Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
“Exactly.” She wiggles her brows. “Remember that if you and Crew go far.”
“Oh god. No. Oh no.” My head shakes wildly. “We’re not dating. See, I panicked inside when Hot Twin One came at me, and it was the only thing I could think of at the time. Not that I haven’t thought about it before, but I definitely wouldn’t have done it if my brain cells were circuiting properly.”
The woman laughs. “Relax. I was kidding. I have to go check on the food, but please, unwind, hop in the pool, eat whatever you can find, and if you need me, ask for Layla.” With that, she winks and walks away.
I decide I like Layla.
Feeling far more comfortable than before, I breathe a sigh of relief and accept her offer for something cold to drink. I take the first thing on the top and pop it open, unconcerned with what it is. The chilled aluminum meets my bottom lip right as Crew appears, making me jump, the contents of the can splashing over me.
“Holy shit, it’s cold.” I bend, pulling the material from my skin.
Crew’s eyes fall to the wet spot, quickly snapping back to mine. “You need to relax.”
“And you need to warn a girl when she’s about to walk into a Magic Mike audition,” I hiss.
Frown deepening, he presses forward. “How do you expect to fuck a man if you can’t even handle attention from one?”
“You can’t push me straight to the top of the male scale. You’ve got to start me off slow, and I’m pretty sure I peak at a low six. That man?” I hook my thumb over my shoulder. “Is next-level shit.”
His jaw tics, and I wait for it. “And that man thinks you’re fucking adorable.”
Okay, not what I was expecting him to say.
That makes no sense. “But… I acted like a crazy person.”
“His ex would sleep on his front porch when they would fight, so he couldn’t leave without talking to her.” Twin number two steps up beside Crew, his grin as ridiculous as his brother’s. “Crazy is kind of his thing.”
The corners of my mouth lift. “Willie, I presume?”
“Aww, he told you about me?” Willie presses a hand over his heart, stumbling when Crew shoves him in the arm. Willie smiles and gone is the teasing glint in the man’s eyes. All that’s left is a sweet, sincere fondness for the boy I grew up with.
“Yeah, girl, I’m Willie.” He grabs my hand, cupping it with his own, a moment before letting go and snagging a fresh beer for himself. “Nice to meet you, Davis. Surprised you don’t know my brother and some of his boys already. He plays baseball for Avix.”
That explains the sugary swag and lean, muscular builds.
“I haven’t been to a game since—” I pause, cutting a quick look at Crew. Since the night of their first game their freshman year at Avix, the only one Crew played before he was kicked out of college. “You know, I didn’t make it to a single one since I started here.”
“If you can’t make it before the end of this season, don’t bother with next. Two of their best players graduate with you this year, so these punks will probably fuck up my fantasy league for next season anyway.”
“Dick!” someone shouts from the left.
Willie grins, his comment clearly made to purposely tease those around us. “Well, hey, glad you came, the more here to celebrate, the merrier.”
“Celebrate?”
“He didn’t tell you?” Willie smacks Crew in the chest. “This man’s the only person who knows the power of my seed. We’re going to pull the string on these popper things and see if I get myself a poker table or if Layla’s getting a massage chair.”
“She’s pregnant. She wins.”
“Honey, she’s been winning. Trust me. Twice most days, all right, but daddy needs a new card table, so he can win enough to buy her that damn chair.” Willie chuckles, and I pretend to follow.
“He means he makes her come twice a day.”
My head snaps to Crew, and I glare. “I know.”
“Sure, you did.”
My stupid cheeks threaten to heat, so I spin away from Crew, blocking him as best I can while still facing Willie. “So this is a gender-reveal party?”
He shrugs. “I guess. We barbeque often, at one house or another, usually once a week, but yeah, we’re adding that to the fun today.”
“You want a boy?”
“Nope.” His eyes seem to drift on their own accord and I follow his line of sight to the platinum-blonde woman bobbing to the music in front of the food table, one hand cupping her belly, the other holding a half-eaten slice of watermelon.
He wants a mini-Layla.
Aaand I’m back to melting.
He walks away, and once again, I’m left beside Crew, but this time, he doesn’t speak. He quietly drinks from his water bottle, so I do the same.