Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“You look happily fucked,” he told me, chuckling. “But put together,” he added, then leaned out the door to check to see if the coast was clear. “I’ll see you down there in five,” he said. “Now… run.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
I booked it down the hallway as quietly as possible.
I was just inside the elevator car when the door two down from Callow opened and Maria came out, humming softly to herself.
Feeling like I’d just gotten away with something incredibly naughty, I smiled the whole way back down to the lobby.
Hell, I was pretty sure I smiled through the rest of my shift.
We got confirmation that Daphne was safely at the gym with the twins being replaced by Sully and Nave as well as the women at the gym, so we took a quick segue to the grocery store before we picked her up, getting the ingredients for dinner and the cookies I still owed Callow.
When we pulled up out front of the gym, Daphne made her way out and climbed into the backseat, leaning between the two of us like we were going to engage in some light gossip.
“Sooo… how was work?” she asked.
I swear all the blood in my body rushed to my cheeks, making me have to turn to look out the window to hide my predicament as Callow tried to keep his lips from curving into a smile.
“Good,” I said.
“Just good?” she asked, sounding disappointed. Though I had no idea what she’d been expecting.
“Yeah. It was, ah, normal,” I added. “How was school and the gym?”
“Well, you can say that some of the girls are really jealous that two guys as hot as Rune and Croft are hanging out with me.”
“And I’m assuming you did nothing to squash those rumors?”
“What was I supposed to say? That they’re my bodyguards?” she shot back.
“Touché,” I agreed. “We’re making tacos for dinner.”
“Oh, we are, are we?”
I knew, objectively, it was way too soon to hope for things like a future with Callow. But, God, some part of me was really starting to pray that was possible. For me, who could use some fun as well as someone to be a support system, to help shoulder some of the burden life threw my way. But also for Daphne, who was clearly interested in having a stable father figure in her life.
As Daphne sat back, rapidly texting on her phone, Callow pulled away from the curb.
“I’m starting to really enjoy being a passenger princess,” I said, watching Callow’s profile.
He reached out, grabbing my thigh with his big hand and holding it there the whole way home.
And once we were out of the car, that same hand went to my lower back on the way in the building.
Daphne made a quiet little squealing sound before starting to text again, likely telling Allie that their plan was finally working.
“Are we still going to the bookstore tomorrow?” Daphne asked as we got in the elevator together.
“Do you want to?” Callow asked as his hand absentmindedly rubbed my lower back. I just barely resisted the urge to arch and purr like a damn cat.
“Could we do it Sunday instead?” she asked, surprising the both of us.
“Sure,” Callow said automatically.
“Why?” I asked, hating that suspicion was my initial reaction.
“Allie is still compiling a list of must-read books for me. And… a map of where to find them,” she admitted a little sheepishly.
“Sunday it is,” Callow agreed. “We could do breakfast.”
“It’s a Sunday,” Daphne said, brows scrunched.
“By that, she means we don’t rise before ten. So… brunch?”
“It’s a date,” Callow said, making my heart squeeze as the elevator doors slid open.
I hate to say it, but my suspicion wasn’t exactly unfounded.
Because my daughter wasn’t quite over her rebellious streak.
But the stakes were much higher with some unknown threat lurking in the shadows, just waiting for the chance to pounce.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Callow
I’d had a fuckuva lot of tacos in my day.
But tacos off of Sabrina and Daphne’s floral plates in their very pink and girly living room while watching early aughts soft horror movies were, by far, the best tacos I’d ever had.
Sabrina and Daph had this habit of talking through movies they’d clearly seen a dozen times before. Sometimes critiquing the dialogue or CGI, other times quoting the movie, or pointing out plot poles big enough to drive a bus through. But somehow managing to do it all in a fun, lighthearted way that didn’t come off overly negative. If anything, it was the complete opposite. They loved the movies enough to poke fun at them without it dampening that love.
After dinner, Daph asked her mother to help wash her hair then braid it while I loaded the dishwasher and put away the leftovers.
I’d never felt quite so damn domestic before.
Even though I’d been sharing a daily life with others pretty much my entire existence. I dunno. This just felt different.