Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72790 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72790 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“You need to get off your feet.”
I nodded gratefully and led him to the living room. I sat awkwardly and watched him look around the room.
“It’s not much.”
“It’s clean. Neat.” He sat down and looked at me. “I don’t like the area though. I want you to move.”
I let out a startled laugh.
“Trust me, all I want is to live somewhere with fresh air and trees. I can’t. Not yet.”
He took my hand again and I thrilled at his touch. He held my palm facing up on his leg and ran his thumb over it. It felt so intimate, I almost shivered.
“Nature girl, huh?”
“Something like that,” I looked away, not liking lying to him. I did like nature, but I wanted to move because of Jacey. She needed fresh air. I’d moved here thinking it was a good area for that with all the mountains around, but the only affordable housing was in town.
“Okay. Fresh air. I’ll take care of it.”
“What?”
He stood up.
“You got coffee?”
I nodded numbly and started to get up.
“Stay here. You need to rest. You had a shock.”
He was right I realized. The shivering was back. I heard him rustling around and tried to think if there was anything in there that screamed ‘SINGLE MOM WITH SICK KID.’
But he wasn’t looking for clues. He was looking for coffee. I heard him turn on the tap and then the sound of percolating ten seconds later. The welcoming smell of coffee wafted through the tiny apartment. I hoped he didn’t use all of it. Coffee was not cheap. It was the one thing I treated myself to.
Moms ran on coffee. Everyone knew that. Especially single moms. It was pretty much the single mom slogan.
“How do you take it?”
“Black!” I called out, realizing I had no milk or sugar if he wanted his coffee light and sweet. In fact, we had hardly any food at all. I spent the bulk of my food budget at the farmers market which would open later today. I did my best to feed Jacey a mostly organic diet. She didn’t need any pesticides messing with her already delicate system.
I sighed, feeling oddly embarrassed about my shitty apartment and empty cupboard. It was a good thing I wasn’t trying to start a relationship with him, because I was sure I was scoring zero points in the domestic department.
I still didn’t want Lucky thinking badly of me, I realized.
Speaking of which… I had to give him back his money.
I ran and got his envelope from my bedroom and sat back down again. I felt like I was on a date. Except I hadn’t been on a date since the senior prom.
And I’d been knocked up at the time, without even knowing it.
Great, Kirst. Get a hold of yourself. This isn’t happening, remember?
But my heart still filled up when I saw him walking towards me with two mugs of coffee.
He offered me my pick. I took the one with the seashells on it, that I’d found at a thrift store. I loved the beach, the few times I’d been there. Lucky took the free mug they’d been giving out a gas station when we drove through.
Yeah, I was that lady. I’d taken two free mugs.
I inhaled the richly scented steam, holding the mug in both hands. Just doing that warmed me. Nearly as much as the look in Lucky’s eyes.
“Thank you for this,” I said, feeling lame. “And for everything.”
I handed him the envelope of cash.
“Here.”
“I’m not taking that.”
I tucked it into the pocket of his leather jacket.
Lucky just stared at me.
“What do they have on you?”
“Have?”
“The hold they have on you. Vincent and Sal.”
I shook my head swiftly.
“Not Vincent. He’s the one keeping Sal on a leash.”
Lucky nodded.
“Yeah, he’s okay, for a mob guy.”
“You know him?”
“Yeah.” He took a sip. “So, what is it?”
I took a deep breath.
“Money.”
“How much?”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t think Sal will even let me pay him back. My tab keeps getting longer and longer.”
“What did you need the money for?”
“I had a good reason at the time.”
He took my hand and looked at it.
“I don’t care. I just want to know all the contingencies.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Tell me.” He took my coffee cup and set it down. Then he took my shoulders in his big, warm hands. “I don’t care if you were hooked on drugs, or had a gambling problem. I don’t care about your past. It doesn’t change what you are.”
I stared into his eyes, totally transfixed as he got closer.
“And what is that?”
“You’re an angel,” he murmured, just before his lips came down on mine.
I sighed at the tender onslaught. He wasn’t forcing the kiss. It was happening organically. It felt perfect. So good, I couldn’t stop it even though I knew I should.
I melted into Lucky’s big warm chest as he pulled me closer, angling his mouth over mine. He urged my mouth open and I let him, encouraging his tongue as it swept inside and tangled with mine. The world tilted as he kissed me, leaving me breathless and disoriented.