Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“Joshlyn! Finn’s gonna bring us ice cream!” he says, making Josslyn laugh.
The sound makes my chest ache a little. I force myself to look at her, and once again, struggle to breathe. She’s wearing a red one-piece bathing suit that dips to the valley of her breasts. It’s a conservative swimsuit, one even my mom would wear. But dear God, on Josslyn, it looks obscene. Even more so now that I know every dip and curve underneath it. I try to fight myself from drinking her in, but I fail miserably. Fuck. Everything about this woman is…
“Here you go,” Liam says suddenly, and tosses me a bottle of water. I catch it midair and thank him.
“Ice cream is for after we eat our lunch,” she says sternly, looking at Theo before she glances over at me. “Hey, Finn.”
“Hey.” I clear my throat. She didn’t miss me checking her out. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Jesus. What is wrong with me? I uncap the water bottle in my hand and take a small sip. Maybe drinking will keep me from saying stupid shit until one of us leaves the kitchen.
“I didn’t know you’d be here either.” Her eyes sparkle as she says it, and I swear, she’s picking up on my discomfort. She smiles at me, then Liam. “Have fun golfing.”
“Have fun pretending you’re a mermaid.”
She tilts her head. “How am I supposed to do that if Prince Charming is going golfing?”
I nearly choke on my water. Is she referring to me? I cap it and cough once, then twice, and finally, I clear my throat. Liam and Josslyn are both looking at me. Thankfully, Theo the inquisitor is busy putting his toys in a bag.
“I’ll only be gone a few hours. Maybe we’ll have time to role-play when I get back,” he says, making her laugh hard.
I, on the other hand, am now glaring at him. Role play? This man is engaged! The words are on the tip of my tongue when Josslyn speaks again.
“I guess I know what I’m getting you and Sarah for your wedding.”
“Oh, she’ll love that.” He laughs again.
I still don’t find it funny.
Josslyn snorts a laugh and reaches her hand out. Theo automatically takes it with a huge smile on his face, and I realize he’s completely enamored with her. Of course, he is. Who the fuck isn’t?
“Let’s go,” she says. “The sun is beaming today and your mom wants us out before noon.”
“Why?” Theo argues as they start walking to the back door.
“Because you get red as a tomato.”
“So?”
“Sunburns hurt.”
“Do you get sunburned?”
“Not as easily as you.” She opens the door and Theo steps out, dropping a few toys, which she bends over to pick up. I’m going to die in this kitchen.
“Why not?” Theo asks.
“Because my skin is much darker than yours.”
“Your skin isn’t...” His words are cut off by the glass French door shutting between us, but I can’t seem to tear my eyes away as I watch them.
When they get to the edge of the pool, Josslyn bends over and whips her hair forward to gather it. She puts it in a messy bun and starts laughing at whatever Theo is telling her. I watch as she lathers him up with sunscreen, even lifting his shirt before she applies some on herself. Everything she does is riveting—the way she laughs, talks, and reprimands him.
“Uh, Finn?”
I blink at the sound of my name and nearly jump out of my skin when I notice that both Liam and Lachlan are standing there watching me. I shake myself out of the spell Josslyn clearly cast on me and greet Lachlan. It’s not until we’re at the front door that whatever is lodged in my chest loosens. Space. That’s the cure for this.
“You’ve got it bad, bro.” Lachlan laughs, shaking his head. “Look at you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I try to lengthen my stride, but it’s no use since we’re about the same height.
“You should’ve seen his face when I told Joss we’d role-play later,” Liam says, laughing his ass off, which of course makes Lach laugh his ass off.
I glare at both of them as I open the driver's door and pop the trunk for clubs. “I just thought it was an interesting choice of words, considering you’re an engaged man now and too old for your nephew’s babysitter.”
They laugh harder. I turn the car on, my grip tight on the wheel as I back out of the driving space.
"Joss likes older men," Liam says, earning a glare from me.
Beside me, Lach, who's on his phone, laughs. She doesn't like older men. Tate’s only four years older than her. I'm four years older than her.
“She’s not just my nephew’s babysitter,” Liam adds, eyes sparkling in the rearview mirror. I wait for him to say something else that’ll piss me off, but he says, “She’s family," and adds, “and Sarah’s the one who calls it role-playing when Joss and I play pretend with Theo. It's become a joke in our family.”