Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Then just like that, the front door opened.
“The fuck is this fire hazard shit?” a voice asked, making me fly away from Sully just before the overhead light flashed on. “Oh,” the man said, glancing between me and Sully.
“‘Sup, Voss?” Sully asked, raking a hand through his hair as he let out a sigh. “Early, isn’t it?”
“Or late,” Voss said with a barely perceptible twitch to his lips. “Here to relieve the twins.”
“Right,” Sully said, nodding.
The moment, it seemed, was gone.
Sully stood, leaning over and starting to put the lids on the candles that had them, then blowing out the ones that didn’t.
I sat there, watching the gray smoke dance around under one of the closed candle lids before it died down, wishing my desire could extinguish that quickly.
The ache between my thighs only seemed to intensify with each passing moment as I turned to watch Sully moving around, still in his ridiculous duster over his equally absurd Hawaiian shirt with little kittens on it.
“Was that Layna’s car out front?” Voss asked.
“She and Luna are sleeping off the tequila in the basement,” Sully said, grabbing pillows off the floor.
“Are you… cleaning?” another voice asked, coming in from the back door this time.
I glanced over just in time to see the ‘twins’ Voss had mentioned moving into the common room. Both were tall and fit with tanned, golden skin, impeccable bone structure, and dark eyes.
The one in the back smiled, revealing two deep dimples. “You got a fever or something, man?” he asked, making his brother chuckle, revealing another dimple, but just one this time.
So he really was as allergic to chores as he’d claimed if these guys were ribbing him so hard about cleaning up a few pillows and blankets.
“Yeah, but what the fuck happened in that kitchen?” another man asked as he came out of the kitchen.
“I’ll clean that,” I offered, pulling the duster more tightly around my body, suddenly wishing I still had my sweatshirt on around all these strangers.
“No,” the men chorused, making me stiffen.
Sully held a hand up toward them. “And by that, honey, they mean my ass will clean up the mess.”
“Okay. Well, can I maybe make breakfast then?” I asked.
“Did someone say breakfast?” Dezi asked, appearing out of thin air, shirtless, and already snacking on a granola bar.
Did these guys ever go home?
“I guess you’re obligated now,” Sully said with a warm smile. “I’ll clean. You cook.”
It sounded positively… domestic.
“Okay,” I agreed, smiling.
“I stocked the place up yesterday,” one of the twins said.
“That’s Rune,” Sully explained, speaking of the twin with two dimples. “He’s older.”
“By four minutes,” the other brother, with the one dimple, declared.
“And that’s Croft,” Sully introduced. “Guys, this is Bonnie. Who even bakes her own bread with this living goo at her apartment.”
“You got sourdough?” Dezi asked, eyes bright. “I saw someone make a chocolate swirl sourdough bread. Ever make that?”
“Not yet. But that sounds like a fun experiment.”
“If I got you some starter, could you make it? I’ll pay you.”
“Dez,” Sully said in a warning voice.
“I mean it. My girl’s loaded. I’ll pay good money for some chocolate swirl bread.”
“You are under no obligation to make anything,” Sully said, seeming to know that I found it impossible to say no to people if they asked something of me. It was a huge part of the reason I’d needed to go no-contact with my family. Who knew it about me. And walked all over me because of it.
“I know,” I said, giving Sully a smile. “But it really does sound fun. I’ll make it. But you’re going to have to show me the video too.”
“Okay. What time is it? Think the bakery is open yet?” Dezi asked, patting his pockets to find his phone.
“They’re not gonna give you their sourdough, man,” Rune said.
“Me? Who keeps them in business? Sure they will. I’ll be right back,” Dezi said, holding a hand out at me, like he was willing me to stay put.
“I’ll be here,” I agreed, nodding. “He’s kind of like a puppy,” I declared once he was gone, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste.
“Who has a rabid streak,” Voss said under his breath as he moved out the back door.
“Okay, so, breakfast,” Sully said, clapping his hands, making me jump. “Sorry. Hangover?” he asked.
Come to think of it, there was a pounding in my head. “Maybe a little,” I admitted.
“Gotta hydrate,” Sully said, slinging an arm over my shoulders and pulling me along with him into the kitchen. “Lucky for you, I am a connoisseur of all things electrolytes. I’ve got the classics: lemon-lime, fruit punch, and grape. I have the fun tropicals. I even have mocktails. And, yes, if you’re wondering, I do sometimes shake a little packet into my actual cocktail to make shit interesting.”
“I can always go for some lemon-lime,” I told him as I went over to the fridge to see what they had in stock. Which was… everything.