Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
“Claire what’s-her-face. We dated a bit back then.” He shrugs, like he can’t even be bothered to remember her. I bet if I pressed he’d recall the last name just fine, but it’s sweet.
I bow before the king. “Well, your highness, show me the rest of your palace.”
Harrison nods as he holds out his hand, acting like a king. “Follow me, m’lady.” He shows me the front room, complete with a piano in the corner. Then leads me into a living area with a flowered couch and TV. “I grew up in this house,” he says as he leads me upstairs. He stops in front of one room. “This is my childhood bedroom.”
We step inside and it’s like stepping back in time. “Football?” I ask, turning around after spotting a picture of Harrison in a football uniform.
He shrugs. “Just for a few years. It wasn’t my passion.”
“What is your passion?”
He moves closer to the closet and opens it, pulling out an acoustic guitar. “Music.”
My eyes light up at the sight. “You play?” It all makes sense why his coffee shop offers live music. Something I’d never even think about, but Harrison thought of it right away.
He thumbs over the strings. “Yeah, maybe if you’re good, I’ll play you a little something after dinner.” He sets the guitar down on his bed quickly. “Shit, dinner.” He rushes out of the room, and I laugh.
I take one last look around his childhood room and follow him back downstairs and into the kitchen.
It’s a big space, with dark wood cabinets. I lean against the bar, sliding onto a barstool as Harrison opens the oven door to check on dinner.
“The potatoes look just right,” he says, pulling out a sheet pan with the potatoes.
“They smell good,” I say with a smile. I realize right now this almost feels like a date. I mean, it is a date, right?
I’ve been so in my head about Deja Brew and Drake’s baby that I didn’t really think about this as being a date, and more about me claiming my prize.
Yet now, as Harrison plates our dinner, nerves tackle me. I haven’t been on a date in ages. In fact, I swore to myself I’d never date again, yet here I am.
I take a deep breath. This is not a date. It’s merely two friends enjoying each other’s company. As I watch Harrison move around the kitchen, I realize I do enjoy his company.
Maybe a bit too much.
Chapter 10
Harrison
As February and I enjoy our dinner, which I need to give myself credit for because it is damn good, it’s pretty silent. Except for the occasional scraping of our knives on the plate, clearing of our throats, or sipping our water. It’s become awkward, and that’s the last thing I wanted.
I’ve been planning for tonight like a virgin planning for their first time. It’s pretty embarrassing, but there’s just something about this woman that makes it all somehow seem normal. The way I turned down five cuts of meat before I was happy with what the butcher showed me. How I spent far too much time at the grocery store picking just the right potatoes and baby carrots. Even the length of time it took me to get ready tonight. I showered, scrubbing like I was trying to get evidence off my body. I tried on four shirts before I was satisfied with the look.
It is pretty pathetic.
Yet, when I opened the door and her gorgeous smiling face greeted me, I forgot about it all.
Her dirty-blonde hair is curled and hanging perfectly over her slender shoulders. The dark blue wrap dress she’s got on is hugging her perfect body and drawing my attention to her tits that are teasing me.
She’s stunning and having her walk around the house I grew up in is doing something to me, stirring feelings I’m not entirely sure I can explain.
I need to break this awkward silence if I stand any chance of getting that kiss I’ve been craving since she rejected me.
“How’s everything going with your shop?”
I should’ve asked sooner, but my mind has been too clouded with visions of feeling her pressed against me.
She lifts her eyes to me and I see the sadness I’m all too familiar with and it hurts my heart. “In a nutshell, it’s a disaster.”
I place my fork down and give her my full attention. “What happened?”
She shoves a potato into her mouth and shrugs. “Apparently, the leaking pipe was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a problem with the foundation. There’s a family of raccoons living in the attic space, which has caused a lot of damage. Somehow it’s been missed but there’s asbestos in the walls and the floor.” Her eyes swim with tears, but she forces a smile as she blinks them away. “Mitchell says he’s not sure this is something he even wants to go forward with fixing. It would be cheaper to knock the place down.”