Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
“Will you be home for dinner? I’m planning to make this awesome, super healthy lentil stew with loads of veggies, and there’ll be more than enough for two.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I won’t get home until about ten-thirty. My current schedule is four ten-hour days, Monday through Thursday.”
“Got it. I’ll see you later, then.”
I felt disappointed as I watched him leave the apartment. It would have been nice to spend some time with him, not just because he was the only person I knew in this city. I was curious about Tracy and wanted to get to know him—or try to, anyway, which might not be easy. My first impression of him was that he was friendly but guarded.
Actually, no—it wasn’t my first impression. That had happened back in February.
It was hard to believe this was the same man who’d exchanged some deliciously filthy texts with me before showing up in my hotel room, full of fire and passion. Even though our encounter had totally fallen apart, it had started out great. The way he’d put himself in my hands was a huge turn-on. Our kiss sent jolts of electricity through me, and it was absolute nirvana when he started sucking my cock.
Then I’d sneezed.
I cringed as I recalled the chain reaction that followed. At the end of it, he literally ran for the door. I should have stopped him. But at the time, I’d been pretty thoroughly rattled, and he’d probably been mortified. What an absolute disaster.
The next day, I’d tried calling him, but he’d blocked my number and disappeared from the hookup app. I got the message loud and clear—he wanted to put that night behind him and never see me again.
Now, nine months later, here we were. I would have chalked it up to fate, if I believed in that kind of thing.
It was tempting to start something with Tracy, or at least finish what we’d started. But what then? What if we totally clicked and wanted to start dating? Pretty soon, my fitness center was going to demand every bit of my focus and energy. How could I maintain a relationship while working sixteen-hour days, seven days a week? Back in L.A., my employees used to say I was married to my job, and this new business venture was going to be even more time-consuming than my last one.
Maybe it was best if Tracy and I built a friendship instead. That was probably all he wanted anyway. Sure, I was attracted to him, but I could resist temptation… right?
6
Tracy
When I got home from work that night, Ever leapt up from the sofa. He greeted me with a big smile and exclaimed, “Hey! How was your day?” I’d heard people referred to as golden retrievers before, but I’d never fully understood it until that moment.
“It was fine. How was yours?”
“Good. I was just crunching some numbers on my building remodel.”
I took off my denim jacket while my eyes darted around the room. There seemed to be more cat toys than ever, and Ever had set up a workspace on the coffee table. The previously empty surface now held a laptop, stacks of paperwork, an empty coffee mug, a half-full glass of wine, random pens and pencils, and a few notebooks.
“There’s a home office across the hall from my bedroom,” I reminded him. “All of Roger’s papers are put away, so I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you used his desk.”
“Yeah, I asked him about that and he was fine with me using it. But after locking myself away in there for a while this afternoon, I decided I liked it better out here.”
“You spoke to him today?”
He nodded. “I wanted to thank him again for the use of his apartment. I had a few questions for him, too.”
“I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have about the apartment, building, neighborhood, or the city in general.” I didn’t know why I’d felt compelled to provide him with that list.
“That wasn’t what I—” He grinned and seemed self-conscious as he murmured, “I mean, um, good to know.” Judging by his reaction, maybe the questions had actually been about me. I wondered what Roger had told him. He changed the subject with, “There are leftovers if you’re hungry. The stew turned out great, and it gets even better after it’s been sitting a while.”
“Thanks, but I already ate.”
“Then will you have a glass of wine with me?”
“I’m not really a wine drinker.”
He asked, “How about a beer, then? I saw some in the fridge.”
All I really wanted was to retreat to my room and spend the evening hiding out in there, but he looked so hopeful that it would have been cruel to turn him down. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”
When I got to my bedroom, I discovered Phil was right in the center of my pillow again. I murmured, “Hi, cat,” and scratched his ears before opening a dresser drawer.