Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
She kind of thought the answer was the same to both questions. A big old resounding no.
“The twins will take care of you.” Lucas looked like a younger version of their father. While she’d gotten their mom’s red hair, Lucas’s was a sandy blond and was always the tiniest bit overgrown. “Uncle Ian’s going to be there. I’m not worried about it. They swear your part is minor, and Kala will be with you all the time.”
“Yeah, she’s promised we’ll have so much fun.” She still had some aches and pains from her cousin’s version of fun.
Lucas frowned, getting to his point. “But I want to know why you’re giving Tristan a second chance. He’s broken your heart over and over again. You should know I’m going to talk to David and Kyle about this.”
Their older brothers. David and Kyle were from their mom’s first marriage, but the half-brother status meant nothing. They were a family, and she knew how they would react. David would say she’s an adult and they should support her choices. Kyle would get pissed off and go all “protect the women,” and then his kickass wife would kick his ass and get him on the “Carys is an adult” bandwagon. So realistically she was only dealing with the youngest of her brothers. “I don’t know I am. Giving him a second chance. I told Tristan plainly this doesn’t mean anything.”
“You’re going to fuck him. I would say it means something.”
She felt her brows rise. “I’m surprised you would say sex has meaning at all. Did it have meaning when you took home those two friends of Devi’s who were visiting? How about the night after those two when you went home with the new server? Does Dad know how many decent servers he’s lost because you can’t keep your dick in your pants?”
Her brother flushed. “It’s diff…”
She pointed his way. “You better think before you finish that sentence. You want to tell me it’s different because I’m a woman? Is it different for all the women you go through? Or are they different from me? Do you have, maybe, a name you like to call them to differentiate from the women like me?”
A whistle came from her left and there was Tristan, leaning against the wall looking fucking delicious in his leathers. He was six foot three inches of gloriously decadent male, and there was something primal about him. Tris tended to dress well in his daily life, to look like he could be walking a runway in Milan, every inch the modern, stylish man. But in leathers, he was stripped down to the predator he hid under expensive shirts and tailored trousers.
Her brain and her heart were definitely quieter than her pussy in this moment. Aidan was right. Her lust had taken over, and she wasn’t thinking about anything but how good it would feel to be with them tonight.
“You do not want to poke that particular beast, Lucas,” Tristan said, winking her way. “I would definitely not finish the sentence.”
Her brother frowned, obviously not as impressed with Tris’s smoldering sensuality as she was. “I’m trying to take care of my sister. She hasn’t exactly dated a lot. She doesn’t have the same experience. And you know I’m always open and honest about what I’m looking for. I never lead anyone on. Any woman I spend time with knows I’m not looking for anything long term. You lied to my sister.”
Tristan straightened up, getting serious. “I did. I thought I was doing the right thing at the time, but I have to face the fact that I hurt her. I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back. Even if it means leaving my job.”
News to her. News she wasn’t sure she believed. After all, the source had proven himself unreliable. “You’re never leaving the Agency.”
“I’m leaving the military,” Tris said, going sincere. “I’ll only be working for Uncle Ian’s team, so my schedule will look a lot like the twins’ does. I’ll spend a good deal of time here in Dallas. If it’s not enough, then I will quit everything and I’ll work for my father.”
Lucas studied him for a moment. “You’re going to take care of her? Because she hasn’t been the same since you left. Aidan loves her, but he can’t top her the way you do. She needs a strong top or she buries herself in work. Aidan needs one, too. They’ve always needed you to balance them, and you fucking left them alone.”
“Lucas,” she began, surprised her brother had seen those truths about her. She’d thought she kept those hidden.
Tristan held up a hand. “No, he’s right, and it’s nothing I haven’t already been faced with today. I got a lecture from my fathers earlier today. They said the same thing. I went into the military to prove something. To myself. To my dads. Probably to Carys and Aidan, too. They’ve always been so focused, and I was left out. I needed to prove I could do something that wasn’t handed to me. Everyone expected me to take my place at Papa’s company and someday take over. I needed a career that was mine. I did it, and now it’s time to come home and appreciate everything I have. Had.”