Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 121728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Heat filled her cheeks as she swung her arm out, indicating he should come inside. “Is Decker okay?”
After he pressed passed her, she locked the door behind him and reset the alarm.
“Yeah, last I heard. He just wanted me to check on you and Val.”
She stepped back to put space between them, since up close, he was much bigger than at first glance. Not quite as massive as Decker, but certainly not at all small, either. “Is there a reason for him to be worried?”
“Always got to worry when we’re working a case like this. The bad guys never like it when we try to make them pay for their crimes.”
Well, that wasn’t reassuring. From now on she’d be a little more cautious about her surroundings, especially when taking Val to and from school.
With a loud meow, Finn sprinted across the living room and began to weave around the cop’s long denim-covered legs, while purring and pausing every few seconds to butt his head against the man’s shin.
He reached down to scoop up the orange cat and hugged him to his broad chest. “Best freaking day ever was when Big Deck named his pussy Finn.”
It most likely wasn’t the best day for the cat’s namesake. “Does the real Finn mind?”
“Wouldn’t matter if he did.”
“Do you go by Antonio or Tony?” she asked.
“Tony is reserved for my mother. Everyone else calls me Rez. Where’s Val?” He glanced around, still stroking along Finn’s back as the cat rubbed his chin and cheek against the man’s beard. Sloane was sure plenty of women would love to do the same.
“Taking her afternoon nap. She’ll be up soon. She usually crashes about an hour after I pick her up from preschool.”
He nodded, placed Finn on the floor, and shrugged out of his leather jacket like he planned on staying awhile. After tossing it onto the back of the couch, he turned to face her.
This time it was he who inspected her from head to toe. He wasn’t even slick about it. She couldn’t be offended since she did the same to him.
“Isn’t it a bit cold outside to only be wearing a tank top?”
His wide shoulders and corded neck were perfectly showcased by that snug, black tank. A variety of tattoos decorated his well-defined arms and even the backs of his hands. She found the latter surprising for a cop. But then, she had no idea what the rules were for police departments. They could all be different.
He shrugged. “My blood runs hot. Got a hoodie in my car if I need it.”
He needed to head back to that car since he was interrupting her workday. “So… now that you’ve seen we’re all right—”
He watched her face carefully when he stated, “Decker kept it a secret that he hired a nanny. He should’ve hired one as soon as Val came into his life.”
She understood why he had a hard time doing that. If she had a child, she’d also be very particular with whomever she hired to watch over him or her. “I’m not really a nanny.”
Rez tilted his head, not bothering to hide his surprise. “No? What are you, then?”
“A legal assistant.”
One dark, thick eyebrow rose. “Now I’m totally fucking confused.”
She shrugged. “You can google the definition.”
He pinned his lips together and shook his head. “Know what a legal assistant is. You don’t work for a criminal defense attorney, do you?”
She was getting the sense that most cops had an issue with criminal defense attorneys. “Construction and real estate.”
He planted his tattooed hands on his hips. “Oh, thank fuck. How’d you end up here with Deck the Halls, then?”
Big Deck, now Deck the Halls? “It’s a long story.” One she wasn’t sure she wanted to share with a man she didn’t know. She also wasn’t sure if Decker wanted the story shared, either.
Despite mentioning he’d share Sadie’s photo with the people he worked with, he apparently hadn’t told his close buddies and coworkers she was living with him and watching over Val. Until now, anyway. He might have had a reason for that.
“Got plenty of time.” With that, he turned and strode into the kitchen, opened the fridge, grabbed a beer and twisted off the cap, tossing it into the nearby garbage. Just like he owned the place. “Wanna beer?” he called out to her.
“No. I… uh… I’m still on the clock. But, thank you?”
His warm chuckle floated over to her as he followed it back into the living room and dropped onto the couch. He kicked his boots up on the coffee table, crossing his ankles, and guzzled a third of the beer in one swallow, then he released a long sigh as he settled in. Again, like he lived there. “Still wondering why he never told us he found someone to watch Val.”