Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 74668 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74668 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Outside, I was a rock. Inside, I was a melting puddle of goo who wanted nothing more than for the man currently running his eyes from the tips of my feet to the top of my head to take me into the back office and fuck the ever loving hell out of me. Hard and fast.
“Can I get you guys something?” I asked politely, knowing with a certainty that each and every man here knew who I was, and what I’d accused the three men living next to me of this morning.
“Coffee.” The blonde that had answered the door this morning ordered.
I nodded and looked to the next man. This one was dark and handsome. He had dark eyes and dark hair, and his features spoke of some sort of Hispanic heritage.
“Water,” he ordered.
I nodded and turned to the next man. This one was the only one wearing long sleeves. Every bit of his skin was covered from hands to shoulders, and he had a hat seated deep on his head that depicted him as a ‘country boy’ despite being in full uniform other than that.
“Root Beer,” he ordered.
I nodded and turned to the next.
The other man that’d been in the house last night.
He looked much like his brother, and it did have to be brother, now that I was getting a better look at him through non-sleepy eyes.
“And you?” I asked.
The corner of his lips kicked up into a smile as he replied with, “Coke.”
“Coke, as in Coca-Cola?” I clarified.
He nodded. “A coke is a coke.”
Whatever.
I turned to the next man. His eyes were dark and all consuming. He was the least non-threatening of the group, but I knew him to be just as deadly as the next.
It was all in the eyes.
You didn’t judge a man by his appearance. Appearances could be deceiving.
You judged them by their eyes, and what you could see in their eyes.
And his had death written all over them.
“You?” I asked.
And so it went until I got to the last man. The man whose name I’d woken up moaning as I masturbated in my sleep.
And by the looks of it, the fucker must’ve heard it.
I didn’t flinch, though.
I wouldn’t.
I’d seen and heard too much, experienced more than the average twenty-year-old woman would ever experience, to be embarrassed.
Shit happened, and you either got over it, or it’d consume you.
Life was unpredictable like that.
“And you?” I asked finally, not showing even a hint of weakness.
He took a really long moment to answer.
So long that I started to shift from foot to foot as he watched me.
It’d been the reaction he’d been searching for, because he answered shortly after with a smile tipping up the corner of his lips. “Unsweet tea. No lemon.”
I nodded and turned to go, but his words halted me in my tracks. “I might need some of your honey. To sweeten up the tea, of course.”
Mother. Fucker.
“She’s not going to remember any of those,” one of them whispered.
Not soft enough, though, because I heard. And I vowed that I wouldn’t screw up one single thing the entire time.
Some vow that was, though.
It was all the stupid red head’s fault.
Did red hair make you turn into the devil or something?
Had I done something to challenge him?
Because he was acting like I was his rival, and it should be me who was offended. He’d been the one keeping me up all night! It wasn’t like what I said was a hanging offense or anything!
It all started when I brought out the honey. The honey he’d asked for.
After setting all of their drinks down on the table in front of them, ones I’d gotten right, might I add, I asked them if they were ready to order.
They said no.
So I left, giving them five minutes while I attended to my other tables.
I had a table that was being unusually rowdy, but I let them be, knowing it was better to ignore it rather than confront them about it.
“Yeah, we’d like a couple of refills. Please feel free to bring us some of your honey, too,” the young man jeered.
I barely contained the urge to roll my eyes.
The kids were probably still in high school by the looks of their clothes, and hair. They also didn’t have much muscle to them, either.
“Alright, I’ll bring y’all a couple of refills. Do y’all want them in to-go cups?” I asked as I started to step away.
They all focused on my boobs, and I wanted to scream at them. However, that didn’t bring in the tips, so I would do what I had to do. Even if I had to endure them looking at my boobs.
It was all harmless for now.
If another table complained, then I would intervene. However, they were keeping it rather quiet, only getting rowdy when I was around, so I left them to it.
Only, when I got back from bringing them refills, none of the men would look at me, or even acknowledge me.
I turned startled eyes to the men one table over, the men I assumed were responsible for the change, and saw them looking only at each other. I knew, though, that I had their attention. Just knew it.
I narrowed my eyes on the red head, drawing his attention from whatever he was discussing with the men.
He raised his brow in silent invitation, and I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t rise to the goad, though. Little did he know that I knew how to handle hardheaded men who thought they knew what I needed.
I walked over to their table, and stopped on the opposite side of the table this time, the one furthest away from Officer Lachlan Downy.
“Have y’all decided on what to order?” I asked, moving from foot to foot.
It was a nervous tell of mine, but they might not know it. At least I hoped, but I could tell from the small smiles on all of their faces that they knew I was uncomfortable.
So I shored up my spine and stopped moving, waiting patiently for them to go through their order.