Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Read Online Books/Novels: | Opposition (NYC Doms #6) |
|---|---|
Author/Writer of Book/Novel: | Jane Henry |
| Language: | English |
| Book Information: | |
I hate Liam Alexander. I hate his Rolex. I hate his scowl. I hate everything his multi-billion-dollar company stands for. When the pompous, rich, arrogant jerk comes strutting into the coffee shop, I barely manage civility. But people make mistakes, and when I screw up, it's epic. I never expected the jerk would actually be a well-respected member of Club Verge. I never should have trusted the masked stranger when he beckoned me. I never should have taken him up on his offer. And the biggest mistake of my life? Letting him kiss me. | |
| Books in Series: | NYC Doms Series by Jane Henry |
| Books by Author: | Jane Henry Books |
One
Cora
“It’s the justice of the situation, Chandra,” I tell her, while I push the button to grind the coffee beans. The fragrant aroma makes my stomach growl with hunger, which doesn’t even make logical sense because you don’t even eat coffee. “The separation of the classes in this city is just utterly maddening.”
“I agree, honey,” Chandra says, waddling over to me with a large sleeve of paper cups. Chandra’s hugely pregnant and ready to pop. We met in college a few years ago and became fast friends, so when my life imploded a few months ago, Chandra was the one who got me the job here at Books and Cups. Petite, with dark, coffee-colored skin and vibrant brown eyes, Chandra is beautiful. Pregnancy becomes her, as she’s grown pleasantly plump and fairly glows. Leaning against the counter, she rests a hand on the enormous bulge of her abdomen and giggles. “And apparently, the baby does, too.”
“Awww,” I say. “Is she kicking again?”
“He.” Axle’s growly voice comes from the doorway as he makes his way into the shop. Chandra and Axle haven’t figured out the sex of their baby, and it’s become a point of contention between us. I insist Chandra’s having a girl, mostly just to irk her husband, and Axle insists he’s having a son, mostly just to provoke Chandra. I really don’t care either way, but it’s fun to tease them.
“And what is the injustice we’re fighting today, Cora?” Axle bends down to brush a kiss to Chandra’s cheek, and I watch them with a sort of wistful hopefulness. They represent everything I want in life. After years apart from one another, they found each other again, overcoming so many obstacles to forge their way back into each other’s lives. Now they’re preparing to raise a family in the heart of the city. She adores the ground he walks on, and he dotes on her. She’s my friend, so I know it isn’t always sunshine and roses, and they have their moments like everyone else.
“The Greenery, Axle,” I tell him, my heartbeat accelerating as I take up my cause once more. “They want to pave over The Greenery because they’re building some other stupid high-rise. Because that’s what this city needs is another high-rise.”
“Who does?” he asks.
“Oh, who knows,” I tell him. I’ve only just begun research today, but as I’m studying investigative reporting at school, and I have a major paper on this subject due by the end of the month, I’ll do my research tonight.
After I finish my job at Books and Cups.
And make sure Ben and Bailey have done their homework and gone to bed.
And picked up some food at the twenty-four-hour supermarket on the way home.
After this, I’ve got a second job Chandra and Marla got me a few months ago, at Club Verge. Marla’s the bookstore owner and a long-term member of Club Verge. Chandra and Axle are members, too. At first, they were all hesitant to even talk to me about it, but there’s a reason I’m drawn to Marla’s bookstore. She stocks the largest selection of kinky romance in the city, and hell, I love those books.
So even though I’m not in the lifestyle… and I have no desire to be… I’m pretty open-minded. And hell, the other bartender, Travis, is cute and sweet.
My phone rings, and Chandra nods for me to take it when I show her the screen. We’re not supposed to talk on the phone when we’re on a shift, but bookstore owner Marla understands my circumstances are different. When I see it’s Bailey, I take the call.
“What is it?” I ask, turning my back to the counter and whispering into the phone. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Bailey says. “I’m really sorry to bug you at work, Cora. I know you’re not supposed to take calls.”
“It’s okay,” I say quickly. “Why’d you call?”
“Yeah,” she says. “But I… well, I don’t know what to feed Ben for dinner.” She sighs.
I pinch the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger and lower my voice. I don’t like even my closest friends to know the reality of our situation. They all know I’m guardian to my two youngest siblings. That I fought the system and won, when my mother was put in jail for larceny and driving under the influence and my younger siblings were in danger of being tossed into the NYC foster care system. That I’m the one holding it together after she overdosed in prison and I’m left with two minors under my care. What they don’t know is that I barely make enough money to pay for the tiny apartment we live in. I need to stay in school if I’m ever going to get a better-paying job, and that means my jobs are limited.
Our cupboards are so bare, it makes me want to cry. Hell, I have cried. I’ve had nothing but a stale muffin all day long, and only because Marla was going to discard it because it wasn’t fresh anymore. I played it off like I was making an environmentally-conscious decision, and Marla might’ve bought it, but the truth was, we were totally out of food and I was starving. And now I feel guilty for eating a stupid stale muffin.