Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 96712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“I can’t stop sending them money.”
“Yes, you can. You were drafted when you were nineteen. You said you’ve been paying them eight thousand a month?”
I nod. “Supposed to be four thousand for them and four divided by the five kids.”
“That’s almost four hundred thousand dollars since you left home.”
“Ooh, someone can do math.”
Noah’s fingers jab into my ribs.
I flinch. “Motherfucker.”
“Two hundred thousand dollars divided by five siblings is forty thousand each. Nice college fund. A down payment on an apartment for Char …”
Anger coils in my stomach. “I get it, okay? But we’re not like your family. We don’t make threats of cutting people off to get our way.”
“It’s not about getting your way,” Noah says. “They’re walking all over you after treating you like shit your whole life. You don’t owe them anything.”
“I owe my siblings. Jet’s right when he said I left them behind to fend for themselves with our parents. But how can I fix it? If I stop sending my parents money, the kids get nothing.”
“They’re getting nothing now. Jet said your parents are spending every day at the track. Your parents cut you off, but you’re unwilling to do the same to them when they’re wasting their money. What if you set up trusts for the kids, and now you’re in contact with Char, you can send her money directly? Then, if you really want to keep sending your parents money, tell them they have to deal with half of the income they usually get—which, by the way, is still a lot of money for people who live in the sticks and don’t have jobs.”
“How would you know what’s a lot of money to people like us?”
“Median household income in Tennessee is forty-seven thousand a year. You’re currently giving your family twice that.”
“How do you—”
“I’m a strategist for my dad who’s going to be running for president in two years. I know the stats of most states. Contrary to how I act, I am good at my job … when I actually turn up for it.”
“Impressive.”
“It’s your money, but I hate that your family is taking advantage of you.”
I run my hand up Noah’s arm. “I’ll look into the trust thing.” If I go with his idea, I won’t have to worry about coming up with more money. I wish I could somehow give lump sums to the kids after finding out Mom and Dad gambled their share away, but with an uncertain future, I don’t have the ability to do that.
Noah stares at me—those blue-green eyes assessing me—and I can practically hear what he’s thinking. He’s wondering if I’ll really go through with it.
“I promise.” I rub my head against his lap again because the man gives a mean massage.
“Can we please go to bed now?” Noah asks. “Your head’s been rubbing all over my cock for the last ten minutes, and I want to explode.”
“I’m allowed to stay in your bed again?” I ask.
“Only if you fuck me in it first.”
The last two nights, I waited for Noah to kick me out and have been surprised when I’ve woken up next to him. I haven’t slept this good since I can’t remember when, and I’ve never hated training as much as I do right now. I’ve skipped the last two days which means I have no excuse tomorrow, but peeling myself away from Noah will be hard.
I climb off him and hold out my hand for him. “You know what else is good about the Chicago offer?”
He drags me to the stairs. “Moving bridges?”
“I was thinking that it’s a two-hour flight from New York.”
Noah stops in the middle of a step. I’m about to backpedal, because I’ve clearly crossed a line we aren’t supposed to, and I get it. Even if it stings.
Instead of chewing me out for even remotely suggesting there was some sort of future for us, Noah smiles. “I’ll keep that in mind. If I ever get desperate enough.”
I chuckle. “Wow. Maybe I won’t fuck you tonight, because clearly two days of sex is enough to make you forget how long and agonizing the last two weeks were without me. You didn’t even make it the full two weeks.”
“Oh, game on. I could so last longer than you without sex.”
“You’re forgetting that I went twenty-three years without it. Won’t be hard to go back.”
“Are you sure about that?” Noah looks at me expectantly, and I know I’ll probably be the one to cave. I can’t get enough of the guy in front of me.
I step onto the stair below his, which makes him a tiny bit taller than me. Slowly, I start moving in as if I’m going to kiss him. His eyelids become hooded, his lips part, and then at the very last second, I pull away and march past him. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”