Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
She scoffs, her gaze flickering with annoyance. She glances around the room, eyes landing on a fixed location, and my stomach drops when I see her staring at Brienne across the room with her husband, Drake McGinn, our team’s goalie.
Her attention then comes back to me, her expression taunting. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but I must go talk to my cousin. It’s been awhile since we caught up.”
“Tansy,” I warn, my tone laced with menace. I can’t stop her from spewing lies about me and she knows I have no power.
She bends over and so quick I can’t prevent the touch, she pats my cheek before pulling away. “It’s cute when you panic.” With that, she spins on her heel and stalks off toward Brienne.
None of us says a word, my heart in my throat as Tansy gives Brienne a warm hug and they start chatting amiably. We wait for Brienne to look our way, indicating that Tansy is indeed filling her head with lies, but she doesn’t. In fact, she doesn’t speak to Tansy for long at all, turning to shake hands with some other folks paying their respects.
“It’s only a threat she doesn’t intend to follow through with,” Foster says confidently.
“Or she just didn’t want to make waves at the wedding,” Mazzy suggests, her tone hard and skeptical.
“It’s still a threat,” Tempe says quietly. “One she knows she can keep hanging over you.”
“But she knows she’s lost,” North says with a disgusted shake of his head.
I frown at him. “What makes you think that? She was just here gloating over her disbelief.”
“Because it’s clear at this point, she’s operating on pure jealousy and anger that you won’t give her the time of day.”
Willa nods. “It does seem like she’s enjoying this as more of a way to get back at you for not choosing her. I think Foster might be right… it’s an empty threat.”
Maybe, but the weight of her potential influence with Brienne hangs over me like a dark cloud. I feel a hand squeeze mine under the table—Tempe’s. Her silent support tells me she’s in this, no matter what comes.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to use the restroom,” Tempe says, releasing my hand.
I look around and Tansy has melted into the crowd. I know very well that Tempe can handle herself, but I don’t like the possibility of Tansy accosting her in any way, so I rise from the table to pull out her chair. “I’ll go with you.”
Tempe doesn’t argue and instead slips her hand back in mine.
“Christ, you two make the cutest couple,” North teases with a laugh and everyone else joins in, including Tempe.
“World’s greatest actors,” Atlas quips and while our friends keep laughing, I don’t.
“Come on,” I say, tugging her by the hand.
We weave through other revelers, thankfully avoiding Tansy in the throng. With the help of an attendant, we find the restrooms, a line of four unisex facilities, and Tempe chooses one with a green vacant tag on the door. She enters, flips the latch and the sign turns red with the word Occupied showing.
I wait outside for Tempe, leaning casually against the wall and nodding as other people I know go in and out of the bathrooms. It doesn’t take her long and she exits, letting another woman swish past her to enter.
I straighten, offer my elbow to her. “Ready to go back and get some food? I’m sure there will be dancing not long after, and we’ll need our energy.”
Tempe grins, sliding her hand into the crook of my elbow, and I find I like it there very much. But then she glances to the left and whispers under her breath, “Shit. Here comes trouble.”
I know she means Tansy and I tense, prepared to turn around and face her with bared teeth if necessary because I’m sick of this shit. But before I can move, Tempe throws her arms over my shoulders, going to her tiptoes and locking me in a blistering kiss that sends fire racing through my entire body.
This is more than the other two kisses we’ve shared, because Tempe presses her curvy body into mine. There’s not an inch between us as her fingers sift into my hair and my hands drift to her waist.
She lifts her mouth slightly, lips still brushing against mine and whispers, “Go all out on this one, Raff. Let’s make her believe it right here.”
And then I almost groan when her fingers latch onto my wrist and she drags my hand down to her ass.
My palm burns and I clutch involuntarily, then voluntarily as I squeeze the round globe, pulling her tighter into my body. My dick gets hard, but I don’t give a fuck because Tempe’s tongue is back in my mouth.
A tiny moan bubbles out of her throat, a kitteny purr, and it inflames me further. I spin us around and walk her into the wall I’d been leaning against. She gasps as I drive my hips against hers to pin her in place and then I check out just how handy that long slit is in her gown by sliding my hand inside, grasping the back of her thigh and pulling her leg up over my hip.