Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
He only rolled his eyes at me before he sat back in his seat and shoveled some bacon and a couple of pancakes onto his plate. I pulled a pancake onto my plate with a few pieces of bacon. I cursed when I realized I had forgotten my peanut butter before I sat down.
“What is it?” Both men asked at the same time, their attention on me.
I blushed at their attentiveness. “I, um, forgot my peanut butter,” I told them.
“Peanut butter?” Julian asked as Axel got up to grab it for me. “You’re eating pancakes, baby girl.”
“She’s been eating peanut butter on everything that she can,” Axel informed him as he set the peanut butter jar down in front of me with a butter knife. “Whole damn jar is just about gone.”
Julian grinned at me. “You used to hate peanut butter.”
I shrugged as I opened the jar, my mouth already beginning to water. “If the baby wants peanut butter, he gets peanut butter,” I told him.
Julian laughed before he shoved a bite of food in his mouth. Axel grabbed my hand and lifted it to his lips, a soft smile on his handsome face. “Enjoy, sweet girl.”
* * *
✶ ✶ ✶
* * *
Julian held my hand in his as the three of us walked down a trail in the park. I groaned. I knew at one point in my life I had absolutely breathed dancing, which was a form of exercise, but now?
Yeah, I fucking hated exercise.
“Julian,” I whined, “my feet are already hurting.”
He shot me an annoyed look. “Babe, you’ve barely walked five feet,” he deadpanned.
Axel laughed. I pouted up at Axel. “Save me from this torturous walk?” I begged him.
Axel shook his head at me. “Walking is good exercise, and it’s good for the baby, too. You’ll enjoy this, I promise.”
I huffed. “See if either of you gets sex for the next week,” I grumbled.
Julian barked out a laugh. “Baby girl, with the way your hormones are raging right now, I doubt you would last until tonight.”
I glared at him. “You’re a dick.”
He stopped and turned me to face him. He brushed the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. “Doesn’t matter anyway, because I wouldn’t ever let you suffer, baby.”
I blushed red to the roots of my hair. Julian gripped my hips and pulled me against him before he leaned down and let his lips meet mine, taking them in a hard, demanding kiss. I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped. I gripped his hoodie in my hands, pulling him impossibly closer to me.
When he pulled back, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “That’s a taste of what you get when we get home if you take this walk,” he told me in all seriousness.
A flirty smile touched my lips. “Promise?” I asked him.
His blue eyes darkened. “Fuck yes.”
Axel grabbed my hand in his and pulled me against his side. “Look,” he said quietly, pulling me out of my Julian-induced haze. He pointed towards a tree line, and I followed his finger, a small gasp leaving my lips.
“It’s a deer,” I whispered in astonishment. “I’ve never seen one this close before.”
Julian lightly pressed his hand to my back as excitement coursed through my veins. “Keep walking, and maybe you’ll get to see more animals,” Axel told me.
I nodded, a wide smile stretching my lips. He leaned down and softly kissed me before he lightly squeezed my hand and led me along.
I could learn to enjoy exercise again if I got to experience this.
* * *
✶ ✶ ✶
* * *
Axel
* * *
Julian leaned into the backseat of his car and gently lifted Meghan off my lap. She had passed out not long after we got back to the car. The exercise had been really good for her. I knew Julian had enjoyed watching the excitement on her face as much as I had.
But between the excitement and the walking, she had gotten worn the fuck out.
“I’ll put her to bed,” he quietly told me.
I nodded and slid out of the backseat, stretching my muscles. My phone went off in my pocket as I walked into the house, and I quickly pulled it out to shut it up so it wouldn’t wake Meghan up.
It was Dr. Gresham.
“This is Axel,” I said when I answered.
“Hello, Axel. This is Dr. Gresham. I was calling to discuss some updates on your sister.”
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “What’s going on?” I moved into the kitchen to grab myself a bottle of water from the fridge.
“She’s finally responding to therapy and the medication I put her on.” He informed me. A small smile titled my lips. She was finally going to get better. “Apparently, your parents stopped sending her to therapy,” he informed me. “Did you know about this?”
I clenched my jaw. My parents had always hated the fact that they gave birth to a daughter that had bipolar depression and anxiety. They had been sending her to therapy before I left for college, but even I had to admit that I had been a bit out of touch. I had just taken their word for it that they were still sending her.