Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 146477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Though the second I walk into that apartment and she figures out what’s about to go down, that’s going to change.
Things have been different between us. It’s as though she’s waiting for me to run for the hills, but that’s not about to happen. I meant every fucking word when I told her that if she’s burning, I’ll step right into the fire. They’re not words that I say lightly, and they’re sure as fuck not words that I just say to anybody.
Harper-Rayn Madden is fucking end game for me, and I don’t give a shit what she has to say about it. Fuck her bullshit non-exclusive relationship. She’s mine, and it’s about time she acknowledges it.
After knocking on her door, I take a step back and wait a few moments for her to spy on me through the little peephole before finally deciding that she will grace me with her presence. The door opens, and I stare down at my girl with her long black hair that’s been thrown up into a lopsided messy bun. She’s wearing a dirty hoodie that comes halfway down her shins while holding a tub of leftover Chinese food and a fork dangling from her mouth.
I step into the small apartment, glancing down at the Chinese food, trying to remember which day she ordered this, because I know damn well it wasn’t from last night or even the night before that. “Did you even bother to reheat that shit?”
She shakes her head and pulls the fork out of her mouth. “That just seems like a waste of time.”
“I really don’t know how you’ve managed to keep yourself alive all these years.”
“If I had to guess, it was those awful college years, living off ramen and beans,” she says, whipping around and making her way back to her couch and getting comfortable. “I built a tolerance. I’ve got an iron stomach now. No form of food poisoning is gonna bring me down.”
A stupid grin pulls across my face as I follow her to the couch. I take the offending Chinese container off of her hand and lean down, bracing my palms on either side of her thighs. “Listen, I’m going to need you to waltz that fine ass into the shower while I start packing up your things.”
“Eh?” she grunts, her face twisting with confusion. “You’re gonna pack up my what now?”
“All your things, doll,” I say. “I’m moving you into my place.”
Harper laughs and shoves her hand against my chest, forcing me away. “The fuck you are,” she says. “I don’t need some over-the-top, bossy, alphahole babysitting me at all hours of the day just because he’s scared that I could fall off the bandwagon at any given point and take a trip straight back to Crazyville.”
“This isn’t a negotiation, Harper,” I tell her. “I haven’t come to discuss it with you. I’m telling you. Your little pain-in-the-ass self is going to get in the shower, and then you’re going to help me pack up all your shit, and then you’re moving in to my place.”
“Oh, I see where we went wrong. I didn’t realize your little caveman act came fully equipped with a tiny pea-sized brain. That’s awesome, but obviously you’re missing the key component of this conversation. Let me make this a little clearer for you,” she says getting to her feet and making a show of clearing her throat. “If you touch even one thing that belongs to me and try to remove it from my home, I’m going to tear you straight through the center, starting from the asshole. And if that was also too hard to understand, then allow me to dumb it down. I’M NOT FUCKING MOVING IN WITH YOU.”
I cross my arms over my chest and watch her. “Are you done with your little tantrum?”
Her eyes widen like saucers. “The fuck did you just say to me?”
“Goddamn,” I growl, stepping into her and capturing her waist, holding her so damn tight. “I love it when you’re feisty like this.”
Harper tries to push me away, but I step into her again, forcing her back until her knees hit the edge of the couch and she has no choice but to drop her perfect hoodie-covered ass back down to the cushion. I cage her in just as I had before, holding her hostage as I capture her stare with mine. “Let’s get one thing straight,” I tell her, my voice dropping. “I’m not moving you into my place because I think you need a fulltime babysitter, I’m moving you in because the thought of not waking up to you in my bed every fucking day guts me. I’m moving you in because I need you in my space. I need to breathe the same fucking air that you breathe. I need you there because I fucking love you.”