Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
“Mine,” I growl again, my voice sounding like someone else out loud but mirroring the instincts pulsing through my groin, spreading across my whole body.
Those wide hips and perfect pear-shaped ass belong to what I’m instantly convinced is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen once she’s out of the car.
With an ample chest and thighs, I can see through her clothes are made for gripping, I feel a wave of arousal pulsing in my pants.
She holds a folder over her head, covering her long blond hair tied back in a ponytail, juggling the passenger door and her laptop bag. All the while, saying something to whoever’s dropping her off.
I feel my heart catch in my chest as she takes a step back, a passing car honking at her. A gray water puddle spraying her with grime from the road.
I can see her mouth her thoughts, her eyes closing as she must wonder just what kind of Monday life has in store for her.
My instinct is to go to her, to put my leather jacket around her. Make sure she’s safe. Get her someplace to dry off.
Help her outta those wet clothes, maybe?
Jesus Ash! What are you thinking?
I only get more proof the longer I watch her, even though it’s only a moment or two until someone honks at me from behind. But by then, she’s gone. Trotting around the car she came in that pulls out into traffic.
She is still trying to cover herself from the rain even though she must be soaked through.
The car behind honks again, and I realize I’ve sat through the entire green light just staring at her, not even aware of where, who, or what I am anymore.
Something fucking big just happened. And I don’t just mean in my pants.
She’s the one, and noting the name and number of the building, I join the thickening city traffic.
Driving in a dream now because I’ve seen her.
I know she’s the one, and I know where she works.
Only trouble is, she doesn’t know me from shit right now, and I might never see her again.
No. She will be mine.
I smile to myself, stupidly happy and content for some reason. Quietly thrilled to know that whatever’s shown her to me is gonna be the same thing that lets us meet.
Like destiny.
I just feel it in my gut, and my instincts are always right.
CHAPTER THREE
Bridget
The Fire Chief takes my call and checks today’s drill on his schedule.
I’ve got a schedule of my own for the drill, mapped out to the letter by management, with at least a dozen sticky notes and reminders from Karen.
Why can’t she just do this herself? Actually, come to work and stay at work for more than five minutes.
My annoyance, replacing some anxiety, is interrupted by a co-worker’s head popping over my cubicle wall.
“You ready, Bridget? Big assignment, this fire drill. Let’s hope it all goes according to plan, eh?” they chuckle. I can hear more than three or four others laughing at me from out in the hall.
“I smell smoke!” someone says with a joking tone of shock.
“I do too,” another says. “No, seriously, do you guys smell smoke?” someone asks, but gets drowned out by the general rabble.
Very funny guys.
It’s a relief once Karen leaves the office, but I’m hardly the favorite with everyone else. But there’s no time to dwell on that.
I move out into the main office area and run through everything in my mind one last time before calling everyone in.
I can’t smell anything. But then again, Mom was right. My allergies act up if I eat ice cream, so I couldn’t smell smoke this morning even if it was filling the whole room. But whatever prank they thought they were teasing me with, everyone simmers down, and we run through the building’s fire procedure.
I list the exits as I point them out and go over what to do if we were ever in a real live fire situation.
“Okay, every floor has its own exit, so our nearest and safest exit point is… here,” I announce, ignoring a groan from the back.
Giving a ‘really?’ look to Naomi, who already has an unlit cigarette in her mouth.
She’s the only one who’s ever given me the time of day, but it’s clear she has just one thing on her mind right now.
“Can we just get outside already?” someone else whines, complaining about the sudden heat in the room.
I figure it’s just me, or because we’re all bunched up like this, but I figure the sooner this is over, the sooner we can all get back to work.
“Okay, okay,” I say loudly, reminding everyone to keep calm once the bell sounds and to make sure I check off their name as they pass me single file down into the stairwell.
The fire alarm is a simple, big red rubber button behind a little glass door that’s always unlocked.