Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Better. Only waking up once a night, and usually at the same time, so we can tag team it and get back to bed.”
“Like a rock star, huh, Lace?” I ask my niece, who just watches me like I’m the most interesting thing in her world, and right now, I probably am.
“How was breakfast?”
“Good. I dropped Court off at her place after and did laundry. It was an exhilarating experience,” I say, deadpan.
“I heard there was a strange car in your driveway this morning.”
I glance over to see him grinning. “She stayed over.”
He nods. “So no more faking?”
“No. I mean, yes, we’re still faking it.”
“But she stayed the night?”
I lift Lacey to my lips and kiss her forehead, buying myself some time. “She made me dinner. When I got home last night, she was there. She said I’ve been working so many hours, that she wanted me to have something better than takeout for dinner. We had dinner and watched a movie. She fell asleep, so she stayed. It was late, and I didn’t want to worry about her driving home in the middle of the night.” That’s me being a good friend. Not the man who relished the feel of her in his arms as he carried her to his bed.
“You don’t have a guest room. Not a furnished one.”
“Nope.”
“You don’t look like a man who spent the night scrunched up on his couch.”
“Because I’m not.” I turn to face him, and he’s my twin. He knows, but he’s going to ask me anyway because he wants me to admit it out loud.
“I know you didn’t make her sleep on the couch. That’s not who we are.”
“Nope.”
“So she slept in your bed with you?”
“She did.” There’s no point in denying it. Maverick would be able to see right through my bullshit.
He grins. “How was that?”
“It was... not what I expected,” I confess as images of kissing her last night and holding her in my arms flash through my mind.
“You’re into her.”
“She’s gorgeous. Who wouldn’t be?” I’m deflecting. We both know it, but thankfully, Ada insists I read her a story. She climbs up beside me on the couch, handing me the book. With Lacey in one arm, the book in the other, and with Ada tucked into my side, I read my niece her story. By the time I’m done, she’s fast asleep, as is her baby sister, her baby brother, and my brother. Everyone is sleeping peacefully. I manage to slip out from under Ada without waking her and place Lacey in the Pack ’N Play, before carrying Ada to her room. Next, I take Ryan from Maverick. He wakes with a jolt.
“Go to bed. I’ve got this.” He nods, sleepily rises from the couch, and heads to his room. I lay Ryan next to Lacey and pull out my phone, snapping a few pictures. Before I can stop myself, I send a few to Courtney.
Me: Everyone is sleeping but me.
Courtney: You have that effect.
I grin down at my phone. I know she’s thinking about last night.
Me: What can I say? I’ve got skills.
Courtney: So he says.
Her message is followed by a winking emoji.
Me: I can prove it.
Courtney: This got way off track fast.
Me: Are you mad?
Courtney: No.
Me: Do you want me to show you?
I hit Send before I can think better of it. It’s similar to what I asked her last night, but we were in the moment, in my bed, huddled under the covers in the dark of night. It was easier for her to give me her “okay” than it will be now.
Courtney: Okay.
My heart stalls in my chest. I was wrong. Maybe hiding behind the screen of her phone makes it just as easy as the darkness of my bedroom.
Me: Name it, Court. Anything.
I mean that. Quickly, Courtney has become someone I would do anything for. I’m not diving into why that is. I don’t want to overcomplicate this. I’m going with the flow. Following her lead. It doesn’t feel much like we’re faking this anymore. It’s been a few weeks since this started, and already it’s more.
Just more.
She replies with a face emoji with hands covering her eyes. I leave it at that until I get home tonight and call her. I won’t let her hide from what she wants. If what she wants is me, even better. Only a fool would pass up a chance to give that woman experiences she’s been too shy to take for herself until now.
My momma didn’t raise no fool.
I’ll give her whatever she needs.
Fake relationship or not, that’s real. It’s as real as it gets and if my words aren’t enough to prove that, just listen to the rapid beat of my heart when I think about or talk about her, and my cock, well, I’ve been hard since last night, hell, for weeks, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.