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)
His step-mother was a dumb bitch. She hadn’t even looked into Lottie. If she had, she’d have discovered that Lottie came from a lot of money and a well-known family. But she’d decided that because Lottie wasn’t from New York, she didn’t count as anyone she’d want her precious Michael to touch.
And that fucking idiot, Michael had ignored Lottie all night to flirt back with that other girl, whom Liam couldn’t even picture. She’d been nothing next to Lottie.
“I told them I needed the bathroom,” Lottie said. “I was thinking about leaving and you came up to me and said you had a better idea.” She smiled up at Nico. “We snuck into the kitchen, and you found every tub of ice cream they had, and we had an ice cream party.”
“Best one I’ve ever had. Whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life.”
She blushed at Nico’s words. “Then Liam came in. I thought he was going to tell us off.”
“Tell you off? Why would I do that?” he asked.
“For leaving you alone in the viper’s nest?” she asked.
“True. That was naughty of you both. Do that again, and I’ll have to punish you both.”
“Punish us?” Her eyes were wide. Fear? He couldn’t have that.
“Hmm, I think a fair punishment would have been for me to have all the maraschino cherries.”
“Hey!” she protested. “Hands off my cherries.”
Fuck.
That sounded so dirty.
He needed help. Here she was, hurt and in need of care and all he could think of was getting her naked and sucking on her nipples. What would they look like? What noises would she make?
Nico cleared his throat and Liam turned to the other man, then Nico flicked his gaze down to Liam’s crotch.
Not the right time to get a hard-on.
He should probably feel a little bad for sending Nico down here with an erection.
Should. But he didn’t.
“That night, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen,” Nico told her. “My stomach was tied up in knots. I could barely talk to you.”
“But why?”
“You didn’t feel anything like that toward me?” Nico asked, pushing her hair back behind her ear.
“Well . . . I mean, the two of you . . . Nico, you’re married,” she hissed, giving Liam a nervous look.
He found himself holding in a grin. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. But her nervousness was cute. Did she really think Nico would tell her this without Liam’s knowledge, while he was standing right there?
“Hmm. True, I am. Well, Liam?” Nico challenged.
Liam narrowed his gaze at his husband. He definitely needed a session. He was getting a bit crabby because he’d been forbidden from coming.
When Liam turned to Lottie, he saw her staring up at him worriedly. Was she concerned that he’d be mad?
“When I first saw you, Lottie, do you want to know what I thought?” Liam asked.
“I don’t know. You kind of looked annoyed. Grouchy. You barely said anything to me.”
“That’s just his resting bitch face,” Nico said.
Liam glared at him. “I was grouchy but not at you.”
“Then whom?”
“I was grouchy because I was attracted to you, and I didn’t want to be.”
“But I thought the two of you . . . you’re gay, right?”
“We’re both bi, sweetie,” Nico explained gently. “And while we love each other, it’s always felt like something was missing.”
“And the piece that is missing is you,” Liam added.
Her mouth dropped open then she looked from Liam to Nico before reaching down to pinch her thigh.
“What the hell are you doing?” Liam yelled.
“Liam, fuck, shut up!” Nico hissed at him, looking nervously at the door.
Fuck.
He wanted to say that he didn’t give a shit whether her brother stormed inside, but this conversation was too important for interruptions.
They were all still, silent, waiting.
When nothing happened after a few moments, Liam stepped forward and knelt in front of them.
“Baby, what did you just do?”
“I just pinched myself. I thought I’d better check that this was actually happening.”
“You hurt yourself. Again. Right in front of our fucking eyes.” Liam glared up at her.
“I didn’t pinch hard.”
“Show me.”
“I . . . I . . . ”
“Liam,” Nico said quietly. “You can’t push her too hard.”
“Her health is the priority right now, Nico. If she keeps hurting herself . . . even small pinches to check that she’s not dreaming aren’t acceptable. Not now.”
“I can’t show you.”
“Please.” The word was difficult to say. Wasn’t one he said often, and he sensed rather than saw Nico’s surprise.
Lottie took in a sharp breath. But she started to slowly raise her nightgown. She kept her other leg hidden. But he’d always known she’d be modest. Even if she hadn’t been kidnapped and hurt. This was the type of woman she was.
And he loved that.
His beautiful girl.
He ran a finger over the red spot a few inches above her knee. “Don’t do this anymore, Lottie.”