Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 89012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
He’s almost as hot as Maddox.
“Nope. You aren’t invited into this conversation,” Maddox says, making Jess and me laugh. “Don’t you knock? Or call before you come?”
“You know, I’m truly sorry. It took you guys, what, almost thirty years to admit that you want to pleasure each other?” Jess asks.
Maddox’s face twists, so I hop in before he can get angry.
“No, Jess,” I say, scoffing. “We admitted that years ago.”
I blow Maddox a kiss, watching with amusement as his eyes go wide and then dark.
Go. Now.
“I’ll leave you guys to it,” I say. “Talk to you soon, Mad. Bye, Jess.”
I think I hear Maddox threaten to slice his brother’s throat as I shut the door behind me.
SIX
Maddox
“She’s got a nice ass on her,” Jess says, whistling between his teeth. “And when she says my name with those pouty lips …”
I glare at him. He holds his hands up in front of him in defense. “Sorry.”
“Did Dad send you over?” I ask, hoping to pivot the conversation away from Ashley. I can’t have a conversation with my brother with a hard-on.
Jess takes the bait and yawns. “He did. My crew is just about finished with our last renovation for him. We’ll have to go help Moss out with a couple of things, but we should be ready for you soon. A couple of weeks max.”
“Good. I have something for you. Gimme a second.”
I dig around my desk and pretend to search for the file that’s next to my phone. I need a minute.
Ashley’s perfume lingers, and I can still feel the place where her arm touched mine while she stood next to me. It’s so fucking stupid to fixate on these things, but I’m having a hell of a time shaking it off like I usually do.
I didn’t sleep worth a shit last night. I kept replaying our conversation from La Pachanga.
“It’s just really easy to forget who you are and what you need if you aren’t careful.”
That line keeps rolling around my head. It’s so fucking true. I’ve noticed that in my own life lately—how you eventually accept things just because you forget to contest them. You get too busy going with the flow, too unwilling to rock the boat, and before you know it, you become this person with this life that you didn’t really plan. You have thoughts and assumptions about the world—and yourself—and you can’t even remember why.
It makes me wonder what part of her she forgot and what needs weren’t being met.
I’m so curious. I’m also irritated that I don’t already know.
“Oh, here it is,” I say, acting like I found the file. “This is going to be first, I think. The contract gets signed at the end of the month. Dad looked at everything and approved it.”
Our parents, Kix and Damaris Carmichael, are two of the hardest-working people I’ve ever known. How they created a mini-empire and raised six kids is beyond me. And most of us didn’t turn out so bad.
Foxx, my oldest brother, and Paige, my baby sister, are the only two that don’t have some connection to the family businesses.
Laguna Homes was started before Foxx was born. My brothers Moss and Jess fell naturally into place leading the construction and renovation of homes the company purchases. Although Banks owns a car restoration business, he jumps in every now and then when someone gets in a bind. I use my real estate license to help Laguna find and sell properties, as well as working on my own projects.
From time to time, I’ll have a buyer that wants a custom renovation. I hook them up with my father and our businesses merge.
Benefits of having a large family.
Jess and I yawn at the same time.
“You didn’t sleep either?” I ask.
“I stayed up watching Netflix and completely overestimated my ability to run on three hours’ sleep. There wasn’t coffee strong enough this morning.”
“I think I got two solid hours before the alarm went off.”
“What kept you up?”
Before I can answer, my phone buzzes with a text. Even though I don’t know the number on the screen, I unlock it and read the message.
Flamingoes can sleep standing on one leg.
What?
I look up at Jess. “Flamingoes can sleep standing on one leg.”
“What the hell?”
“I have no idea,” I say, laughing. “That was just texted to me.”
“From whom?”
“Fuck if I know.”
Me: They must not skip leg day.
I wait for a response. None comes.
Me: Who is this?
Still, nothing.
“Who was it?” Jess asks.
“I don’t know. They didn’t answer.” I shrug and toss the phone back on my desk.
Jess leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I heard Ashley is a runaway bride.”
And, just like that, my body temperature rises two degrees.
Unable to sit still, I shift in my seat. “Yeah. How did you know that?”
“Moss. He ran into her at Smokey’s this morning.” His grin makes the corners of his eyes wrinkle. “He said she’s looking good. I’ll have to tell him that I concur.”