Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 164838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
“What won’t work?” I blinked innocently.
“You know what.”
“How about I guess?” I tapped a finger against my bottom lip. “Let’s see. You could’ve chosen any letter to go by but you chose X. So that leads me to think there’s an X in your real name somewhere.”
He coughed and balled his hands. “That’s ridiculous—”
“You don’t look like a Max.” I cocked my head, studying him. “Or a Jaxon or a Braxton or an Axel.” I tossed the spatula back into the bowl, making him flinch with the noise. “I’ve got it. Alexander.”
He went deathly still. His eyes pinched into a sniper stare. “Why Alexander? I could be a Felix or a Dexter.”
“True. You could be. Alright, I’ll just randomly choose one until I figure it out.” Smiling as brightly as I could, I asked my question again, pretending to be the dutiful housewife welcoming her hard-working husband home after a long day. “So, Hendrix…how was your day?” I waved the question away. “No, that doesn’t suit you. Oh, I know.” I paused for dramatic effect. “How about Lex…you know? From Superman? He was the villain all while Clark Kent wore sexy glasses only to transform into a sexy alien who could fly?”
He choked and swayed on the spot.
I snickered, enjoying my revenge a little too much. “Oh, did I guess right?”
“Think I’d prefer Bronx.”
“Nah, that one isn’t very sexy. Oh, I know.” I giggled. “Pax. How about that?”
“I think this is getting old, and I’d like to know why I’m here.”
“Okay, fine.” Bowing my head, pretending to accept defeat, I asked my question the third time. “But first…how was your day?”
He sighed heavily. “You’re suddenly very interested in my daily activities. Why?”
“Because I’m curious. I want you to share with me.”
“If this is why you texted me—”
“Wow, you really don’t know how to let someone care about you, huh?” I pouted. “You’re going to have to get over that.”
“Get over what?”
“Being on your own.”
He scowled. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“Nothing much.” My gaze struggled to unlock from the mocking skeleton covering his mouth. The same mouth I’d kissed and tasted. Even once I’d demolished his disguise, I would let him keep the mask. I would even ask him to wear it sometimes because…even though I was accepting that Zander had layers he’d always hidden from me, even though I was ready to forgive every lie he’d ever told because everything he’d done spoke far louder than words, I didn’t want to say goodbye to X.
I didn’t want to choose.
If Zander tried to kill X off…well, we’re going to have a problem.
Picking up the cake, I carried it to the dining table where a candelabra flickered with three candles. Pressed cloth napkins waited beneath polished silver cutlery, and two china plates like the one he’d left in my letterbox waited to be used.
Placing the cake on the intricate stand in the centre of the table, I motioned for him to sit down. “Are you going to answer me?”
He blinked and shook his head as if utterly confused. Ignoring my question for the millionth time, he eyed up the X on the cake, then grabbed the back of the nearest chair. Strangling it, he asked, “Are you…are you not mad at me for leaving that night?”
“Should I be?” I shrugged.
His brown eyes searched mine.
That was the only part of my little sting operation that I couldn’t figure out how to tamper with. I missed Zander’s emerald stare. The muddy brown had to go. However, the blue black in his hair would be my first victim.
Luckily, he’d worn a black t-shirt tonight, and I’d yet to renovate my kitchen because I was about to cause a hell of a mess.
His knuckles turned white as he continued trying to murder my chair. “I don’t understand. You haven’t messaged me for a week. You’re acting strange.”
Getting into character and going over the lines I’d prepared, I headed to the freezer and pulled out the vanilla ice-cream. Carrying the tub to the table, I placed it beside the cake and sat primly in my little black dress. “Me strange? Never.”
The sheer satin meant I wore no underwear to avoid bra and knicker lines, but it also meant my nipples were rather visible.
And of course, he noticed.
His gaze dropped to my breasts, making them pucker with need.
Swallowing hard, he nodded once and sat down. “What’s going on, Lori?”
“Nothing.” I giggled, laying it on a little thick. “I just missed you and figured…why use the dildo you gave me when I could have you instead?”
He coughed. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, did I talk too quietly?” Leaning forward, I cupped my chin in my hands and smiled. “You appointed yourself as my faceless therapist to help me heal and…seeing as you’ve done such a bang-up job, I’m firing you from that position and hiring you in a new role.”