Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Oh, yeah, she was interested.
“Lottie!” The scream came from the trees, and she startled. Her hand slid out from his and he immediately missed her touch.
Damn it.
Children had terrible timing.
“What is it?” she asked, getting to her feet as Ace appeared, running. “What’s wrong? Is it Keir? Has something happened? I’ll go get Gerald.”
“We’re hungry!” he yelled. “Can we take some food out there so we can eat while we’re building?”
“Oh, thank goodness.” She put her hand to her chest. “Yes, I suppose. I’ll pack some in the basket.”
“Thanks.” Then Ace frowned at him. “You wanna come eat with us, Lottie?”
“Thank you, honey. But I’m fine here.”
“Sure?” Ace leaned in closer to her as she started spooning some food out onto two plates that he guessed was for the two of them. She left the rest in the containers and put them in the basket for the boys. “’Cause if this guy is bothering you, I can take care of him.”
The little boy’s chest puffed out.
Oh, thought he could take him, did he? Yeah, this kid had gumption. Kind of reminded him of himself when he was a kid.
“Ace, that’s not very nice. Here you are.” As she stretched out her arm with the basket of food, Ace tripped and grabbed hold of her arm just below her elbow to steady himself.
Lottie winced, and Nico frowned. What was that about?
But then Ace righted himself and grabbed the basket, racing off with a shouted thanks.
She shook her head. “All the food is going to be a mess by the time he gets it there.”
“Boys don’t care about that. What’s wrong with your arm?”
“What?” She turned to him, looking startled.
“You flinched when he grabbed you. Why?”
“Oh, nothing.” She turned away, picking some of the cutlery she’d laid out.
Nico frowned. He wanted to insist that she tell him. Show him. He hated that there were things about her that he didn’t know. But more than that was the fact that she was hurting. Maybe Ace had just grabbed hold too hard. He was a solid kid.
Or was there something wrong with her arm?
Fuck.
He needed to find out without scaring her off. She’d already turned away and was moving around nervously when just before she’d been relaxed and smiling.
Patience.
Liam could be far more patient than Nico was, however, he wouldn’t like her keeping things from them either. But they couldn’t expect her to just divulge her secrets to them, particularly when she had no idea what they wanted from her.
He wanted to tell her. The words burned on his tongue, but he held them back.
Instead, he stretched. Her gaze once again traveled to his bared stomach.
Sitting, he took the plate she offered, noting that hers barely held any food.
Shit.
This was going to be more complicated than he’d first envisioned. That wouldn’t stop him, though. He wasn’t looking for easy.
Lottie was it for both of them. He just had to work on getting her to open up.
“Is Liam going to be gone all day?”
“I think he’s coming back later this afternoon.”
“Oh, right.”
Was she almost disappointed by that? He couldn’t quite tell.
“You don’t have to be nervous around him,” he told her quietly. “What I told you earlier is true, he’d never harm you.”
She gave him a false smile. “I know.”
“No, you think he won’t hurt you because of your brothers,” he countered.
Her eyes widened. She seemed surprised at his words and that he was arguing with her. Did no one ever challenge her? Argue with her? Push her?
That could be his job.
He wanted to fix her. To help, to guide. But he also knew that what she really needed was someone to support her while she found her own way.
Something Liam would struggle with. When they’d first gotten together, Liam had expected Nico to come to him with every issue he had and let him fix them. But Nico didn’t need that. He just wanted someone to listen. Not to take over. His submissiveness was tied in with pleasure and play. Not everyday life.
He wondered about Lottie. He had a feeling she’d need more from them, at least in the beginning. But once she got that confidence back, well, they’d see. Because he didn’t intend to go anywhere.
Lottie was biting her lip, obviously thinking about what he’d said.
“Is it just Liam you fear hurting you? Or all men?”
She paled, and he worried he’d pushed too hard.
Idiot.
He should be sticking to lighter conversation. Making her smile. Not pushing her about her fears.
“I don’t think all men are going to hurt me. I know there are good men out there.”
That answer was both good and bad.
“So just Liam?”
She sucked in a breath. “No, not Liam.”
“You trust him not to hurt you?”
She grasped her necklace. It was a gold locket that looked old.
When she didn’t say anything more, he decided to press a bit further.