Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 26959 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26959 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
The way he stood and how the light from the streetlamp washed his face in a muted glow of yellow showed her his clenched jaw and the hard look in his eyes.
“If you say so, Sasha. If that’s how you feel.” His words were rough and clipped, and his anger was palpable.
And as if things couldn’t have gotten worse and even more uncomfortable, she heard her brother calling her name. Tanner stiffened and looked to the side where the voice came from. But she knew no one could see them.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell him.” Yeah, because that was a shit-storm waiting to happen.
Tanner opened his mouth but promptly closed it. Rian rounded the corner and stopped when he saw them. For several seconds, no one said anything.
“Hey. What’s going on?” Rian took another step closer. His eyes bounced from her to Tanner then back to her.
“Nothing. We were just talking away from all the drunks. I was thanking him for helping throw this graduation party for me.” Sasha was surprised she’d been able to spew that lie out so quickly and even made it sound believable.
She gave one last look at Tanner, who she was surprised to see staring at her, before making her way toward Rian. Her brother seemed content with her response and gave her a one arm hug. He might have seen her as a pain in the ass all through their childhood and that first year of high school, but their relationship had matured, and now, they were closer than ever.
“Well, come on. Everyone’s been looking for you.” He gave a chin nod to Tanner and said, “You coming, man?”
Sasha looked over at the guy she’d just lost her virginity to. That thought caused her cheeks to heat, and she was thankful for the shadows that hid her. She saw the indecision on his face.
Would he tell Rian what they had just done? If he was suicidal, he might, but that would humiliate her as well, and she hoped he cared about her enough to keep his mouth shut. She said as much silently as she stared at him, and after what seemed like forever, he exhaled.
“Yeah,” Tanner finally said and scrubbed a hand over his face.
They all made their way inside, but it was like she wasn’t really in her body. All she kept thinking about was the feel of Tanner inside of her. Hell, she had the ache between her thighs and the wetness of her arousal and lost innocence to prove it hadn’t been a dream.
She glanced over at him and saw Jonas and Tanner speaking to each other. Tanner’s mouth moved quickly, and a strange look crossed Jonas’s face. As if they sensed her watching, they looked over at her. Jonas shook his head and said something to Tanner while still holding her gaze.
When Tanner responded, his brother scowled at his twin. Jonas looked angry as he slashed his hand between him and Tanner then stalked off. Tanner ran his hand over the back of his nape, looked at her one last time, and went after his brother.
Yeah, if the ground could open up and swallow her whole right now everything would be right in the world.
3
FOUR YEARS LATER
After four years of undergraduate studies, Sasha was finally done with a bachelor’s degree under her belt.
The feeling of accomplishment filled her, but it was the fact she had gotten a job back in her home town of Hayven Hill that made her grateful for favors from above. If her mother hadn’t told her about the opening, Sasha would still be job hunting.
Getting the position that Mrs. White had as the resident social worker should have made her extremely pleased, and she was, but the fact the spot opened up because the seventy-five year old woman—who had refused to retire—had suddenly passed away, dampened her excitement.
She passed the sign that informed her she was entering Hayven Hill, and excitement washed through her, but nervousness was on the heels of her happiness as it usually was. It had been so long since she had been home.
With her work load, studies, and finding a job before graduation, she had been too busy and stressed to visit her parents. A new development was being constructed, and she passed the site, seeing the tanned, muscular men hauling lumber, bent over blueprints, and standing beside the large sign that announced Marsh Construction was doing the work.
She focused on the road again. The coffee shop she’d used to go to with Dani sat in the same spot and looked exactly the same. The salon, supermarket, and post office looked the same as well. She didn’t know what to expect, but everything was just the way it had been.
Sasha pulled into her parents’ driveway and saw Rian’s truck. She pulled up beside it and grabbed her purse. The side of his truck read “Marsh Construction”, and a smile pulled at her lips. The fact Rian owned his own construction company—a renowned construction company—had pride for her older brother filling her.