Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Until he’d told her that she was never to take it off . . . because there was a fucking tracking device in it!
She was of two minds about it. On the one hand, she knew it was the two of them being protective. It was their way of taking care of her. Both of them seemed to need to know where she was at all times.
She guessed that might be due to Steele losing his sister. That must have been devastating. And she thought that Grady seemed to like the feeling of being in control. So she’d decided to wear the bracelet without a fuss.
However, it meant they knew her every movement. Like right now.
She drew out her ringing phone, groaning out loud as she saw the name on the screen.
Fuck.
Taking a deep breath, she answered the call. “Hello!”
“Where are you?”
“I’m good. Thanks for asking. There’s peanut brittle in my office today if you’re after something sweet.”
“Effie. Where. Are. You?” Steele demanded.
Shoot. Sweet wasn’t working.
“You know where I am.” Because of the darn tracker.
“I know where you should be. Your ass should be sitting in your seat at your office in Pinkies. But where you are is a pharmacy three blocks away.”
“So you didn’t need to ask where I was then, did you?”
Effie, you need to be nice. This handsome man wants you, but he doesn’t want a shrew.
“Effie? Effie?”
“Sorry, Nan was telling me not to be a shrew.”
“Not happy about that,” he told her. “But thank you for telling me.”
Whoa. Her legs weakened at his words.
“Effie, if you need to leave work in the middle of the day, what are you supposed to do?”
“Text Grady. Which I did!”
There was a beat of silence. Then another one.
“Didn’t Grady tell you that he was out today?”
“Um. Yes.”
“And he couldn’t check his phone?”
“Um. Yes.”
“So what would be the logical thing for you to do if you knew he wouldn’t see your text?”
“I’m guessing it’s not sending up smoke signals?” she asked.
“Text me, Effie.”
“You weren’t even at Pinkies. It’s only a quick errand.”
“And what do you need on this quick errand?”
“Steele,” she groaned.
“Tell me.”
“It’s personal.”
“Tell. Me.”
“Period stuff. All right? I’ve got my period.”
Around her a couple of people stopped to stare. She closed her eyes. Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Baby.”
There was a lot in that one word. It was said softly. With care and attention. She let out a deep breath.
“Sorry, I can get a bit, uh, snappy when I’m cramping,” she whispered.
“You got your period while at work?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“You know we keep that shit out the back for the girls, right?” he asked.
“Well, yeah. Since I’m the one who keeps it stocked up. But that’s for them, not me.”
“Baby.” This was said in a sterner tone. Which meant he didn’t like what she was saying.
“Damon,” she said quietly. “I can get my own stuff. I’m three blocks away. If you hadn’t called me, I’d probably already be back.”
“Right. We’ve got to have a talk. Soon as you get back. Hurry.”
Lord, he was frustrating.
She grabbed what she needed, shoving it in a basket then headed to the check-out.
With her head down, she walked outside.
And banged straight into something solid. Unmovable.
Her arms wind-milled, the bag flying from her hand as she attempted to regain her balance.
“Whoa, you all right there, doll?” Hands wrapped around her waist before she could fall flat on her ass.
Shit.
She glanced up at the handsome, if a bit rough-looking man who she’d managed to bang into. There was something strangely familiar looking about him. Perhaps she’d seen him at Pinkies or something.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you! My apologies.”
“It’s all right, doll. Let me help you pick up all your stuff.”
Her stuff? She glanced around. Holy fuck!
“Oh my God!” She went on her hands and knees, scrambling to pick things up off the sidewalk.
“Whoa, doll. Get off your hands and knees. The sidewalk is dirty. Let me get the stuff.” He hauled her up and then brushed off her clothing before picking up the last items. One of which was a pair of period panties. The other a bar of no-sugar chocolate.
“No-sugar chocolate? That’s even a thing?”
“Um, yep. It is. Thank you!” She snatched the things away from him.
“No problem.”
She shoved everything in her shopping bag and then turned back to him, knowing she needed to use her manners. “So sorry for bumping into you.”
“No problem, Twinkletoes.”
When she turned away, she realized that he’d called her Twinkletoes. But that had to be a coincidence.
He was probably using it ironically because you banged into him.
With a groan, she headed back to Pinkies.
And to the ogre she had waiting there.
As soon as she walked into her office, she saw him.
Drat.
Maybe she should have tried to hide.
It wasn’t too late. She eyed the desk he was sitting on. She could run around and hide in there. Of course, he’d know she was there. But there were probably plenty of other places she could hide in Pinkies. It wasn’t open yet. She could hide somewhere and sneak out later.