Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 83800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
"Can we talk?" Kaylee asks, and I don't miss the way she runs her hand along Ellis's back before walking toward me. A few weeks ago I would've questioned her sanity. I would've wanted to know what was so special about any man that made a woman need to touch them before stepping away from them, even for a few minutes. Now I fully understand, and it slams right into my chest, the knowledge that I'm madly in love with Robert Stewart.
I lift my eyes, finding him across the room, grinning at me as if he can read my mind. He gives me a little wink before Kaylee grabs my hand and pulls me from the kitchen.
"Are you really okay?" she asks as she pulls me down beside her on the sofa.
"I mean," I begin, knowing that there are compartments of my life that aren't great. "Some parts are okay."
"Do you want me to ask about the okay parts or the not-okay parts to start with?" she asks, giving me a gentle smile.
"Robert is great," I say, making the choice on my own. "We're together now."
Her smile grows wider. "I knew you guys would end up together. That man watches you like you hung the moon."
I dart my eyes toward the kitchen. We can still see the guys chatting because of the open floor plan, but I know they can't hear what we're saying.
"The not-okay parts?" Kaylee prods. "If you can talk about them right now."
"I don't want to leave," I confess. "And I don't mean in a stay in bed all day and make love to him sort of way, even though I feel that as well."
"In the you're scared you're not safe if you leave the house sort of way?" she asks, giving me a sad smile when I nod my confirmation. "I completely understand that. So don't leave."
"I have work," I argue.
"You hate your job," she reminds me. "You have enough skills and connections to find something that's work from home anyway."
"He'll get tired of me. I don't even know if it's okay for me to live here."
"I went by his room this morning to check on you, and from the sounds coming from inside, I'd say he's very okay with you living here."
My cheeks heat. I did my best to muffle the noise I was making, but there were moments when I got lost in the passion I wasn't even thinking about who might be on the other side walking by and hearing what was going on with us.
"If anything," she continues. "You have vacation days. Take all of them and see where you are when you run out. There are worse things in the world than being stuck here with a sexy man. Just keep in mind that all the common areas have cameras."
We both laugh at this, drawing the eyes of the guys in the kitchen, and I feel warmth bloom in my chest when I notice that Robert is looking at me much in the same way that Ellis is looking at Kaylee.
Chapter 40
Rooster
"You looked like you were having a very serious conversation with Kaylee earlier," I hedge, wanting to know where her head is because she has seemed a little off since she talked with her friend.
I can't help the insidious feeling that she may be changing her mind or the things she told me and the things she said she wanted were part of a trauma response, and as time goes on, she's realizing she doesn't want certain things, including me.
She swallows, running her hand over the top of the water.
We're in the hot tub at her suggestion, and not wanting to go back to the room to spend time alone in private didn't seem like a huge red flag until I took a closer look at her other behaviors, like eyes darting away and not being the first one to curl into my chest.
"Has it been too much?" I ask, resisting the urge to lock my arms around her.
I can't trap her with me. I can't force her to want what I want, and I'm starting to feel a little foolish for jumping in feet first with the expectation that she was doing the same.
"What?" she asks, snapping her head in my direction. "No."
"Are you sure? Because you seem a little off."
She gives her head a little shake, once again breaking eye contact, and despite the warmth of the water swirling around us, a cold chill runs down my spine.
"I'm..." she begins but takes a moment to swallow a second time before turning in my arms. "I don't think I can go back to work."
"Okay," I say, waiting for her to say more because there has to be more to why she's struggling right now.
"I'm scared, but I hate it there. I don't want you to think I won't work because I will. Kaylee suggested finding a work-from-home position, but I don't know how long that will take. I have savings, so I'm not going to be living here for free," she says all in one breath.