Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Did you get that email from Jude about our trip in February?” Beau asked Jace and Dax. “You guys think you’ll be free?”
“Hey, I want to come on the fun holiday trip with the guys,” I interjected.
Every year, the Saturgays went on a trip together, depending on when everyone was free. They went skiing, camping, scuba diving, and had a blast. And since Jace, Dax, and Carter had been fully integrated into the Saturgay crew, they were going to get to go on this awesome trip. I had to admit to being a little jelly.
“Aw, does baby Kruse want to come?” Linc asked with a wink.
“Once you can legally drink,” Jace insisted, tapping his finger against his cocktail.
“Excuse me, but I can drink in Parlaisa.”
“We’ll keep you posted on when the Saturgay crew is on your stomping ground,” Jace added. “But remember, just because you’re dating a prince doesn’t mean you get everything you want, kid.”
Kid? Ooh, he knew how much that annoyed me.
“Okay, bruh. Just remember next time you’re in my country that I can have people arrested and thrown into the dungeon.”
“Excuse me, did I hear arrested and thrown in the dungeon?” Frederick asked as he stepped up beside us. He’d come to Fever Falls with Owen for the weekend. “I believe he means detained. He can have people detained.”
“But I can have him thrown in the dungeon, right?”
“Prince Owen can do that, yes.”
“So basically that means I can too.”
Jace rolled his eyes, surely knowing there was no way in hell Owen would ever lock any of us in a fucking dungeon.
Frederick said, “Looks like I’ll have to visit Fever Falls occasionally now that the prince is taking up a secondary residence here.”
“Secondary or potentially permanent,” Owen said. “But why would his ex-advisor need to spend more time here?”
“Because his ex-advisor, I like to think, happens to be a good friend as well.”
Owen beamed. “Yes, he is that. And I’m glad to hear you’ll be coming around some more. I can work online or travel when I need to handle my Parlaisan affairs. Plus, now that I have a replacement advisor, maybe she can pretty much run things the way my last guy did.”
Frederick laughed.
Owen and I had worked through many chats about our schedules. It wasn’t going to be easy, but we both knew the direction our lives needed to take, and that we needed to be together, which currently meant more time in Fever Falls with me, where he belonged.
The bar’s TVs started playing music videos, so our crew gravitated to the dance floor. I couldn’t say Owen and I were dancing as much as sharing some sort of intense grinding-make-out session, but plenty of the other guys were doing that too.
Even Casey and Steve danced a little too close.
Steve had one arm around Casey, who had his eyes sealed shut as he enjoyed the beat. Steve tugged him back so that Casey’s ass was against his pelvis. He slid his free hand down Casey’s side until Casey got to cracking up.
Steve had a way of triggering his ticklishness the way O was able to trigger mine.
As Casey spun around, still smiling, Steve assessed his expression.
Steve didn’t have his usually happy-go-lucky grin on, though. I saw sadness in his eyes.
If I hadn’t known better, through all their years as friends, I might have thought he was starting to develop some kind of crush on Casey. However, it was more likely he was considering the potential acceptance letter he might be receiving from Georgia Tech. In a few weeks he would know if he would be staying in the Falls or heading to Atlanta.
I was surely overthinking it.
Owen and I enjoyed dancing to a few songs before I headed to the bar for some water. Owen wasn’t far behind me.
He gently tugged on my arm, and as I turned back to him, his face came quickly at mine and I felt his lips crushing down on mine. He guided me back against the nearby wall, the way he claimed my mouth reminding me of something we would have shared in a more private setting, not in a packed bar. But I enjoyed it nonetheless.
“What was that for?” I asked when he finally pulled away.
“Tonight reminded me of how incredible you are—all you’ve done for my country, my family…and me, really. Although, we do have some business obligations to conclude.”
“Business obligations?”
Before he could reply, I saw something flash by my view and turned to see Sawyer rushing out of a nearby hall, the one leading to the back rooms. He always looked serious, but his expression now made me think he wanted to bust his fist through a wall.
The hell?
“Looks like someone pissed him off,” Owen noted.
It was a weird situation, but Owen shook it off, and I remembered what he’d said before we’d been taken by surprise.