More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
But Nash struck me as the settling-down type, and I was allergic to relationships.
“Small towns are where busy professional women get seduced by a rough-around-the-edges local business owner. Ooh! Or a sheriff. Have you met the sheriff yet?”
She would know. She’d arrived a few months ago thinking she was helping her twin sister out of a jam only to be thrown into one herself. In the space of a few weeks, Naomi had become guardian to her niece, picked up two jobs, gotten abducted, and made Knox “I Don’t Do Relationships” Morgan fall in love with her.
Between Naomi and Waylay, they’d done the impossible and turned Knox Morgan into a softie. And I had a front-row seat to the show. “Bed’s
Part of me had died here on this very spot. Maybe the rest of me should have.
“Your gun is digging into me.” “That’s not my gun,” I said through clenched teeth. Her mouth curved wickedly. “I know.”
“Congratulations, Daddy. It’s a girl,” Lina said. She slid her phone out of its sleeve and snapped a picture of me. “Stop,” I ordered gruffly. “Don’t worry. I cropped it at the waist so no one will see what kind of weaponry you’re packing,”
(They saved a dog together) - so cute!!!
“I pulled over, being a Good Samaritan and all,” Stef continued. “Is that what they call it these days?” Nash said dryly. “I offered my assistance, but the rosy-cheeked Lina assured me they didn’t need any help with their dry humping.”
When I’d been discharged from the hospital, it had been to a clean apartment, fresh laundry, and a refrigerator stocked with meals. The Witts had made it clear that they’d adopted not just Knox and Waylay but me as well.
“Pull yourself together, woman. If you quit now, they’ll never let you forget it,” Stef wheezed. Sweat dripped off his chin. His usually perfectly styled hair stood up in damp black tufts all over his head. I sucked in a breath. “I don’t understand how a seventy-year-old can go so hard on the battle ropes. Does that mustache give him superpowers?”
I love stef <3 (also so me when I do any physical activity)
“I’m not ‘shitting’ about Jeremiah, dummy. I’m shitting about Nash ‘Dat Ass’ Morgan,” I hissed.
Stef glanced over his shoulder, then whipped his head back in my direction, sending a shower of sweat in all directions. “Somebody’s got a crush,” he sang.
Nash Morgan was a danger to women everywhere.
Mood
“Exactly how much of me do you want?” Those blue eyes changed to icy fire. “The gentlemanly answer would be as much as you’re willing to give.” “And you’re a gentleman?” “I used to be.”
Oooo bad boy
“God, yes. Why do you look so happy? Are you delirious?” “I think so. Jeremiah gave me a sweat towel.” “Nash gave me his water. Are we as pathetic as I think we are?” “Oh, much worse,” Stef insisted.
Knox was glaring over my shoulder at Nolan Graham. “Think I might go kick your shadow’s ass,” he said over the rim of his glass. “Appreciate the sentiment, but I really don’t wanna help bury a body tonight,” I told him.
“By the way. You both are groomsmen.” My brother looked at me. “I guess you can be my best man.”
“In her dog bed with one of my socks,” he said without looking. “Back to you turning into a cuddler in my bed.” “I didn’t turn into a cuddler! I was probably just trying to claim my usual spot in the middle and maybe we got tangled up or whatever. I don’t know. Let’s not overthink this. Or discuss it ever again. Just let me slink away in embarrassment and we’ll forget the whole thing ever happened.”
“Omelets in ten,” he said, heading toward the bathroom. “Oh, and, Angel?” I rolled to my elbow. “Yeah?” “If you try to leave, I’ll personally deliver it. Loudly.”
I wasn’t back. Not all the way yet. But it felt like I’d finally taken a step in the right direction. Maybe it was time to take another.
“You allow yourself one cigarette a day probably just to prove that nothing has a hold on you. You’re loyal to your friends and I get the sense that you’d do anything for them. And that ‘anything’ definitely doesn’t end on this side of the law. But would you want Knox or Nash ‘handling’ things for you behind your back?”
“I hope you’re not out to hurt my friend, Lina. Because I’d hate to have to destroy your life.”
Love Lucien - bro is hottttt
“Best way I ever woke up.” It was the second-best way for me, yesterday being the best. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to share that nugget with him.
Lolllll girlie is hooked
“I’m not talking about it. And how in the fuck do you know what my sleeping arrangements are?” I asked, turning back to Lucian. “Information finds its way to me.” “I swear to God, if Mrs. Tweedy is listening at my door with a drinking glass—”
LMAOOOOO MRS TWEEDY IS AN ICON (so is Lucian)
When Lucian Rollins kept tabs, that meant he knew what was in your garbage before it went out to the curb. It meant he knew what you were going to have for dinner before you did. The man had a gift for information gathering, and I shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d wield it against me. Especially if he thought it was for my own good.
Bro I’m already in love with Lucian and I haven’t read his book yet
“How did you know Knox was the one?” I blurted out the question without even consciously thinking it. But if Naomi was surprised by the question, she didn’t let on. “It was a feeling. Some kind of magic. A rightness, I guess. It definitely didn’t make any logical sense. On paper we couldn’t be more ill-suited to each other. But there was something so right about how it felt to be with him.” Shit. That sounded…familiar.
Without me noticing it, Knockemout had sucked me into its gravitational field. And it was up to me to decide whether I wanted to break free. Whether I was brave enough to see what those other layers were like.
“I’m like a bounty hunter, only instead of finding people, I find the things they stole. I think Duncan stole something that’s valuable to my client,
Nolan got out and jogged to keep up. “That was cold, my friend,” he said with just a hint of glee.
Wait why do I acc really like Nolan now??
“You have a date?” Naomi shouted the question loud enough that all the men turned and stared at us. Lucian looked like he was about to set the world on fire with his dark smolder.
LOLLLLLL
“A date or a hookup?” I asked at normal volume. Lucian’s hand closed into a fist, crushing his to-go cup and exploding coffee everywhere.
“I’m here looking for Duncan Hugo,” I said. Naomi’s mom, Amanda, gasped theatrically. Knox’s nostrils flared as he swore under his breath. Lucian, of course, showed no outward reaction.
invited Knox and Nash to breakfast to talk things out like mature adults,” Lucian explained. “You showed up unannounced and dragged me out of bed at six in the morning,” Nash corrected.
I’m purely reading this book for Lucian at this point
“The first step is admitting you’re a disaster,” Stef said sagely.
“Friends make friends better. We accept the bad parts, celebrate the good parts, and we don’t torture you for your mistakes,”
Stef gave a mock bow. “Thank you for appreciating my genius.”
“Being vulnerable doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you trust yourself to be strong enough to handle the hurt. It’s actually the purest form of strength.” Sloane wiggled her fingers at her temples and made an exploding sound. “Mind officially blown,” she slurred. “That was fuckin’ beautiful, Joel,” the biker with the mohawk said. The man mopped at his eyes with a drink napkin.
He rubbed his pectorals. “Ow.” “Text us every thirty seconds. Better yet, livestream your date!” Sloane said, bouncing on her toes. “Oooh! Yes! We’ll comment and let you know if we think it’s going well,” Naomi chimed in. “You sure you can handle the tipsy twins?” Stef asked me.
“We’re coming with you,” Naomi said firmly. “No, you’re not,” I said just as firmly and without slurring. “I told you to stay in the car,” I said as I muscled my FTA down the sidewalk.
“Excuse me? I know you two are in the middle of a fight, but I really have to pee.” “Shut up, Melvin!”
I grunted. “Why are you here? Besides to play coffee fairy.” “Ran into your soon-to-be sister-in-law at the café, who did order the bucket size. She said Knox is pullin’ out all the stops for Career Day.” “Fuck me. That’s today?” “Today in”—he paused and checked his watch—“two hours and twenty-seven minutes. Figured since I had to tag along anyway, we could strategize. Can’t have law enforcement takin’ a back seat to some lottery-winning, bar-owning barber. No offense.”
Nolan is an icon - he really wanted to win this school careers day
“Hell yeah, we did. Gotta say, the driving obstacle course was not a terrible idea.” “Your murder mystery game wasn’t half bad either,” he said. “I didn’t expect Way to be quite so dramatic with her death scene.”
For abductors, they were pretty polite.
She’s so unserious
“If you’re worried about Knox and company, don’t be,” she said. “I heard they’re taking secret ballroom dance lessons to surprise Naomi at the wedding.” I grinned. “You know what I heard?” I paused and looked both ways before leaning across the table. Stasia leaned in too. “What?” she whispered. “I heard they’re choreographing a flash mob dance. Something involving tearaway pants.” “Oh. My. God. I can’t wait for this wedding!”
“You’re gonna open your mouth for me.” “Excuse me?” I was going for haughty but it came out breathy. He dipped his head, drawing me even closer. “And I’m gonna kiss you.” “You can’t just expect—” But the man did expect. And damned if I didn’t open my mouth the second his lips hit mine. Inevitable.
FINALLY OMG (it fully took 400 pages for them to kiss)
Fuck me. I didn’t need to hear any more. I shoved my hands under her arms and picked her up. She let out a little trill of nervous laughter when I boosted her onto the counter and then wrapped those long, lean legs around my waist, hooking her ankles at my back.
I’d never felt this. Never lost myself inside a woman like this. Angelina was my goddamn miracle. And I would absolutely step across the line of black and white into the gray to protect her.
Not just any run-of-the-mill, I-could-have-done-better-with-a-vibrator orgasms. No. Nash Morgan had blown my previous peak sexual experiences out of the water. Hell, out of the stratosphere. It was like the moment his penis came out, my body was programmed to explode. Just what the hell was I supposed to do about that?
Can I have sex with Nash please
Me: Hopper just told me my face looks like I got laid. Lina: Justice said I was glowing and Stef asked me if I got one of those placenta facials. Me: Hope you weren’t planning on keeping this a secret. Lina: Is that even possible in this town? Me: Nope. Which is why I’m taking you out to dinner tonight.
Icy fire danced in Lucian’s eyes. “No one will get near her,” he promised.
Lucian baby
