Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
When I glanced back at him, he was still gaping. The look in his eyes made me shiver, but not with fright…with need.
“Do you have makeup on?”
My cheeks felt hot as I replied, “A little bit. I had a few things written down on the list. I’m sure that woman had a million-and-one questions why I needed everything from shoes to mascara. Lost luggage or not.”
Liam smiled. “Well…um…I forgot my notebook. With all my notes in it.”
We both started for the kitchen, Piper walking right alongside me. She took her job of guarding me very seriously.
“Here it is,” he said, picking up the notebook. “I should get going. Billy’s waiting on me.”
I nodded. “Okay. Thank you for the books and journal, by the way.”
He blushed slightly. “I figured you must be bored, sitting here all day.”
Giving a half-shoulder shrug, I replied, “I like the quiet.”
When his eyes moved down to my lips, I licked them instinctively. Liam took a step toward me, then shook his head, as if he’d been in a trance. He took a few steps backward, then quickly turned.
“Have a good afternoon,” I called out as he rushed toward the door.
“You, too, Mallory. Be a good girl, Piper!”
The dog barked, and I let out a soft laugh.
Once the door shut and I heard the lock engage, I glanced down at Piper. “Let’s cut up an apple and head on outside, shall we?”
She wagged her tail in agreement and let out a bark when I opened the fridge.
“Oh, you want a piece of cheese as well? I think I can make that happen.”
I’d seen one of Liam’s Montana State hoodies in the living room and grabbed it before Piper and I headed outside. It didn’t take me long to get lost in the book I was reading. It was called Trust the Push by Kaylee Ryan, and I was engrossed in the story. I made a mental note to ask Liam about dirt track racing. Or I could probably just look it up on his laptop.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been outside before realizing the air was cooling off and the breeze had picked up some. Piper walked over to me and let out the softest bark I’d ever heard as she placed her paw on my lap.
“What is it, girl? What do you need?”
She barked louder, and I laughed. “I bet it’s time for you to eat.”
I stood and stretched, along with Piper, before we both made our way back into the house.
“Wow! It’s nearly six-thirty. I’m sorry your dinner’s so late, girl. Let’s get you fixed up and then start on dinner.”
As Piper ate her dinner, I put the leftover lasagna into the preheated oven. I wasn’t sure when Liam would be back, but I could always keep it warm until he arrived. “I sure hope this is going to be good.”
Piper barked and put her two cents in.
Twenty minutes later, the sound of Liam’s truck pulling up sent my stomach dropping with excitement.
“Your daddy’s home,” I said to Piper as she shot up and ran to the front door. When it opened and Liam walked in, with a stranger right behind him, my smile instantly fell. The urge to turn and run nearly overwhelmed me.
“Don’t worry, Mallory. This is Bubba.”
I tried to relax, but struggled with finding the right rhythm to breathe.
Bubba gave me a warm smile. “I was a medic in the Marines, and Liam asked me to take a look at that bump on your head.” He carried a small bag, which he set down on the coffee table before slipping his hands into his pockets. It was clear he was trying to let me know he wasn’t a threat.
“Are you okay with him taking a look at the bump?”
Ignoring the churning in my stomach, I slowly made my way into the living room and sank down onto the couch.
Bubba cleared his throat. “I’ll have to touch you, to find the bump.”
“That’s fine,” I managed to say. My gut was telling me that Bubba wasn’t the guy who’d kidnapped me. For one, he seemed shorter and much more built. At least from the little I’d been able to tell about that monster.
I watched as Bubba opened his bag, put gloves on and walked around the couch. Liam was suddenly sitting next to me, his hand covering mine.
“Okay, can you point to where the bump is?” Bubba asked.
Lifting my hand, I touched the still-tender spot. Bubba carefully examined my scalp.
“She had blood in her hair when I found her, dried blood that the rain hadn’t even washed out.”
“Yeah, I can see where it was split open, but it’s nearly healed up now. It probably needed stitches, from what I can tell. The bump looks to be down as well, but I imagine it’s still tender. Are you getting headaches?”