand and pauses. “Um, don’t look up while I do this. Jake told me not to mention it, but I kind of went commando under this dress.”
And just like that, my cock, which has been in a state of hibernation since my break up with Sarah, stirs to life. I stare hard at the ground, watching her dirt-stained toes flex as she pushes herself up and crawls into the passenger seat. She shuffles, tucking the dress in around her and then gives me a thumbs up once she’s settled. I close the door for her, shaking my head.
No wonder Jake didn’t tell us about his sister. She’s fucking infectious. If I introduce her to the team, they’re all going to be punching each other out for a chance to make a move on her. The assholes probably won’t even care that she clearly needs some time and space, given the whole runaway bride thing.
I get back behind the wheel and look at Liam and Carter. The expressions on their faces immediately tell me this girl is going to be trouble. I have about thirty minutes to figure out how the hell I’m going to keep them away from her.
“So,” Carter says. “We’ve got a spare bedroom in the cabin, right? If not, she could have my bed. I’ll just sleep on the floor until she’s ready to invite me in. Or if you’re still cold, we could cuddle up for warmth.”
Andi is rubbing her hands together in front of the heaters. She pulls them to her face, pursing her full lips and blowing on them. “Sorry. I know I look like quite the catch, but I’m completely broke. I couldn’t pay for a room at your cabin. I think I’m just going to hide out at a fast food place and wait for my brother to come pick me up.”