The Slow Burn (Moonlight and Motor Oil #2) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,11
talking about being the girl who mended Johnny Gamble’s broken heart) and an African American woman, who probably belonged to Charlie.
Though, to Toby, they seemed to be giving her space.
It was then Addie said, “Great. As if that drama being played out in front of Clubber McHotterson,” she indicated Charlie with a flick of a hand, “and Magnus McHotterson,” she indicated Johnny with a jerk of her head, “wasn’t bad enough, now we got Talon McHotterson here to enjoy the show.”
All the drama with that dickhead outside and she was cracking jokes.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Toby again couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Maybe we should go upstairs and talk, baby girl,” the black lady said softly.
“About what?” Addie asked. “About how Johnny’s changed more of Brooklyn’s diapers after knowing him for a week than his father has after knowing him seven months?”
Yeah.
That was Johnny.
And it just sunk in that her kid was called Brooklyn.
Kickass name.
“Doll, how about you let Johnny and Charlie look after Brooks and we girls get a bottle of wine and—?” Eliza tried.
“I saw you two,” Addie said, her voice hoarse, and Toby, already alert to everything about her, went more so. “In the stable. I saw Johnny doing you against the wall.”
Well, shit.
That he did not have to hear.
“Oh Lord,” the black woman mumbled.
“Shit,” Charlie muttered.
“Hell,” Toby murmured.
“He never gave me that, what you two had in that moment,” Addie told the woman who had to be her sister, they looked so much alike. “I could have walked right up to you and neither of you would have seen me. I didn’t exist, nothing existed. Nothing but him for you and you for him. He never gave me that, Iz. How did I never see that?”
That made Toby look to his brother.
With relief.
Shandra had torn him apart.
Apparently, town talk was right, and this Eliza had put him back together.
His brother had that. And Tobe was glad he did.
And he was glad even thinking he wanted the same.
His eyes moved back to Addie as Eliza whispered, “Addie, sweetie.”
“He gave me this.” She cuddled Brooks closer. “That’s all he ever gave me. But he gave it to me getting himself an orgasm and honest to God, that was all he was thinking about.”
“Addie, please, baby, let’s go upstairs,” her sister coaxed.
Addie reared her head like a stubborn mare, and it was inappropriate as hell in that moment, but that didn’t change the fact that move was hot, before she snapped, “No. This is a party. We’re having a party.”
She forged past her sister, Johnny, straight to the door where Toby was standing.
Yeah.
Totally gorgeous.
But holding that baby and doing everything in her power not to fly apart . . .
The most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“Out of the way, Talon,” she ordered.
“Name’s Toby,” he replied gently, but he didn’t move.
Her head jerked back, and her tortured blue eyes caught his.
Christ, yeah.
Spectacular.
“You’re his brother, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yeah, darlin’,” he replied.
“Of course. You’re perfect, so of course. You’re probably taken too, aren’t you?”
If he was taken, which he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be in about half an hour.
Fortunately, he wasn’t.
“I—” he started to tell her that.
“Not for me,” she cut him off. “Man like you. Man like Johnny. Man like Charlie. Not for me.”
Right.
She’d been holding it together.
But he sensed she was about to fall apart.
“Honey,” Toby whispered. “How ’bout we get you—?”
She tossed her hair and looked over her shoulder at her sister. “I did it, Iz. I did it. What I swore to myself I’d never do. Not the same, but a version. I found Dad. I found a man who was good for nothin’ except to break my heart.”
And that was when her face melted, and she started to go down.
“Tobe,” Johnny growled, on the move.
But Toby was all over it.
He caught her in his arms and sank down to the floor with her. Addie’s ass hit his inner thigh with Toby’s leg at a bad angle and that didn’t feel too hot.
He winced, but ignored it, putting his arms around her and tucking her and her kid close to his chest.
She shoved her face in his neck and started sobbing.
All he could think was she felt good, especially her hair against his skin, so fucking soft.
Also, she smelled great.
Her baby started fretting.
Right.
Time to get her to a safe place.
Toby lifted his gaze to her sister. “Where you want her, babe?”
“My bedroom,” she whispered. “Upstairs. I’ll show you the way.”
Toby nodded, got his feet under him and with great care lifted Addie