Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
When I saw that sedan sitting on the side of the road with its lights on, turning back to help whoever was in trouble was as basic as breathing to me.
I say all this because I feel like it needs to be known that I’d be helping anyone out, and it ain’t just because she’s the goddamn sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.
The coyness of her smile, the way her brown locks move with her slightest gesture, and God, those eyes—Lord, those eyes. My heart is beating against my chest just looking at her.
“So, why are you out in the middle of nowhere like this?” I ask as I keep my eyes on the road. The conditions are perilous as all get out, and this truck loves to hydroplane if I turn a little too hard. “If you don’t mind me asking, anyway.”
She’s quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “Had a bit of a fight with my dad.”
“Hrm? Still live with him, I’m guessing?”
A nod. “Yeah, I’m nineteen and haven’t had a chance to move out on my own yet. Everything is so expensive.”
“Times are tough. Not judging at all.” She looked young, but I had her in her mid-twenties with how she carried herself. I knew better than to tell a girl she looked older than she actually was, but in this case I didn’t mean it in a way that made her any less attractive. “What did he do to make you drive off to Evergreen and into one of our famous monsoons?”
She laughs as she sinks back into the seat. “He ate my chicken Alfredo.”
I cock an eyebrow. “That’s a tad extreme of a response. Was the pasta really that good?”
“Oh, it’s a wonderful recipe and I will be making it again. But this is one of those, I don’t know, death-by-a-thousand-cuts situations? I come home after a long day at work, looking forward to it. Only to find that he’s still lounging around, doing nothing, mooching off me, and then eats the one thing I was looking forward to that day? Then he has the gall to go and ask me for my hard-earned tip money?”
“Ah, I see. I knew it was more than that. No Alfredo is good enough to risk yourself like this.”
“You’ve never tried this Alfredo.”
“Maybe you can make it for me sometime.”
She smiles my way. “I’d like that. You seem like someone who’d appreciate it.”
“I appreciate any good food. My ma taught me how to cook worth a damn, yes, but a woman who can cook is exponentially more sexy than she was before.” And Savvy? She’s already pretty fucking sexy to begin with.
“Becoming the stereotype of the way to a man’s heart is his stomach, huh?”
“Hey, things become stereotypes because they’re true pretty often.” I grin her way, and nod. “Besides, I got it on good authority it works on girls too. You saying you won’t love me more if you end up loving this beef stew I got stewin’?”
She turns that delightful shade of red again. “I could go for some beef stew, right now. And if it’s made with love? All the better.”
Not going to lie and say I made it with love, as much as I’d anticipated that I’d be hungry when I got back, but I damn sure know I am going to love sharing it with her.
It doesn’t take long to finish the trip back up to my cabin. One more run through the rain, and we’re finally inside. I head to the fireplace and work on getting something going.
Savvy stands behind me, shivering. Even a little bit of time out in the rain drenched us; it just comes down that hard sometimes.
“There’s towels and a robe over in the bathroom if you want to dry yourself off,” I say to her as the fire sparks to life.
She blushes. “I don’t exactly have anything else to change into.”
“That’s why I mentioned the robe. More than big enough for you.” Although I wasn’t going to complain if she decided to go without it.
She hesitates a bit, before relenting and heading down the hall. With the fire started, I turn to the stew I have simmering all day. I give it a good stir and feel relieved it hasn’t burned to the bottom. It’s nice, warm, and incredibly appetizing. I pull out two bowls and spoons and heap out plenty for the two of us. I bring them to the coffee table in front of the fire, and then tend to drying myself off from the storm.
I peel off my flannel and hang it up on a coatrack. My jeans are dry enough, I reckon, and I do have company, so I don’t want to get too naked. Not until I know she’s fully on board with that nudity, anyhow.