Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
You'd think at some point we’d need a break or risk burnout with how new the relationship is between us, not to mention the fact that I see her all day at work too, but neither one of us has popped the brakes.
For me at least, it's quite the opposite.
I can't get enough of her.
And it's not just because of how spectacular we are in the bedroom.
We're good together in every facet, whether that be grabbing a quick lunch during her breaks in her workday, me grumbling at the stubborn stray cat she loves, watching ridiculous shows on Netflix together, or attending elaborate functions with her fancy friends.
It's like we've always been together—making each other laugh or going lust-starved from just an innocent touch. I'm not surprised, especially since her texts alone used to make my entire day. Now that I get to wake up next to her? It's making me think things I have no business thinking.
Things like asking her to officially be mine even though I know I shouldn’t.
She understands my work and is more accepting of it than anyone ever has been before, but that doesn't mean she's ready to commit to a monogamous relationship where I can get called away on assignment for months at a time. And despite knowing that, the idea of her dating anyone else makes this territorial asshole creep up inside me, full of jealousy and ownership I have no right to.
Still, it doesn't stop me from feeling the way I do. From wanting to keep her all to myself. From wanting the honor and privilege of calling her mine and doing everything I can, every single day, for the rest of forever, to make her happy.
Jesus, I've only known her a few months, and I’m already picturing a forever? I must be losing my damn mind, because I've never once thought these things before. Never considered quitting my contract work and letting the nightclub be my sole source of income.
Not that Zoe would ask that of me, but she'd absolutely be worth it.
Plus, I know for a fact it would be me struggling through a months-long separation more than her. She’s simply stronger than me, mentally and emotionally.
I do my best to force these racing thoughts from my mind as I scan the footage from the previous day around Zoe’s office while she's in with a client.
Nothing out of the ordinary, even Gregory has stuck to his routine. Showing up in the back of the building where the patient exit door is, demanding food that Zoe always puts out for him. It's cute as hell—despite his aversion to me—but the clockwork of the routine puts me on edge. If I've noticed that she goes out that door promptly at five p.m. every evening, then so could Spencer. And from the way he tore up her porch last week, I know he doesn’t care that I feed the cat with her every night.
I make a mental note to mention it to her later. Maybe we could finally coax him to be a house cat or switch up the times or something.
After another hour, I head over to her office, finding her door open just like I suspected. She doesn’t have another client for an hour, and I simply can’t stay away from her any longer.
“How's your day going?” I ask after lightly tapping on the side of the entryway, lingering there in case she's deep in work mode.
Her smile is bright as her eyes, flying to mine, looking up from some paperwork scattered about her desk. “So far so good,” she says, setting down a pen and rounding the desk to stand before me. “You?”
“Can't complain,” I say, then tilt my head.
Zoe notices the hesitant move and arches a brow at me. “What's wrong?”
“Nothing's wrong,” I say, smoothing a hand down her arm because she can't be this close to me without touching her. “I just picked up on something today about a routine of yours and I’m…concerned.”
Her features turn serious, and she nods. “And I thought I'd been doing so well about shifting things up,” she says. “I don't take lunch on the terrace anymore, and I take my lunch breaks at different times. I've even shuffled my clients around. What did I miss?”
“We missed it,” I assure her. I reach my other hand to cup her cheek, making sure she can see the severity in my face. “You've been doing amazing. Honestly, you're going above and beyond.”
She flashes me an incredulous look. “But?”
“But,” I say, shifting closer to her. “Your habits with Gregory are like clockwork. Even when I’m doing it with you. It would make me a whole hell of a lot more comfortable if you started varying the times we feed him and give him those treats. Or hell, invite him into the building and make him an indoor cat.”