Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I am so fucked.
Her cheeks flush with color as her lips part. Those doe eyes of hers blink twice before she nods. “No dogs in the bed. And thanks. Darcy will love his own bed, but I fully expected to sleep on the couch.”
I shake my head. “No need. My bed is available as long as I’m not in it.”
She jerks a bit, and I’m unsure why. I thought she’d be thankful to sleep in a bed instead of on the couch. Why is she looking at me like I kicked Darcy and told her dogs are dumb? I swallow past the lump in the throat. I have the need to ask what is wrong, but she doesn’t give me a chance.
“Cool. I’ll see you Monday morning.”
She doesn’t even spare me a second glance. She gives the boys kisses as Darcy bounces around. She then calls for Darcy, and she’s out the door.
And I’m alone.
The emptiness of my cabin closes in on me.
Gordie lets out a whimper, and I take him by the scruff, petting him softly.
“Same, bud.”
But I don’t elaborate on what I mean or even voice what I’m feeling.
All I know is that the cabin feels dark without the light Clara just brought into it.
CHAPTER 6
Clara
My anger toward Riggs is like blasphemy.
I have no reason to be upset with him.
He wasn’t rude and didn’t speak out of turn. He was kind, and, while still a bit grumpy, he made me a charcuterie board.
My bed is available as long as I’m not in it.
He may as well have slammed the door in my face.
He made his feelings toward me well-known, and I shouldn’t be upset at that. I should be thankful and happy that I can get over my little crush on him. He obviously isn’t feeling me, so why should I feel anything for him? Who cares if I love how dark his eyes are and that I can see little flecks of light brown around the rim of his pupils. How even though his sweats were baggy, they still showcased the thickness of his thighs and the roundness of his ass. His Bears tee was tight against his shoulders, and his biceps bulged out of the sleeves.
Riggs McCoy is way out of my league.
But yet, as I sit across from Gavin Hepworth, the backup goalie for my future brother-in-law and my date for the night, I can’t help but compare him to Riggs.
Pathetic, I know.
He’s the total opposite. Where Riggs is all dark and brooding, Gavin is goofy and light, with blond hair and bright-green eyes. He’s tall, but he lacks the muscles to be able to throw me around. To make me feel small and weak in his hands. I want to be owned, not handled with kid gloves. Gavin doesn’t have the intense gaze that Riggs has, and most of all, he’s missing the Scottish brogue that has me giggling like a schoolgirl.
Yup, Gavin doesn’t even give me the urge to scream his name.
Pity.
My sister and her baby daddy don’t seem to notice my dismay as they stare into each other’s eyes. Alex grins, and Elliot flushes red as he reaches for her, bringing her chair toward him and between his legs as if we aren’t in public, but at home. He presses his forehead to hers, and they just grin at each other. When Elliot jumps a bit, she beams even brighter as she grabs his hands to place on her belly.
While I’m completely disgusted by them, I love how much they love each other and that he’s feeling his child grow inside her. I wasn’t a fan of Elliot hiding her pregnancy the way she did, but it was Austen who thought it’d be better to let her and to play along. I didn’t want to forgive her for lying to me, but Alex, he didn’t care. He only wanted her and their baby.
Swoon.
I roll my eyes at my inner hopeless romantic and meet Gavin’s light gaze. “Sorry, they do this a lot. It’s their world. We’re just living in it.”
He chuckles lightly, and I wonder how it sounds when Riggs laughs.
For the love of God, Clara, get it together.
I exhale as he waves them off. “Try sharing a room attached to theirs.”
I grimace. “God bless, how are you unscathed?”
“Who said I was?” he asks with a wink, and I smile brightly at him. He’s funny. He’s nice. He could be a really good match.
But he’s not Riggs McCoy.
I’ve had crushes, I’ve had infatuations, and while I haven’t been in love, I have gotten over my crushes. So, this shouldn’t be hard for me. I can hook up with Gavin a few times to scratch the itch and then move on once I’m not thinking of Riggs twenty-four seven. But I don’t want to lead Gavin on, and there is a good chance seeing Riggs when I watch the dogs could prolong my crush. If I really wanted to get over Riggs, I should fuck him once to get him out of my system. But that won’t happen if he wants nothing to do with me.