Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“All done.”
“Elara, no, leave the door closed!”
She jiggled the primitive knob and the door opened. Old houses didn’t have dependable locks.
“Shit!” I was mid-stream and couldn’t reach the door. “You’re supposed to be studying my form, brat. You could at least shut the door.”
“Shit!” She left me there—ass out, scrambling for toilet paper as she went to find her father.
“Turncoat!” I quickly yanked up my pants, washed my hands, and went after her.
“Where are you rushing off to, Rayne?”
I halted and frowned at Seraphina, who looked…tousled.
Oh, God. I sure hoped she didn’t do the nasty with Captain Stubing. He was part of the drunk debauchery in the parlor.
“Elara’s on the run.” I looked her up and down. “Where have you been?”
She drew back. “What’s that look?”
“Were you with that guy?” I whispered, just wanting to get to the tea.
She laughed. “Yes, but nothing happened. Carlisle’s an old friend of Daddy’s.”
Old was the key word. “So, you’re not into him?”
“God no!” She laughed again. “I have my eyes on someone else.”
“Really?” This I needed to hear. “Who?”
She glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “He’s actually here today. Have you met Alexander Landry?”
My curiosity morphed into disappointment. “Oh. Him. Yeah.”
“He’s so hot. Those dark eyes and that tanned skin.” She blew out a breath. “The things I could do to that man.”
“He’s sort of an odd duck.”
“The good ones always are.”
“And I think he might have a gambling problem.”
“Well, with his net worth, he can afford to.”
I forced a fake smile and decided to leave it alone. Plenty of people probably thought I was an odd choice when Hale picked me. “Well, he was in the kitchen if you’re looking for him.” Maybe she could drag him out of there.
She frowned. “Xander was?”
“Yeah. We were making a pie and—What are you doing?” I was shoved back into the powder room as Seraphina shut the door.
“It’s Barrett and McKinsley.” She cracked the door and spied on the couple.
“So why are we hiding in the bathroom?” I whispered.
“Because I think he’s trying to dump her on someone so he can hang with the guys. I’m not getting wrapped up in babysitting unless it’s for Elara.”
The couple chatted as they passed the powder room. Well, McKinsley chatted. Barrett seemed to be ignoring her.
“I don’t know why he does this,” Phina hissed. “Every holiday he brings some bimbo to shield himself from Daddy. Then he gets tired of her by day two.”
A shield or a security blanket? These Davenport holidays were exhausting. “I’m guessing you don’t like her.”
“Last night she talked to me for twenty-five minutes about cuticle care.”
I had a hard time judging what self-care topics were green-lit and blackballed in Seraphina’s world, so I just nodded like I understood why cuticle care was bad. “I just bite my nails.”
“That’s disgusting, Rayne.”
“Bear,” McKinsley mewled, tugging Barrett’s hand like a child. “Let’s ride into town and see what shops are open.”
“Nothing’s going to be open this late in the day.”
“You don’t know that. I saw a few jewelers on the way in.”
Both Phina and I rolled our eyes.
I sniffed her head. “What kind of shampoo do you use? Your hair smells like a lollipop.”
“It’s custom made. I order it from a boutique in Paris.”
“So, not something I can pick up at Target?”
“No.”
Barrett turned McKinsley’s back to the wall, and they kissed. “Well, that’s one way to shut her up.”
“I’d say.”
“Holy crap.” I knew I shouldn’t be watching but I also couldn’t look away. It was like fresh, red district porn. I glanced at Phina. “How are you not grossed out by this?”
“They’re just kissing.”
No. That was a lot more than a kiss. This was old school, hip gyrating, dry-humping, bump-n-grinding. “Looks French.”
“He kisses every woman like that.”
McKinsley let out a low, sexual moan.
“That’s it.” I flushed the toilet and turned the faucet on full blast, alerting the couple that someone was in the bathroom. “I’m out of here.”
Barrett sprung away from McKinsley the moment I opened the door. “Meyers.”
“Davenport.” I kept my head down. “I was just…you know.” I left Phina in the bathroom to figure her own way out.
Back in the kitchen, Elara was preoccupied with her father as he took direction from Penny and molded the pie crust onto a beveled pie plate. Xander was still there, standing at Hale’s back, bird-dogging the whole display. They both looked up and smiled when I entered.
Weird.
“Hey.” I said, sidling up to my mother. The air smelled delicious, and the Christmas music was an instant mood-setter. I peeked at what Marta was concocting. “That smells divine, Marta.”
“You will love it, Niña. And I make extra so that you can freeze it for home.”
I kissed her sweet head. “Thank you.”
Hugo grimaced. “Too many people. You are all in my way.”
“Hugo,” I said, coming to peek at what he was cooking. “You know, for a guy who literally has the word hug in his name, you’re about as cuddly as a cactus.”