Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
They seemed to get what they needed from that person and then started moving down the line, talking to people. Then I overheard their key question. “Are you a professional line sitter?”
Oh.
I braced myself, and then they were right next to me.
“Hi, we’re from The Daily, and we’re doing a piece on professional line sitting. Are you a professional line sitter, or are you just waiting for the console?”
I opened my mouth to answer in the former but something stopped me. Probably my shitty morning and my desire not to be in the newspaper. “Sorry, just waiting on the console.”
The guy slumped. “We have found no line sitters in this line. How is that possible?”
I winced in sympathy.
Then the woman, the photographer, shrugged. “It’s a stupid fucking job, anyway.”
This time, I just winced.
The guy huffed at his colleague. “Not the point. I’m trying to write an article here.”
“About morons who can’t get an actual job and the morons who pay them to wait on shit for them?” she sneered as they continued down the line.
I stared blindly at the back of the head of the person in front of me, trying not to let that nasty woman’s words affect me.
But like I said.
Perfect storm.
I was more than relieved to walk into Rafe’s apartment at five that night. In fact, as soon as he opened the door, I walked right into his arms. With zero hesitation, he swung the door shut and then wrapped his arms tight around me, pressing a kiss to my temple. “You okay?”
“Tough day.” I sighed into him, breathing in his cologne and enjoying how safe he made me feel.
“You want to talk about it?”
“Maybe later.” I pulled away, but only to push up onto my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “How was your day?”
His expression fell as he pressed his lips tight.
“Oh no. What happened?”
“My first surgery on a client’s Maine Coon this morning went badly. As bad as it can go. We ran the tests to make sure she was strong enough and all her blood work and tests came back fine. But her heart gave out during surgery.”
Tears burned my nose. “Rafe, I’m sorry.” I hugged him again and his hold on me tightened. “My day was heaven in comparison.”
He kissed my head again and gave me a quick squeeze before pulling back. “I’m all right. It comes with the territory.”
“Doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck.”
“Very true.”
“Are you sure you’re in the mood for this dinner?”
“I can’t miss my dad’s birthday.”
“Right. What can I do to help?”
He reached for my hand. “Now that you ask, I’ve got something I want to show you.”
Intrigued, I let him lead me into the bedroom. He stopped at the dresser on the opposite wall of the bed and pulled out the middle drawer. It was empty. “I cleared it out for you so you can keep some things here. Pajamas, underwear, et cetera.” As if he hadn’t dropped a relationship bomb, he strolled over to the large closet and opened the doors. “And I cleared some space here too for you. Obviously, later, when you move in, I’ll clear out half.” He shot me a smirk. “Or more if you need it. And . . .” He gestured for me to follow him into the bathroom, which I did barely breathing. Rafe stopped at the vanity and pulled open the drawer under the sink. One side of it was empty. “You can keep toiletries here too. Saves all the back and forth with overnight bags.”
Rafe had cleared out two drawers and closet space for me.
I’d never had a drawer before.
I’d never had anyone who wanted me as a permanent fixture in their life in this way before. Roger, Jude, and Kendall didn’t count. It was different.
Rafe wanted me in his space.
A lot.
And I wanted that, I realized. That crushing, overwhelming sensation in my chest wasn’t panic this time. It was elation and terror that this might go away. That Rafe might go away.
I couldn’t lose him.
Not now that I had him.
Wow. The realization stunned me.
“Is . . . are you okay?” Rafe suddenly looked unsure, and I hated that, because Rafe was not a man who ever looked uncertain about anything.
“I’m more than okay.”
His grin was slow, sexy. “Yeah?”
I nodded, biting my lip to hold off a smile and failing. “Yeah.”
Five seconds later, the man had me pressed up against the bathroom wall, kissing the living daylights out of me. My fingers curled into his shirt as my leg climbed his, trying to pull him closer. His erection ground into me and I gasped into his kiss.
Rafe suddenly broke it with a growl as his fingers dug into my waist with feeling. “We can’t. No time.”
“When we get back, I will show you my appreciation for the drawers and closet,” I promised him.