Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“What an asshole. Who is he that he thinks he can come in here and change the town?” he asks.
“Apparently, he thinks he’s come kind of mogul.” I shrug, wishing I’d punched the asshole in the face instead of the stomach. “But the worst part is that he says he’s going to put Luna out of business.”
“Absolutely not.” Apollo shakes his head.
“I don’t want him to buy the property next to my chapel,” I reply, thinking it over. “If it’s the lot I think it is, which I’m pretty sure it is, the same people I bought the chapel from own it. I’ll go talk to them.”
“Has he made an offer yet?”
“It didn’t sound like it, and I didn’t think it was even for sale.”
“Let me know if you need help with that.” He sighs and sips his water. “Okay, let’s not talk about the asshole anymore—unless, of course, you’re still upset and need to continue to vent. Then, I’m all ears.”
“I’m fine.” I wave him off and unwrap my silverware from the green cloth napkin. “He was a jerk. I’m over it, and I still get this amazing meatloaf. How was your day?”
“It was busy,” he says with a smile that I swear to Christ lights up the whole room. Apollo smiles at me all the time, but usually, it’s because he’s trying to needle his way under my skin. He hardly ever genuinely smiles at me. Well, except for that one night, which I absolutely shouldn’t be thinking about right now. I like it more than I should. “I had a job up in Lincoln City this morning, and then I helped out Luna until just an hour or two ago.”
“And then you came here for dinner?”
He pauses and then shakes his head. “No. I was driving by on my way home, and I saw you storm out the door toward your truck with that asshole hot on your heels. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“It’s always good to know that I have backup in case I need it.” I chuckle, but he doesn’t laugh with me. His lips twitch, but he’s watching me so intently that it makes me want to squirm in my seat. I refuse to do that. “I appreciate it, and for the record, I’m not bitchy.”
He raises his eyebrows again in surprise. “You’re not?”
“I don’t mean to be.” I do squirm in my seat this time and hate myself for it. “You just irritate the hell out of me, and when I talk to you, I end up sounding like a complete ass, but it’s your fault.”
Now he does laugh. “It’s my fault that you’re in a bad mood every time I’m around you?”
“Absolutely. Yes.”
“Why?”
I take a bite of meatloaf, thinking it over. “Damn, this is so good.”
“Don’t do that.”
My eyes fly to his. “Do what?”
“Moan like that.” He shifts in his seat and frowns, as if he’s uncomfortable. His jaw clenches. “Answer the question.”
“Because you’re too much,” I say and take another bite. “You’re too handsome, you’re too nice, and you’re too Apollo.”
“Those things irritate you?”
“Drive me up the damn wall,” I agree.
“Well, you drive me nuts, too, so maybe we’re even.”
“And how do I do that if I’m, as you put it, always bitchy?”
“Exactly.” He points the business end of his fork at me and then takes a bite of his potatoes. “You’re sassy, moody, a good friend, and you can be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen when you’re in your dirty coveralls and trucker hat with your hair all messy. Then you turn around and look like this”—he gestures vaguely my way with that fork—“and you’re just as hot.”
“So, I’m bitchy and hot, and that irritates you?”
“Hell yes.”
We’ve stopped eating and are just staring at each other.
“We’re weird people, Apollo.”
“Don’t I know it,” he mutters and then digs into his steak. “But I can’t help it. We might be really good together, you know.”
“We can’t date each other.” I shake my head and reach for my martini, realize my glass is empty, and wave down Darla. “I need another one, please.”
“You betcha,” she says with a wave.
“We can’t date each other,” I say again, “because we’d end up killing each other, Apollo. I don’t want to die young.”
His lips twitch into that sexy-as-hell smirk that he always flings my way. “But what a way to go, Juniper.”
“Yeah, there’s that.” I nibble on my lip. “What if we tried to get each other out of our systems for a while?”
“You mean, we hang out?” He’s toying with me, and damn if I don’t like it. “Binge-watch some TV, maybe have a healthy cooking competition?”
“That”—I nod slowly—“and, I mean, we could…you know. Be naked together. If we decided that sounded fun.”
“I did enjoy the naked part.”
I stop talking as Darla sets my new drink down and takes the old glass away, but my gaze never leaves Apollo’s.