Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Then he was gone.
And I tried not to feel the way my heart sank at the sound of the door closing, then his footsteps retreating.
Because I was pretty sure I’d just screwed up any chance for things to go anywhere with us.
Which was for the best, I reminded myself.
CHAPTER NINE
Donovan
I don’t know if I was disappointed or relieved that Booker had a break in his schedule to go and check out the girls’ house.
Disappointed, because I knew it would mean that they would be leaving once he was done securing the place. Once Booker was on the case, there was virtually no way for someone to get into a house he’d secured.
But also, relieved because it would be the first time Maeve would be forced to be around me, and not hiding behind her computer screen, or next to Eddie, who was clearly enjoying her company, even though he didn’t really let her do much of the cooking.
It almost seemed as if Triss was picking up on some tension between her sister and myself, because she took charge of the car seating arrangement, making sure she was in the front with Seeley, and I was in the back with Alaric on the other side, and Maeve crammed in the center.
My suspicions were confirmed when her gaze caught mine for a split second, and there was a wicked little smirk toying with her lips.
I was on day five of my healing at this point, so I still had another ten or so days of recovery. Which meant I was still wrapped in gauze, so when the rough road made our bodies brush, I let out a hissing sound, that had Maeve’s head shooting over, her gaze immediately going down, assessing the situation.
“Sorry,” she said, trying to squeeze herself smaller.
“Here,” I said instead, pleased for both the relief and the excuse to be closer to her by wrapping an arm around her shoulders instead. “That works,” I told her.
I didn’t miss the way Triss and Alaric both attempted to flatten their smirks, knowing exactly what was going on, it seemed.
Seeley, well, he was as stony-faced and unreadable as ever. But knowing him as well as I had begun to, nothing got past the man. He was just better at hiding whatever feelings he had about it.
Maeve was tense for the first few minutes, until Triss—smartly—took control of the radio, cranking it up, which cut the tension in the car.
I felt her shoulders loosen and drop. And I don’t even know if she was aware of this part, but she turned her head ever so slightly, so it all but rested on my shoulder. It was a movement made to look like she was glancing out of the window at my side, but she was totally trying to get closer to me.
I had to admit, I didn’t understand her reluctance when it came to me. I mean, she was clearly attracted to me.
Maybe it was just physical. And she didn’t strike me as a casual hook-up kind of woman. It was possible she was keeping her distance because she didn’t want shit to go any further since she was a relationship kind of woman.
I wouldn’t claim to be a relationship sort of man. Clearly, that hadn’t been my history.
But, I guess you could say that I was… relationship-curious.
Especially if the other person in said relationship was a sweet, shy, bookish writer who gave great, enthusiastic head, and was like fucking ear porn when she cried out as she came.
The car hit a particularly hard pothole, making me curse and wince.
And seemingly without thinking about it, Maeve’s hand moved out, gently pressing over the elastic bandage hiding my aching ribs.
Taking her lead, my casted hand landed on her thigh, my fingers tightening as much as I could on her thigh.
But then moving quickly away, aware of all the eyes around.
Her own hand fell, but stayed close to my leg, her fingers brushing me anytime the car jostled.
It wasn’t much, but it was something.
Maybe I could get her alone at her house for a couple of minutes. Packing up a few more clothing items, perhaps, since Booker worked fast, but not at warp speed. It would be at least another day of having the girls at the clubhouse.
The house looked the same as it had last time, but one look at Maeve said something was wrong.
“What is it?”
“The gardens,” Triss explained as she opened her door.
And, yeah, things were looking pretty wilted, I had to admit. Just a couple of days away had also let a bunch of weeds sprout up.
“Is Booker on his way yet?” I asked Seeley as Maeve quickly rushed out the other side of the SUV after Alaric.
“He said he’s leaving in fifteen. Meeting ran long.”
“I’ll stay out here with Maeve while she deals with the garden,” I said, watching as she rushed up to the front spigot and started to unwind the long garden hose.