Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
But apparently, all the parts still worked.
And still wanted.
Curly’s phone rang, dragging her out of her head. “Hey,” he said as a greeting. After nodding and grunting a few times, he left the room.
Rachel couldn’t help but tense at the loss of his presence until she felt Frost’s hand squeeze hers.
“Hey.”
Warm breath tickled her ear and caused a rush of shivery jitters to run down her spine.
“How you holding up?”
She turned her head to find her lips a breath away from his. His melted chocolate eyes burned with heat, and, God, was it desire? For her?
“Good,” she whispered. “I’m good.” She hadn’t drunk nearly as much as the others, unwilling to let her guard down, but she’d had a few beers and a pleasant buzz.
His lips curled in a smirk she wanted to kiss right off his face. “You sure? We’re kinda a lot.”
That had her smiling. “Yes. You are. But as someone who is very alone in the world, you’re all kinda wonderful too.”
His grin faltered. “Alone?”
She shrugged. Way to make it awkward. “Uh, no family. Well, aside from Curly.”
“Same,” he said, and it felt like he could see straight into her soul. Into the loneliness, the longing, the near desperation of being without kin.
“Yeah?” she croaked around a dry throat.
He nodded. “Well, I have them, but we’re estranged. Have been for years.”
Her heart clenched. “I’m sorry.” Being without blood relatives, she couldn’t imagine what could be awful enough to make her walk away from one if she had it, but she’d long ago learned not to judge others’ journeys. Over the years, she’d heard about every tragic story out there from other kids in foster care. The world could be a dark place, and blood didn’t guarantee love.
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as his gaze lowered to her lips.
She sucked in a breath of their mixed air. Being close to him, sharing this experience, and feeling his touch had her head spinning with a delicious floaty sensation she couldn’t blame on the alcohol.
“Frost,” she whispered, though she didn’t know what she was asking for. Did she want him closer? Did he need to back up?
He jolted, and the charged moment evaporated. “What the fuck?” he shouted with a hand pressed to the side of his head as he glared at Spec, who sat across the room wearing a shit-eating grin.
“Sorry, brother,” he said. “It slipped outta my hand.”
Frost bent down and retrieved the plastic reindeer that had assaulted his scalp. “Really?” he asked with a snarl. “Slipped ten fucking feet across the room?”
Spec shrugged. “What can I say? I got butter fingers.”
If he wasn’t a damn prospect, Frost would smack the damn smirk off Spec’s smug face.
Olivia rolled her eyes and whacked her ol’ man on the chest. “Sorry, Frost. He’s an animal. I try to keep him under control, but he’s pretty much feral.”
Rachel frowned. What on earth was that about? Did it have to do with her? Why would Spec chuck a plastic reindeer at Frost’s head? She leaned around Frost to get a peek at his face, then gasped.
“Oh, my God! You’re bleeding.” A trickle of blood ran down Frost’s cheek from a small gash near his hairline. She glared at the man who’d thrown the weapon. Spec shrugged again without an ounce of remorse.
“Seriously?” Liv said. “I’m so sorry, guys. Rach, there’s a first-aid kit in the bunkroom. Why don’t you take Frost in there and patch him up? It’ll be quiet and private.”
Spec’s face screwed up. “Private? What the fuck does that matter?”
Liv whacked him again. “Shut up,” she muttered before beaming at Rachel once again. “Take your time, guys. I’ll make sure no one bothers you.”
“Babe, I’m just looking out for the pr—”
“Scott,” she muttered between clenched teeth. “I’m wearing a sinfully slutty bra and panty set under my clothes. If you ever want to see them, you’ll shut your mouth right now.”
“Have fun, you too,” Spec announced right before grabbing the front of Liv’s sweater and yanking her to him for a filthy kiss.
“What was that about?” Rachel muttered as she stood.
Frost stood as well. “With them, I’ve learned not to ask. Come on. This way.” He scowled and lifted his middle finger to Spec as they walked past, but his hand on her lower back remained gentle.
Together they walked into a quiet room with a few bunk beds. “What is this?” she asked as he shut and locked the door behind him.
“It’s for guys to stay if they’re in town visiting. We have another chapter of our club up in Tennessee. Actually, it’s our mother chapter.”
“Oh.” This entire operation was more involved than she’d thought.
Frost strode over to a closet. After keying a code into the lock, he opened the door and retrieved the first-aid kit. His worn jeans stretched across his ass as he bent over, making her mouth water. Clearly, the man did something right in another life to be blessed with a backside like that.