Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
No fucking kidding.
My jaw clenches as I drop my stare to her sassy mouth. “Penny…”
“Stop talking.”
Our gazes meet and there’s amusement in her blazing blue eyes. Fuck if it doesn’t make my dick hard, too. For a girl who’s grumpy as shit, I suddenly feel the urge to amuse her a helluva lot more. My lips quirk up on one side as I let loose a chuckle.
“Fine, brat,” I say with a grumble. “You don’t want to talk to me, I’ll go talk to someone else.”
She kicks out one of her booted feet, planting it between my spread legs. “Stay here, Smash.” Her words are warm and playful.
She leans forward until her face is close to mine. It’s then I notice her AirPods are in. Her blond hair that’s usually in a ponytail is loose and is in messy waves that suit her. I crave to reach out and twist a silky strand around my finger.
I bite down on the inside corner of my bottom lip, roaming my stare over her made-up face to her pink lips. “So you’re going to talk to me?”
Her lip curls up and it’s hella cute. “I guess.”
“Good,” I murmur. “I like talking to you.”
She parts her lips when I toy with the keys hanging from her necklace. I tug on it, pulling her closer.
“I gotta tell you a secret.” I flash her a grin. “Come here.”
A gasp escapes her when I pull her closer to me by her necklace. I pluck the AirPod out of her ear, leaning in to whisper to her. “You look beautiful, mean-ass. So beautiful I can’t stop staring at you.”
“I’m not a ball in your court, player,” she says, pressing a finger to my lips and pushing me away from her.
Her words sting, but I guess I had them coming. It’s not like Cal and I didn’t try to fuck the entire female population in Oregon. There’s no hiding that fact.
“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” I tease, grinning at her.
She does her dramatic eye rolling that has her lashes fluttering wildly. “Go mack on someone else.”
“You’re the only one here.”
Her head cocks to the side, her brows furling. “There are like eight other people here if you count Emilia.”
“I only see you,” I admit.
“Ew. Save it for someone else,” she says, rising to her feet. “I’m not interested.”
Before I can even think about the fact it’s because I look like a fucking train wreck, she swirls around, her finger right in my face.
“And not because of the way you look, Smash. You fucking know it too so stop being dramatic. I happen to think the dents and scars make you look badass.” She holds out her palm. “Give me back my shit.”
I hand her the AirPod, noting her body shivers when my fingers brush against hers. She snatches it away and shoves it into her ear. This time, rather than feeling sorry for myself, I shamelessly check out her ass as she walks away.
Penny has a nice goddamn ass in a pair of skinny jeans.
Jesus.
Cal plops down in her chair, smacking my cheek. “Dude. Stop salivating over jailbait.”
“I’m not…” I trail off and shake my head. “Can you blame me? Look at her.”
He barks out a laugh. “I’m looking and all I see is smartass Penny.”
“In. Fucking. Jeans.”
“Bad idea,” he mutters. “Protective big brother in three, two…”
Hollis sits down on the arm of the chair, frowning at me. “What are you and Penny up to? Lots of secrets going on. You better not be fucking my sister.”
This fucking guy…
“I’m not fucking your sister,” I snap.
I want to…if she were older.
Hollis narrows his eyes at me, reminding me of Penny. “Probably better not even think about it either.”
Cal snorts. “Nice try, rat. He already thought it. Look at his face.”
“Traitor,” I mutter, punching Cal’s knee.
“I like you, Terrence,” Hollis says. “I don’t want to have to bust you in your good eye.”
Cal cracks up laughing, earning another punch by me to his leg.
“He actually fucked your sister, but I can’t even look at your other sister. How is that fair?” I demand. “Penny’s just my mean-ass friend. Nothing more.”
Hollis’s features soften. “She’s not like Charlotte. Penny is different. More vulnerable. Innocent. She needs more protecting.”
Damn right she does.
And I feel like it’s my job to do it, too.
I don’t tell Hollis that.
“Yeah, yeah,” I grumble. “Heard you loud and clear.”
Sure, I heard him.
Doesn’t mean I was listening, though.
All night, I feel like Penny avoids me. She bounces from conversation to conversation, adding in her bitchy two cents, all the while leaving me to stalk her to each one. When Penny gets asked by Roux to hold her baby, Emilia, she tenses and I can tell she doesn’t want to.
“I’ll hold her,” I offer, sitting close to Penny on the sofa.