Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 111165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Because he feels sorry for you, I remind myself. Sure sometimes I think I catch this darkness in Laz’s eyes, like he’s looking at me with some sort of raw lust. But at this point, I’m pretty sure that’s just Laz and how he is. He’s brooding. He’s in his head a lot. I never know what that guy is thinking but I’m pretty sure he’s not thinking of me sexually whatsoever.
Yeah, sometimes he says really sweet things, even romantic at times. But he’s a poet, it’s pretty much his job. I’ve seen him charm the pants off the old ladies at the grocery store too.
Which is the way it’s supposed to be. Which means I need to get my head on straight and keep doing what I’m doing, filing all those unwarranted feelings away and getting back on the friendship train.
A couple of hours later, I have both bee suits out on the lawn and am sitting cross-legged on the grass, inspecting them for any tears or holes when Laz pokes his head over the side gate.
I smile at the sight of him, as I always do. Instant reflex.
But these butterflies in my stomach…that’s fucking new.
And frightening.
Get the hell outta here, butterflies.
“Hey,” he calls out. “It’s Carl. Carl McNaughty from the other night.”
The playful tone of his voice causes my stomach to flip like a gymnast. This is not off to a good start.
“Hi Carl,” I tell him, giving him a quick wave and turning my attention back to the suits. Much safer this way. “Come on in.”
I pretend to concentrate on them way more than I should, so that he’s standing above me for a few moments before I finally look up, squinting into the sun. At least it gave me some time to gather up my wits. “Oh, by the way,” I tell him. “My name is Regina Phalange.”
He grins, running his fingers down the sexy stubble on his jaw.
Sexy? Stop that right now.
“Of course your name is Regina Phalange,” he says. He gets my Friends references like no one else does.
He gets everything like no one else does.
STOP IT YOU CRAZY BEE LADY.
I clear my throat, wishing I could dispel the nervous energy that’s building up inside me again. “So are you ready for Candyman?”
He laughs. “It doesn’t help that you call it that.”
“Hey you started it,” I tell him, getting to my knees and he reaches down to grab my arms and pull me up the rest of the way. I’d like to say I didn’t notice the spark of electricity between his palms on my skin, or how large and firm his hands are…but I would be lying.
Laz has touched me like that a million times before and I never paid it much attention but now my body is honing in on everything. Suddenly, I’m extremely grateful for the bee suit. It will keep me safe from the bees and from any accidental arousal.
“Okay!” I say loudly, too loudly, stumbling back a bit from his grasp. “So, uh, let’s get you suited up.”
He frowns. “You okay?”
“Yes!” I bend down and grab his suit, thrusting it into his hands. “Put it on, Mr. McNaughty.”
He reluctantly takes it, his eyes resting on my face for just a bit longer before he holds up the voluminous suit, staring at it in disdain. “Are you sure they can’t sting through this?”
“They aren’t going to sting you,” I reassure him.
He glances over at the hives. “Oh, did you have a merry chat with the bees this morning about this?”
“I did. And, by the way, bees know they’ll die if they sting you. It’s always a last minute resort in order to protect the hive.”
“How noble,” he says dryly.
“It is noble,” I tell him. “Now suit up!”
He sighs, shaking his head and mumbling something to himself that I can’t quite catch. His expression says it all: this is hell. I stand back and watch him, enjoying this too much. No one is graceful when they put on a bee suit.
“So how come you have a bee suit that fits a guy as tall as me?” he asks, almost suspiciously.
Lie, I tell myself. Lie.
“It’s part of the job. If I’m teaching potential beekeepers I can’t expect them to bring their own.” And that is all true. I have two suits for kids and three for adults so far and hope to get more. But the reason I have that extra-long suit in particular is because I bought it for Laz. A long time ago. Hoping that maybe one day he’d take interest in it.
But I’m not about to admit that to him. I’m already feeling strangely vulnerable today.
So I watch as he slips the suit over his boots and pulls it up. “I feel ridiculous.”
I smile and drop to a crouch to zip up the bottom of his pants and make sure the elastic is snug. If the bees get agitated, that’s one of the first places they’ll crawl to because it’s dark and snug.