Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64366 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64366 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Paul asked Kage if he could show him how to do the flying armbar he’d executed so flawlessly on Cristiano Diaz for the win.
“Sure, but Jamie could show you how, too. He submitted me with it the same night I submitted Diaz.”
“Really?” Paul’s leveled astonished eyes on me.
I blushed. “He’s exaggerating. He taught me how to do it, but he’s much better at it than I am. I could show you how to do a couple of Judo throws, though.”
It was Kage’s turn to look astonished. “We haven’t worked much on throws. How are you such an expert?”
“Been taking some classes.” I shrugged. “No big deal.”
Kage continued to stare at me with a little smile on his face. I’d been reluctant to tell him I was training, but he certainly seemed pleased about it. Probably because the cocky bastard knew I’d done it to impress him. Which was sort of true.
After dinner, we all crowded around the sink trying to help. Mom indulged us, even though I could tell we were getting in her way.
As soon as an opening presented itself, I grabbed Kage by the arm and pulled him out into the backyard toward the infamous gazebo of pain. Unfortunately, Jennifer and Chase had already beaten us to it and were making out.
“Dammit,” I hissed, stopping abruptly, causing Kage to run into my back.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I’m horny, and they got the gazebo.”
Kage laughed. “Is this an Atwood family tradition? Dinner followed by dry humping in the backyard?”
“No. It’s just…” I turned and cut my eyes up at him, vibrating with sexual need. “You just look so good today. God, your ass looks amazing in those pants, and your muscles in that shirt… gah. I just wanna touch you.” I thought for a second, then dragged him along again. “Let’s go to my room.”
“Oh, no.” Kage pulled against me. “Hell no. Your dad said we were not to go to your room.”
“What?” I pulled again. “Fuck that. We’re going to my room, and he’ll just have to get over it. We’ll be sneaky.” Kage reluctantly let me lead him toward my room, but even my attempted stealth didn’t stop my dad from catching us.
“Where are you boys headed?” he yelled from the sofa, where he was leaned back beside Mom, supposedly reading a book.
“My room.” I laughed. “Kage wanted to see my high school yearbooks.”
Kage shot me an evil glare. “Do you want him to shoot me?”
Without even looking up from his book, Dad said, “Have you already forgotten what we talked about on the ride?”
“No, sir.” Kage smiled wickedly at me. “It was Jamie’s idea. I told him it was wrong for us to go to his room, but he said if I loved him I’d do it.”
“James…” Dad used that tone. The one that said resistance was futile.
“Great,” I hissed. “Way to go. Now he hates us both.”
“He doesn’t hate me. He loves me.” Kage crossed his arms, and my eyes dropped to his biceps, so mouthwatering in the thin white shirt.
I licked my lips and forced my eyes to his face. “What the hell did you guys talk about on that drive? This feels suspiciously Stepford, you know?”
“We just came to an understanding. It was nice.”
And that was about all I could take of the mystery. Kage and I needed to discuss the status-quo-obliterating ride he and my dad had taken before dinner, so I grabbed his arm again and pulled him to the only safe place I could think of. Through the kitchen, and the laundry room, and into the ten-by-ten pantry Dad had built for Mom when I was in middle school. It was mostly lined with shelves, but there was still plenty of standing room. As long as we kept our voices down, I was confident no one would think to look for us in there.
“What are we doing in here?” Kage scanned the shelves stocked with canned goods, baking items, and cleaning supplies. I closed the door behind me, plunging us into complete darkness, and felt around for the string that dangled from the light fixture in the center of the ceiling. I gave it a tug, and the bulb cast a harsh blue glow over everything. “Are you trying to give me nightmares? This place is nutrition hell. Look at all these starches.” He picked up several items, squinting at the labels in the blue gloom. Then he put his hand on a clear container. “Hey, are these Christmas decorations? There’s all kinds of stuff in here.” He picked up a foam snowman from beside the container and inspected it before putting it back down.
“Will you help me do a Christmas tree this year?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “Why don’t you quit inspecting everything and come over here?”
But Kage had spotted the dry-erase board in the corner. He grabbed the marker from the tray, and in bold blue letters wrote, “Kage wuz here.”