Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“So vicious.” He slowly releases his hold as our eyes stay locked, and I swear they seem darker than before. When he pulls his gaze off mine, he drags the blanket from the back of the couch and tosses it over me, and my heart clenches in response to the sweetness of the gesture.
I’ve never met a man like him, nor just hung out with a man like he and I are right now and like we did last night—him watching the football game while I read. Just two people doing different things they each enjoy in the same space. I like it a lot… maybe more than I should. Then again, I like him more than I should.
“Babe.” A warm hand wraps around my hip, and I force my eyes open, finding Bax leaning over me. I knew my eyes felt heavy earlier, but I didn’t think I’d actually fall asleep like I must have. “Let’s get you to bed,” he says quietly, and I nod as I sit up, grabbing my pillow.
With his hand against my lower back, he shuffles me down the hall to his guest room, but he doesn’t just leave me at the door. Instead, he walks around me to the bed and pulls back the covers for me. Once I’m lying down, he tosses them over me. “Night, Oli.”
“Night, Bax,” I whisper, watching him through half-laden eyes as he seems to hesitate at the side of my bed before he walks to the door. Shutting off the light, he casts the room into darkness, and within seconds, I pass out.
My eyes flutter open to the sound of purring and the feel of soft fur brushing against my skin as Ira nuzzles her face into mine. Taking my hands out from under the blanket, I rub the top of her head while I reach for my phone to check the time since I totally spaced setting my alarm last night. I’m relieved when I see it’s just a little after seven, so I still have a couple of hours before I have to be at work. Plenty of time to get home, shower, have breakfast and get ready.
When I sit up to hop out of bed, Ira jumps down and wanders out through the cracked door. Since I’ll be back tonight, I leave my pillow but make the bed before I step out into the hall.
The house is dark and quiet, with the faint scent of coffee lingering in the air, probably from when Bax got up this morning. As I’m walking past the doorway to the kitchen, I see a piece of paper folded in half so that it’s standing up, with my name scrolled across the front in messy handwriting.
Walking into the kitchen, I pick it up and flip the paper open.
Feel free to make some fresh coffee, or there is OJ in the fridge.
Bax
Looking at the microwave mounted above the stove, I slowly walk across the room toward it and press the button to open the door. Inside is a stack of four fluffy pancakes with two slices of turkey bacon on one of his gray stoneware plates.
As I shut the door and set the timer to heat everything, my heart feels the same as it did last night when he covered me with the blanket. I don’t know what to think about him being so sweet, and I wish I understood his reasoning. Is it because I’m Liam’s little sister, or does he just like me? If I’m honest, I want it to be because he likes me.
When the microwave dings, I take a seat at the island and dig in. The pancakes are just as good reheated as they were fresh off the pan, but they don’t taste the same without him sitting next to me. Taking out my cell, I pull up the number he programmed into my contacts last night and send him a text.
Me: Thank you for breakfast. Tomorrow, I’m cooking for you, and you can’t say no.
About ten seconds after I press Send, my phone buzzes, letting me know I have a message.
Bax: What are you making me?
My stomach dips with giddiness at the thought of spending another evening with him.
Me: Whatever you want.
Three bubbles pop up and then disappear, then pop up again a minute later.
Bax: Surprise me.
Me: I can do that.
I press send, then finish eating and clean up my dishes before I go to the living room, where I slip on my shoes and grab my keys.
After saying goodbye to Ira, I lock up, skip down the steps to the sidewalk, and head next door across the grass. When I glance up, an older woman with graying hair is standing outside her house, putting what looks like fake spiderwebs around two trees that are close together, and she waves at me.