Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
And yet she got pleasure at the idea that he was going to ruin someone for looking at her for too long.
There was something broken inside her.
“Are you ready to go, then?” He sounded grouchy, but she didn’t take offense. That was just how he was.
Like her Grandpa Jake. Grouchy on the outside. And slightly less grouchy on the inside.
“I’m ready.” She turned and hugged Cammie. “Thanks for all your help.”
“Of course.” Cammie gave her a sad-looking smile. “You really look amazing. Have a great night.” She leaned in to whisper. “He’s scary. But he looks at you like you’re a candy buffet and he’s on a no-sugar diet.”
Faith scoffed. But she was secretly happy at her words.
As she stepped outside, he took her hand. Then he paused and glanced down at her. “Where is your jacket?”
“Oh, um, the only jacket I have doesn’t really go with this outfit.”
“You have . . . one jacket?” He was gaping at her like he didn’t understand what she was saying.
“Yes. One jacket. And it’s not formal.”
“Did I not give you my credit card to get whatever you needed?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I could buy a new jacket.” She’d already felt like she was taking advantage of him when she’d used his card to buy her dress.
“That’s exactly what it meant,” he grumbled at her. He turned back to where Cammie still watched them. “Do you have a jacket she can wear?”
Cammie jolted, then nodded. “Yep. Uh-huh. Let me find it.” She disappeared into her bedroom.
“We should just go,” she said. “I’m fine. It’s not even that cold.”
“It’s her jacket or mine,” he told her.
Okay, then. She didn’t mind wearing his jacket, but it didn’t exactly go with her dress.
Reuben glanced down at her. “Why didn’t you ask her for a jacket?”
That was a question she didn’t really want to answer. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I don’t like to ask other people for things.”
It was the truth. But she really didn’t like to ask Cammie for anything more when she’d done so much.
Cammie came back with a gorgeous black velvet coat that she was instantly worried about spilling something on.
After putting the coat around her, Reuben tucked her hand in his arm.
“Bye! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Cammie called out as he led her down to the car.
“She looks like the type who has done a lot,” Reuben muttered.
“Reuben!” She turned to glare up at him. Although he wasn’t wrong.
As they grew closer, Steven got out and opened the backdoor of the limo.
“Thank you, Steven,” she said.
He smiled at her. To her surprise, Reuben let out a strange growling noise. Steven immediately straightened, turning away from her.
That was odd. She and Steven had become friends the last few days.
Reuben followed her into the limo. The partition was up between the front and back.
“Is something wrong? Is Steven okay?” she asked.
He frowned as he reached over to buckle her seatbelt. “Why do you care how Steven is?”
Was that jealousy in his voice? She gaped at him as the car moved away from the curb.
“You’re not jealous, are you? We’re just friends.”
“I don’t like the way he looked at you. I’ll have words with him.”
Alarm filled her. She didn’t want to be the reason that Steven’s job could be at risk. She leaned toward Reuben, then realized she had her belt on. Reaching down, she unbuckled it. Then she slid along the seat.
“What do you think you are doing?” His arm came out and slammed her back into the seat, stealing her breath in surprise.
“Reuben?”
“Never take your seatbelt off in a moving car.” He grabbed the middle belt, putting it over her.
“You don’t even have yours on.”
“I’m not as precious as you.”
“Yes, you are,” she countered, feeling mad. Faith didn’t get angry that often, but right now, her temper was stirring. “Do you think I wouldn’t be upset if something happened to you? Well?”
Reuben stared down at her. Normally, it was hard to read his expression, however he looked a bit shocked.
“Well, I would. I’d be really upset. I don’t want anything to happen to you. So put your darn belt on.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, muttering to herself. What the heck was this nonsense about her being more precious than him? Was he nuts?
What would she do without him?
Oh God.
She felt sick. Did she . . . did she love him?
No! That was impossible.
Sure, they had spent the last three months together day after day. But that was a working relationship. It wasn’t exactly conducive to building a romantic relationship.
Right?
No, she couldn’t love him.
Not yet.
Reaching out, he cupped her chin and turned her to face him.
She grimaced. Oh crap. What had she just done? She’d forgotten that he was her boss. She shouldn’t talk to him like that. Make demands.