Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
I was wrong.
"Are you okay?"
I shake my head but I don't verbally answer.
The SUV slows to a stop, Zeus rolling down his window and waving the person behind us around the vehicle.
"I like you."
I snap my head in his direction.
"What?"
He pulls in a deep breath, letting the air puff out his cheeks before it slips past his lips.
"I like you. Like... like you-like you."
"Zeus," I begin but he holds his hand up to silence me.
"I don't need a rejection to know that you and Jersey have a thing. I felt how weird it was in the kitchen yesterday morning when he came in, but I figured I'd need to let you know in case there might be a chance."
I turn my head, staring out the window as I try to gather my thoughts. The cabin is full of decent guys, but rejection is never easy on anyone.
"We don't... have a thing," I assure him. "But I'm not in the market for any type of relationship either. I'm working on myself right now."
"Okay," he says as if that's all it took, and then he pulls away from the curb, driving forward only a hundred feet or so to reach my driveway.
Roman is standing on my front porch glaring at us as we pull into the driveway, and I wonder if Zeus stopped right in his line of sight on purpose, knowing it would piss him off.
The sight of anger in Roman's eyes makes me livid. The man has no right to have an opinion about anything I do in my life, but I'd never flirt with Zeus and lead him on just to get back at a man who has already voiced the fact that he doesn't want anything more than a physical relationship with me.
I hesitate getting out of the SUV, choosing instead to glare at Roman who has no problem holding my gaze, that is until Zeus gets out of the vehicle, then all of his attention is on the other man.
I swear I'll lose my shit if he starts a fight or acts territorial and possessive over me right now. He had his chance.
I shove open the passenger side door and step out, looking up at my house and noticing a man on a tall ladder doing some sort of electrical work. Then I notice the small camera he's installing.
"You're not going to hide the cameras?" I ask Roman as I approach, giving him one chance to keep his problems to himself.
"Why would we do that? We want to prevent someone from going into your house not catch them doing it."
It makes perfect sense, and I'd prefer whoever is slinking around my house to stay outside for sure.
"Want to tell me about your fucking smoke detectors?"
I snap my eyes in his direction. "What? Do they need new batteries?"
"They didn't have fucking batteries, Caitlyn. Do you have any idea how fucking dangerous that is? Just like your goddammed windows being unlocked," he growls. "You're a sitting fucking duck. You might as well be waving a fucking flag begging people to come hurt you."
"Are you-"
"I think that's a little harsh," Zeus says, taking up a position between the two of us.
I take a step back when his jacket brushes my hand.
"Don't touch her," Roman growls when he notices the distance I have to create.
"Not gonna touch her, but you're sure as fuck not going to treat her like shit right in front of me either, brother. Do we need to go to the store to get batteries?"
Roman grumbles something under his breath, his eyes on me the second I step out from behind Zeus. He does a sweep of my body, and although there's nothing sexual to his perusal, it doesn't stop my body from reacting that way.
I swallow and pull my eyes from his.
"We have batteries, and going to have these guys hard wire them as well. I have fifteen cameras, and I plan to have every single one installed," Roman says, his voice a little calmer now than it was just moments ago.
"Sounds like you have it all in hand," Zeus says. "We'll get out of your hair."
Roman doesn't argue, and I don't hesitate to go right back to the SUV, settling inside and focusing on getting my hands to work so I can click my seatbelt into place.
When I look up at the house just as Zeus is pulling out of the drive, I spot Roman on the front porch standing exactly the same way he was when he arrived, only now he looks even more pissed.
"He's hateful," I mutter. "It's no big deal about the stupid smoke detectors."
"It's a big deal to him," Zeus mutters.
"I'm not his responsibility. He doesn't-" I snap my mouth closed before I disclose more than I should.
What has happened between Roman and me isn't anyone else's business, and I’d never put Zeus in a situation where he'd feel like he had to choose between the two of us.