Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“Yeah. I have burners with different scents I like to use. Plus, I have a cleaner that comes in early each morning. Come into my office.”
All right.
She followed him out the back into an office, which was the total opposite of the clean and orderly bar.
It was a complete mess with stuff everywhere. Papers and folders covered the desk. There were boxes on the floor and the sofa. Devon moved around behind the desk.
“Have you just bought the place?” she asked.
“Nope. Why?”
“Oh, I thought maybe you were moving in. Moving out?”
“Ah, no. I just . . . haven’t worked out a filing system yet.”
“How long have you owned the place?” she asked, taking a seat.
“Seven years.”
Her mouth dropped open before she could feel herself smiling, unable to help herself.
“I know it’s a mess. It’s just . . . everything has its place, and I don’t want anyone messing with my system.”
Somehow, that admission made her relax around him. He seemed more approachable.
Normal.
“So Lilac Masters, was it?”
She nodded as he sat back and stared at her. “How do you know Savannah?”
There was no point lying, he’d be able to ask Savannah for the truth.
“I don’t. She came up to me as I was standing outside and for some reason, decided to help.”
Devon sighed. “Damn it. She’s got to stop talking to strangers like that. I’m gonna have to tell Logan.”
She frowned, a wary feeling inside her growing. “Who is Logan?”
“Her man.”
“Will he get mad at her?” she asked with concern.
“If you just met her, why do you care?”
She didn’t know. But she wasn’t going to just sit here if the other woman was being abused. “I thought this was a safe place where women were taken care of. Obviously, I was wrong. Where does she live?” She jumped to her feet.
“Whoa, firecracker. Take a seat again.” Something changed in Devon’s expression. She got the strange idea that he approved of her.
Weird.
“Logan won’t harm her. He’d never hurt any woman. Neither would Max.”
“Who is he?”
“Her other man.”
Lilac’s mouth dropped open. Okay. Tanner had mentioned that, but part of her hadn’t believed him.
“Savannah is well loved and taken care of. No man in Haven would hit a woman. Spank them, maybe. Hit them, no.”
Her body grew hot. “He’ll spank her?”
“I can’t say. But whatever happens, it will be with Savannah’s consent.”
Tanner had threatened to spank her . .
“You still want a job here?” he asked.
“Yes. If you have one.”
“Turns out I do.” He tapped his fingers on the desk. “You’re living in Haven?”
“For . . . for the time being.”
“So, at some stage, you might just take off on me?”
“I’ll try not to. We want someplace safe to live. If that’s here, we might stay.”
“We?” he asked.
“I have some friends with me.”
“Men? Women?”
She didn’t answer. “I think I better go.” She hadn’t been expecting people to be so nosey.
“Sit down, Lilac.”
There was such command in his voice that she found herself sitting before she even thought about it.
Darn it.
“Are you in trouble?”
“What makes you ask that?” she asked.
“Many women have come to Haven because they were in trouble, and needed protection.”
“I can protect myself,” she muttered. Crap. She wasn’t getting this job.
He eyed her for a long moment. “It’s eighteen an hour and tips are split evenly at the end of the night.”
Relief filled her.
“That’s fine.” Eighteen was better than she’d ever been paid before. “Do you need me to do a trial?”
“Can you come back tomorrow at five?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll do a trial then. Hours will normally be from five until close, Tuesday to Saturday.”
“That’s fine. I can also fill in if you need me to help on any other days.”
“No working more than five days a week,” he said firmly.
“All right. Thanks. I’ll be back. Is there anything I should wear or . . .”
“Just whatever is comfortable. I’ll order you a shirt if things work out. We don’t have anything small enough for you in stock.” He frowned slightly as he said that.
And she told herself she didn’t care if he didn’t think she looked good.
But she was lying.
“Have you spoken to the sheriff?” he asked.
Lilac straightened. “About what? Why would I talk to the sheriff? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
By the time she’d finished talking, she could feel herself breaking out in a sweat, her heart racing.
“Easy,” Devon said in a low voice. “I wasn’t suggesting you’d done anything wrong.”
She swallowed heavily. He rose and grabbed a bottle of water, handing it over to her.
Lilac just stared at the water. She wasn’t used to being offered things without an ulterior motive. Not from men, anyway.
Unless it’s Tanner.
Because for some reason she’d trusted him.
God. That one night they’d spent together had been such a foolish risk. He could have hurt her. Could have done anything to her and no one had even known where she was.