Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
“Baby, I’m trying my best not to act like a complete caveman.”
Pepper barks, twisting between our legs.
“I’ll hurry.” Rowan slips out of my hold, giving me a full three seconds to admire her ass going up the stairs before she is out of view.
“Come on, girl.”
She follows me through the house and races outside. When she’s done, she runs back, jumping in circles.
“Her treats are on the counter,” Rowan calls.
As soon as she inhales the small bone, she takes off back upstairs.
By the looks of the scattered papers and open laptop, Rowan brought her work here yesterday.
I glance over the paperwork and immediately know this isn’t accounting or payroll. Chemical formulas cover every inch of the pages.
I review it, trying to make sense of the notes in the margins. I’m lost in the details and don’t notice her until she’s at my side.
“What is this stuff?”
“My work.” Her answer is flat.
“Your work?”
She nods, filling Pepper’s food and water bowls.
It’s then I notice she’s wearing another oversized shirt, this time with a Nashville Fire and Rescue emblem on the front. All thoughts of her work fly out of my head as jealousy burns through my system.
“Rowan?”
“Hmm?” She pops a pod in the coffeemaker.
“Come here.”
“Would you like some coffee?”
“I’ve already had my fill.”
“At eight-fifteen in the morning? What time do you get up?”
“Early,” is all I offer.
“I guess it goes with the occupation. Working nights can’t be easy on your schedule,” she carries on, her voice cracking with nervousness.
I bite back my grin, step into her space, and pull her back to my front. She stiffens for a split second before relaxing.
“Good morning.” I kiss along her earlobe, earning a shudder.
“Morning.”
“Let’s try this again.” I lift her onto the counter, nudging my hips between her legs. She catches onto my intentions, tipping her face.
Her lips part easily, her tongue curling to mine. I go slow, enjoying the taste of mint and the feel of her in my arms. She slants her head, giving me more, and my blood heats, speeding through my veins.
What started as a simple kiss turns into a blazing need for more. She whimpers lightly, her arms circle my shoulders, and her body dissolves into me.
My hands go to her head, caressing her scalp until I slowly pull away, tracing my lips across hers. “Missed that again last night, Rowan.”
“I missed it, too. Maybe, umm… Maybe…” she trails off.
“Maybe what, beautiful?”
She chews on her lip.
“Tell me, baby.”
“Maybe next weekend, when Cruz and Alex return, we won’t have to miss it.”
I resist beating my chest, knowing exactly how much those words mean.
“Not sure I can wait until next weekend.”
“I don’t know how they will feel about me having company in their home.”
“I have a house, honey. If that doesn’t work, we’ll go to your studio.”
Her body goes stiff, her eyes cutting to the floor, but not before I catch the reluctance in her gaze.
“There a reason you look like you saw a ghost?”
“I don’t sleep very well in the studio.” She speaks so soft I almost miss it. “Actually, I sleep little anywhere.”
Her admission strikes straight to my gut, and I know this is one of those times I have to tread lightly. “Why don’t you sleep?”
“I sleep, just not really at night. Usually, I can pass out as soon as the sun rises. I get a few hours before I go downstairs to the salon.”
“The light in your window?”
“What light?”
“Every night, there’s a routine. You switch off the lights upstairs, and a few seconds later, a light comes on in the back room.”
She jerks in surprise, her fingers gripping my shirt. “How do you know that?”
“Because until Saturday night, I’ve been outside watching to make sure you are safe. If I’m on shift and can’t drive by, Talon checks for me.”
“Oh my God. You’ve been watching me?”
“Yeah, babe. Watching and biding my time. What you went through, what you experienced, I told myself you needed the time.”
“Why didn’t you call me? Or come up?”
“Because you were dealing with serious shit, and the last thing I wanted was to scare you away. Swear to God, I hate the motherfucker and never want to mention his name, but Craig Johns left a trail of heartache. I needed to give you that. Me swooping in wasn’t smart. It fucking killed, but knowing you were upstairs safe was enough.”
I give her time to process, seeing the wheels spinning in her mind. “He didn’t leave a trail of heartache, Ford. I never loved him. It sucks that I was stupid enough to stay with a cheating, lying, abusive, psychotic dick. But my heart, it wasn’t his.”
“He kidnapped, beat, stole from, and tried to rape you. That leaves a mark.”
“I was never scared for myself. Jewls was my priority.”
I grip her head, feeling a surge of pride and rage battling inside. “We were coming for you.”