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)
“Hey, it’s not a big deal,” he told her in a gentle voice.
“I know, it’s just frustrating. I couldn’t hold the bowl properly with my wrist.” She heaved out a frustrated sigh.
“Come here. Let’s get you away from this mess before you step on a broken piece and cut yourself.”
Reaching over, he grasped hold of her waist and lifted her out of the mess. “That’s it.”
“I should tidy it up,” she protested as he set her down on a kitchen chair.
“Nope, you stay there. I’ll clean it up.”
“But you’ve been working all day. Let me—”
He sent her a stern look. “You stay where you are, Little girl.”
Shoot. She felt guilty, but she remained sitting like a good girl as he cleaned it all up.
When he was finished, he moved over to sit next to her. “You wanted to make me cookies?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s so sweet. What did I do to deserve cookies?” he asked.
“Everything. You’re still staying here with me, even though I say my safeword after a kiss.”
“I’m glad you said it. I always want to know when you’re scared or overwhelmed.”
“But I wanted the kiss! I liked it. My brain just went to other places, and now you won’t ever want to kiss me again.”
“Hey, that’s not true.” He cupped her chin with his hand.
“Why would you want to be with me, Hack?” she asked.
“Because you are beautiful, smart, kind, and funny. Why wouldn’t I want to be with you? If that’s what you want too?”
“I do.”
“Then we will move at your pace.”
“What if my pace is so slow that sometimes you feel like you’re going backward?”
“Whatever pace you need,” he said firmly.
She stared off into the distance. She wanted that. But she didn’t see how it was possible. This was all so crazy.
“Do you think you’d do me a favor?”
She eyed him, then waggled her finger. “I’m onto you and your favors. You’re tricky.”
“Me? I’m never tricky.” He placed a hand on his chest, trying to look innocent.
She didn’t believe it for a second.
“That’s what someone who is tricky would say,” she retorted.
“Hmm. Good point. Does that mean I’m not getting my favor?”
“Is your favor me sitting on your lap?”
“Well, it was me hugging you . . . but I’ll take you sitting on my lap if that’s all you’re willing to offer.” He sighed dramatically. “It’s a sacrifice but someone has to do it.”
She shook her head. “So tricky.”
“Come sit on my lap, baby. For me?”
“You say it’s for you . . . but somehow, I think it’s for me.”
“Nope. Definitely for me. I’m sure you’ll get no satisfaction out of it at all. I’m completely selfish.”
“Uh-huh.”
She shouldn’t. She should tell him to leave. Be strong.
But she wasn’t strong, no matter what he said. Because there was no way she could resist being held by him.
He was fast becoming her safety net.
She climbed into his lap. He let out a huge sigh. As though he’d been worried that she would refuse him.
“Thank you, baby.”
“I need your neck. I need to feel your skin. Please.”
“Whatever you need, you can have.”
She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against him. “I’m a lot of work.”
“Says who? And anyway, I’m not exactly easy to be with.”
“Yeah. You are hard work,” she agreed.
“Hey!”
She giggled and he kissed the top of her head.
“Brat,” he murmured.
Greer leaned back to look up at him. Her eyes were red-rimmed and there were dark marks under them.
She looked drawn. Gaunt.
Christ. Had she slept last night? He hadn’t. He’d been waiting to hear her cry out with a nightmare, but there had been nothing.
Maybe because she’d barely slept either
“We haven’t known each other long, but I think about you all the time. And my Little . . . I have to guard her from getting hurt. But around you . . . it’s like you bring down all my shields. You’re protective and bossy but also caring . . . you’d be an easy man to lo . . . urgh like.”
Had she been about to say love?
“I would take good care of your Little. I promise,” he told her.
“I keep telling myself you’ve got to have flaws. You can’t really be this gorgeous and smart and kind.”
“I have lots of faults.”
“Hmm, there’s obviously something I can’t see. Like you have stinky feet and don’t put the toilet seat down.”
He gasped. “My feet do not stink and I always put the toilet seat down, even though I live alone.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
“Hmm. All right, so you eat with your mouth open. That’s pretty gross.”
“Ew. That would be gross. If I did that. But you’ve eaten with me so you know that I don’t.”
“You’re right. Okay . . . what could be your flaw? You steal candy off babies.” She tut-tutted. “Definitely a deal breaker. Those poor babies.”
“Well, I’d think they’d be thanking me later since it’s not healthy for a baby to have candy. But I’ll have you know that while I might take candy from a Little girl who had overindulged and was at risk of a toothache or upset stomach, I have never taken candy off a baby.”