Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
“Tall, dark, and handsome, tattoos slinking out from under his t-shirt.”
“It was probably Ace. He was worried about me yesterday at the station.”
“Hun, I’ve met Achilles. This was not him.”
My heart races at the possibility of Major coming here.
“Bea, you have the girl ready to crawl out of her skin. Did you notice anything else?” Janice scolds.
“The young man had deep blue eyes, almost the color of the night sky.”
At this description, my heart does an all-out pitch to the ground and I lose my breath.
“Are you sure?” I croak over the dryness in my throat.
Ronnie presses on my hand, holding the wine, urging me to take a sip. I do, letting the alcohol calm me. My already light buzz takes off into dangerous territory.
“I think she knows him.” Bea sits back with a triumphant grin.
“It sounds like Major Powers. He’s one of Ace’s best friends.”
“Is he—? Was he the other guy who—”
“Was shot? Yes.” I finish for Bea.
“Another member of the Casanovas?” Janice’s voice takes on excitement.
“Yes, one of the Casanovas.”
The rumor of the Casanova club started when Major, Ace, Ford, and Talon joined the force. They live in a high-affluent neighborhood, in a mansion on a hill. Someone started early on that the guys had a rotating door of women and parties that spread widely.
Harley and I found out firsthand none of the hype was true. We now embrace the Casanova Club as a term of endearment.
I shared this with my neighbor crew a few months ago during one of our cocktail hours.
“He’s a stud.”
I cringe and shake my head rapidly. “Nooooo, Bea. Don’t say that. I’m a Kentucky girl that grew up in an equestrian family. Stud takes on a new meaning.”
Moonlight Prince, one of our farm’s prized stallions, flashes in my head.
“I want the story,” Ronnie speaks up, giving me ‘the look’.
In for a penny, in for a pound. I take another swig of the wine and hand over my glass for a refill. This story will take more liquid courage.
“I’m insanely attracted to Major. Have been for years. Met him at Harley’s grandfather’s funeral, and I almost swallowed my tongue at first glance. But it wasn’t the right time. He was active military, I was finishing my MBA, and I figured we may never see each other again.
“Then he moved here with Ace and the guys. We danced around each other for a while. Ace and Harley got together permanently, and that meant more time together. We flirted. We joked. He let down his guard, showing he’s not always so serious. I made a move.”
The three women sit forward, their faces brimming with curiosity.
“I crashed and burned.” This time, I basically pour the wine down my throat and shove the empty glass at Ronnie. She complies, handing it back with an encouraging chin dip. “He’s serious and a bit of a square. He carries some kind of baggage and said I’m a bit wild for him.”
“That man doesn’t seem square at all.” Bea’s skeptical.
“Maybe square is the wrong word. He’s straight-forward, disciplined, mysterious, tight-in-his-own-right. And I get it. He’s a decorated Marine and fighter. His walls are high and he’s intense. I was okay with the slow approach.”
“Slow is good. Slow is how us oldies used to roll,” Janice informs me.
“I thought we may be on the right track. Before Christmas, there was a party. Major was different that night, affectionate in his way. Things were promising.”
“Oooh, I like this story.” Bea shimmies in her chair, sipping her own wine.
I take another gulp, now on the verge of totally spilling your guts, highly-buzzed Jewls. “Don’t get too excited. That’s the night he was called up, and they left.”
“And he was injured.”
At the time, I glossed over the details with these ladies, stressing Ace’s recovery. Mentioning Major seemed too risky.
I’ve held my feelings for Major close to my chest, not wanting to admit how much his constant rejection hurts.
“The bullet lodged in his chest cavity, pierced his lung. It could have been much more serious, but these guys are superheroes. I’m surprised the bullet didn’t bing off his chest of sculpted steel.”
I picture the hard planes and rippling muscles of his body. The ink covering his upper chest and arms. The sequence of numbers curling on his pectoral muscle that are dates he survived certain missions. All the guys have identical dates in the same place.
“When Harley and I heard the guys were shot, a friend warned us to prepare for anything when they got home. Major returned with his usual disposition, and I let it roll. He hasn’t flirted with me since. Nothing, not even a lingering look. That was almost six weeks ago.”
“Is he slow? Maybe the injury caused damage elsewhere?” Janice taps her temple.
“No.” I shake my head. “He’s perfectly cognitive. He’s brilliant, actually. Last weekend, we were all hanging out, and I heard about a case he cracked by noticing an inconsistency in the evidence. He and Ace will be released from desk duty soon.”