Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
“All right.” Even if it stopped snowing, there was still her car to sort out. He couldn’t just leave it where it was. He’d need to get it towed to a local garage.
“I really don’t think I need rules,” she told him.
“I think you do. And so far, we have no lying and no calling yourself names.”
“Are these rules just for me?”
“I wasn’t the one calling myself a weirdo.”
“It’s not calling yourself names if it’s the truth,” she insisted.
Oh, this brat needed her bottom heated. And his hand itched to do it.
Not yours.
“Another rule. You’re not to tell me sorry for things that aren’t your fault. Did you ask to be terrified of snowstorms?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Did you want to be caught up in one? Or to have your car break down?”
“No. Of course not.”
“Then why are you apologizing?”
“Because I’m being such an inconvenience and I hate that,” she blurted out.
He stared down at the agony on her face. She really meant that. She hated the idea of inconveniencing him.
Oh, baby.
If only she knew . . . the more she leaned on him, the more she needed from him . . .
The more he wanted her.
Reaching out, he cupped her face between his hands. “You are not an inconvenience. You are a privilege.”
Her eyes were wide as she gaped up at him.
“I am privileged that you feel safe enough with me to show me your true emotions. That you feel safe enough with me to turn to me for security. To let me carry you up the stairs into the unknown. To sit on my lap. To get into my truck with me. You are a treasure that I am more than happy to protect.”
“You . . . I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Believe it. Because I meant it.”
7
You are a treasure that I am more than happy to protect.
Greer couldn’t believe he’d said that to her.
She also couldn’t believe that she was still sitting on his lap. She really needed to get off. Only problem was . . . he made her feel so safe. And she needed that right now.
Desperately.
Reaching up, he drew off his hat. Oh. His hair was longer than she’d thought. It was dark, like his beard and she wanted to run her fingers through it desperately.
Behave, Greer.
“He’s not your personal snuggle bear.”
“Snuggle bear?” he asked with amusement.
Shit.
She had to stop blurting things out loud.
“I didn’t say that!”
“Yes, you did.”
“Shoot. Yes, I did.” She sighed. “You don’t want a new job, do you? The pay is shit . . . but it comes with benefits.”
Hell. Had she just said that?
“Snuggle benefits! Just snuggle benefits . . . I didn’t mean anything else.”
As gorgeous as he was and as safe as he made her feel . . . she couldn’t imagine ever having sex with him.
Or with anyone.
Something Matthew had ruined for her.
“Hey, easy.” He cupped the back of her neck with his hand.
Lord, she was so tired. She rubbed at her eyes. A headache was forming in her temples. They’d been coming more frequently lately. Could it be something more than stress?
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“Can a headache be a sign of a brain tumor?”
“Uhh.”
“Never mind. Forget I asked.” Sheesh, just because he was a doctor didn’t mean he wanted to answer all her medical questions.
She was definitely not going to ask his opinion on the small mole on the back of her leg.
No. Nope.
That was rude.
“You have a headache?” he asked, his fingers massaging into the tight muscles of her neck.
She let out a truly obscene moan of pleasure. Then she froze.
What was she doing?
“You really like that, huh?” he asked.
Could she disappear? This was when she really needed the power of invisibility. Or a time machine. Wouldn’t a time machine be amazing?
But no . . . she had none of those things.
She covered her face with her hands.
“Greer, there’s no need to be embarrassed.”
“Can we just pretend you never heard me make that sound?” she begged.
“Not going to lie . . . I wouldn’t say no to hearing it again.”
She pressed her face to his chest with a groan. He kept massaging her neck. And she managed to keep in her moans of pleasure.
Just.
“How does that feel? Any better?” he asked as he moved his hand down her back.
“Uh-huh.”
“I don’t think you have a brain tumor, Snookums. I just think you’re tense from everything that happened today. What you need is food and rest.”
That sounded heavenly.
There was just one small tiny problem.
She wasn’t sure she could move away from him. Right now, he was keeping most of her other fears at bay. She had a lot, to be fair. But the most pressing one was the snowstorm outside.
However, she was inside. The curtains were pulled. She just had to trick her brain into believing that there wasn’t any snow falling outside