Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 131271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Finally, with a deep, steadying breath, she nods. “Okay.”
“Sure?” Hayes leans in and takes her other hand. I understand the possessiveness in the gesture. He found her again after all these years. He took her on a date and hoped for more. He has the biggest stake in this, for now.
“Yes.”
He’s quick to rise once he has Riley’s confirmation, and he assists her to her feet. My hand also remains in hers, and when our eyes meet, the buzz of electricity between us flickers the hairs on the back of my neck. Jacob stands, but none of us knows what to do next.
The air shifts, heavy with anticipation and longing. None of us wants to mess this up. I don’t know about my brothers, but I worry that one wrong move will make Riley bolt. Snap the threads of desire before they can thicken into rope, and she’ll be out the door. Slowly, carefully, I rest my hand against her cheek, letting my fingers tangle in her hair, and I lean in for the kiss I’ve been craving. The soft gasp she makes just before my lips touch hers is silenced with the gentle connection between us. She’s warm and soft and so tentative that I take it slower than I ever have, teasing her until I’m trembling and she’s leaning in and moaning. Fuck. This is what I’ve been craving. This is what’s been missing.
It's like I’ve been eating dry bread for years and suddenly discover butter.
I pull back, blinking, heart ragged, body tensed for more.
“Who’s room?” I ask, knowing that we need to cross the barrier of relocating quickly before she has a chance to change her mind, and once we have, once we’re shut together in a bedroom, everything will move more smoothly.
“Mine,” Hayes says.
It makes sense for this to be in his space, at least for the first time. Too many other girls have shared my bed. And Jacob’s? He could have populated a small island by now if he’d been less meticulous about wrapping up his dick.
Hayes leads Riley upstairs, and I follow behind, anticipation building with each step. Jacob brings up the rear, quiet for once, the weight of his gaze on Riley as she ascends. For all of his arrogance, my brother has a softer side that I hope Riley can bring out. I’ve already seen signs of it returning since she’s come back into our lives and it’s a relief.
When we reach Hayes’ room, he pushes the door open and steps aside, giving Riley the choice to go in first. She hesitates for half a second before proceeding, her movements slow and deliberate, like she’s crossing an invisible threshold, a portal to another world she won’t be able to return from.
The room is warm and clean, the bed made, and the scent of Hayes’ cologne lingers in the air.
Riley stops near the foot of the bed, her hands brushing over the hem of her shirt like she’s grounding herself. We follow, and I carefully close the door behind Jacob, cutting us off from the rest of the world. When I turn back, Jacob leans against the wall, his expression unreadable. Hayes stays close to Riley, his hand brushing her lower back in a subtle gesture that might’ve gone unnoticed if I weren’t watching so closely.
“Riley,” Hayes says, his whispered voice drawing her attention. “You set the pace. You say stop, and we stop. No questions asked.”
Her eyes dart between us again, wary but bright and sharp, as though we’re coming into focus for the first time. Or maybe it’s her who’s coming into focus, a new Riley who takes the kind of chances we’re offering.
“What if I don’t want to stop?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jacob chuckles, breaking the tension, and he pushes off the wall, his usual cockiness tempered with more languid movements. “Stop treating her like something breakable,” he tells Hayes. “The girl has more backbone than all of us.”
She takes a startled breath, her lips curving into a smile that says, ‘he sees me and appreciates me.’ Who would have thought that Jacob would be the one to get under her skin?
“Okay.” Hayes nods, but he’s working to convince himself more than the rest of us.
As we step closer, encircling Riley, it’s strange to realize I’m not picturing a way to make her leave when we’re done like the other girls. For the first time in a long time, I’m going to enjoy the journey and see where it takes us. I’m relishing the thought of her curled up and sleeping between us as much as the fucking.
The air in the room hums with anticipation, thick enough to wrap around us, making the outside world recede. Hayes allows his hand to trail up her arm and Riley’s lips part. For a moment, she just stares at him. “I just… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”