Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Wanna go to lunch?”
“Huh?”
“Lunch. You hungry? I gotta see a few houses after, but if you’re up for it …”
I was already nodding without realizing it, and as he stood to get dressed, I turned away discretely.
He chuckled that deep, sexy rumble and said, “OK. We’re playing coy now, are we?”
“Not at all,” I protested. “I just …” I heard him move across the room toward me, and my mouth went dry. He came close enough that I could smell his shampoo in his damp hair. I squeezed my legs together, becoming damp myself. I expected him to wrap his arms around me at any moment and wondered if I should protest. If I could protest.
“Excuse me,” he said.
“Huh?” I turned and met his eyes.
He gestured down, and I began to salivate. What was wrong with me?”
“I need to get in there …”
I couldn’t speak.
He nodded toward a plastic set of drawers. “My dresser,” he said. “I can’t very well go to lunch in my skivvies.”
“Oh,” I said and hastily moved across the room to a window looking down on the garage floor below. The group of men was still there but looked like they were ready to move out. One of them looked right at me, and I quickly moved away from the window, almost running into Ryan pulling on a royal blue T-shirt. Still no pants. I looked away again.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked, pretending to be interested in the sparse furnishings.
“It’s not much, but it’s home for now. I did mention that I was looking for houses later today, didn’t I?”
“You did,” I said.
I heard the sound of a zipper going up.
“Let’s go back to that place I took you to last time.”
I sent him a flat gaze now that it was safe. “A bar? Seriously?”
He shrugged. “It’s right down the street.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. “How about real food? I saw a place on the way in, about a mile down the road. Outside the warehouse district. It looks like a breakfast place, but I think it’s local. Do you know it?”
He scratched his beard, which he’d trimmed up to look tame. “John makes a good hash. Not sure about their lunch. How about another place I know of? I think we both need something good, and I know their burgers’ll win your heart. Don’t worry; it’s outside the warehouse district. A couple of blocks anyway.” He winked and offered his arm.
I took it, a small smile playing on my lips. “Well, I’ll give my heart for a good burger.”
He opened the door with a flourish. “After you …”
We stepped onto the stairs – I hoped they would hold both bodies’ weight. The two guys left in the garage busied themselves as the boss appeared.
“You aren’t fooling anyone, Mac and Brice. Milking the clock as usual,” Ryan called out sternly.
“Oh, yes sir, sorry sir,” the taller one said with a more contrite tone than was necessary.
Ryan took on an exaggerated stern tone. “Watch it, stretch. Guys like you are a dime a dozen down in front of the hardware store.” He changed to a normal tone as we got onto the concrete. “Mrs. Jenson give you any more trouble about her azaleas?”
“Nah,” said the tall guy. “They’ve perked up a lot now that we got the irrigation system back in shape.”
“Good work,” Ryan told him and gave the guys a salute. “You’ll lock up when you go?”
“Will do, boss.”
Ryan headed out the door, and I followed. Apparently, he wanted to walk. I wondered if he even owned a car or if Darlene had won that in the divorce. The house and the car, though? I wasn’t sure how divorces worked but assumed it was an even split. Surely he had a car.
Luckily, it was a beautiful day. The dry heat was something I was accustomed to, but it wasn’t overbearing, and the breeze was kinder than it was in Houston. I’d thought getting my phone back would bring a lot more relief. I hadn’t intended to extend our interaction past that, but with every step we took toward the café, my heart thudded faster and harder. Something about him made me want to try again. Something about us made me wonder what kind of friendship we could have. After all, if I moved here, it would be nice to know someone.
“Do you really live here?” I asked, looking up at him. The sun kissed the angles of his face in a way that made me shiver.
“I do. Sort of. But not for much longer.”
My eyes fell back to our feet stepping in sync with each other on the cement. The ugly industrial buildings around us blocked out the sunshine until we found the street between them, the light blinding my left eye while it practically made Ryan glow.