Total pages in book: 205
Estimated words: 204377 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1022(@200wpm)___ 818(@250wpm)___ 681(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 204377 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1022(@200wpm)___ 818(@250wpm)___ 681(@300wpm)
“Details. Now.” I jab a finger at Leo. “Tell me exactly where you touched her.”
“I require this answer as well.” Kody strides in, wearing thin boxers, shirtless, and wet from the shower.
If he were anyone else, I would accuse him of purposely stealing her attention. Because God give me grace, she’s staring at him as if nothing exists in the world except the best pair of iliac furrows on a zero-fat, lumberjack body.
But this is Kody. He has no idea how goddamn distracting he is.
“Put a shirt on.” I meet those black bear eyes of his.
He doesn’t blink. Doesn’t twitch a muscle.
“Whatever.” I return to Leo. “Start talking.”
“My turn for the shower.” He removes his shirt on the way out, his gaze fixed on Frankie. “Then we talk.”
My brothers are the actual worst.
“You can tell me.” I move to sit beside her hip and note the sweat beading on her forehead. “Where did he touch you?”
She closes her eyes, shutting me out.
“You say we’re friends? So let’s be friends. Tell me what happened.” I feel Kody’s hard glare as I stare at her. “Did Leo kiss you? Lick you? Which parts of him came in contact with which parts of you?”
“Stop.” She takes an audible breath and cages me with bloodshot eyes. “What I do in private with my private parts is exactly that. Private.”
“Lucky for you all my parts are public. Think of the fun we can have.” I angle close to her face, my skin hot with anger. “Word of advice. Don’t lay with the beasts. It’s more demonic than lovemaking.”
Her nostrils release a soft sound, and she rests a hand over her abdomen as pain marches across her pretty face.
“You’re still hurting.” Just like that, concern replaces my jealousy, and I move to retrieve more water.
But Kody beats me to it. Crouching beside the bed, he holds the glass as she drinks. Once it’s drained, she shifts to her back and shuts her eyes.
“He kissed me.” She touches her lips and drops her hand to the bed. “I was in pain, and he kissed me.”
“Where?” My spine stiffens.
“Everywhere.”
My pulse doubles, and my cock thickens. Kody’s thunderous glare and quickening breaths tell me he’s feeling the same conflicting emotions.
“He took the hurt away for a while,” she whispers. “I needed that, so please don’t be mad at him.”
“I get why you need him.” I clutch her hand. “I just wish you needed me.”
“I do.” She squeezes my fingers, her eyes imploring. “I need you more than I need a release.”
Air springs from my lungs. “I can live with that.” For now.
I kick off my shoes, remove my shirt, and crawl onto the full-size mattress behind her.
“What are you doing?” Kody stands, hands balling at his sides.
A trickle of blood drips between his clenched fingers, drawing a gasp from Frankie.
“Did you rip your stitches?” She lurches to a sitting position and instantly moans, gripping her stomach.
“What’s wrong?” He catches her shoulders and helps her lie back.
Right into my arms.
I can definitely live with that.
“She vomited earlier.” I brush the hair from her clammy face.
“Why?” he asks.
“Stomachache,” I say at the same time she says, “Heartache.”
“Let me look at your stitches.” She tries to rise again.
“No.” He nudges her back against me. “Leo ripped them. He can fix them.”
She must feel pretty rough, because instead of arguing, she slumps against my chest.
Kody leaves the room, and a few minutes later, he returns with Leo.
Wearing only pajama pants, Leo studies Frankie’s limp body cradled in the curve of mine.
“Are you okay?” His brow wrinkles.
“It’s been a long day.” Her chest rises and falls. “Can you fix Kody’s stitches?”
He regards her in my arms for another minute, jealousy exploding across his glowering face. Then he grabs the supplies and gets to work.
“We’re leaving in the morning.” He glances at Frankie and back to Kody’s hand. “Heading south to hunt for two weeks.”
“I know,” she says quietly. “I’m going with you.”
“Denver nixed that plan.” I tighten my arms around her.
“That’s why we’re leaving before he wakes.” Leo prods Kody’s stitches.
“Don’t romance me.” Kody growls. “Get in there.”
Leo’s smile becomes feline, and the next sound Kody makes is a grunt of pain.
Idiots.
“If you disobey him,” I say, “there will be hell to pay when you return.”
“Worse than the hell that would befall if we left her here with you?” Leo threads the needle. “Think through that.”
“I’ll take care of her.” The words leave my mouth before I can nibble at them, study them, and digest what they mean.
“We won’t let you do this by yourself.” Kody’s fathomless eyes, the shade of polar night, dare me to argue.
“Do what?” Frankie stirs in my arms. “You’re talking about the bargain. Tell me what it is.”
“Ignore them.” I rest my scowl against her soft red hair. “Let’s play twenty questions.”