Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
I smile. “Oh, I don’t know. Manhandling women, taking over their kitchens, bossing them around, uh… asking them to be your girlfriend in front of thousands of people?”
He takes a bite of the lasagna, moans, and points at the bowl with his fork. “Did you make this?”
I nod. “Yes, are you avoiding the question?”
He takes another bite and levels me with a look. He’s thinking about how he’s going to answer. That much is obvious. When he chews and swallows, he shrugs. “I don’t think I was manhandling you. I like holding you.”
I’m barely able to process that, but he continues. “I just heated up some food. I’ll clean up. Does it bother you to have me in your space?”
He doesn’t wait for me to answer. “And I’m sorry if I come across as bossy. This is, uh, new to me, and no, I haven’t asked anyone to be my girlfriend, let alone in front of thousands of people. You were my first… and I’m glad you said yes.”
I put my fork in my bowl and set it down on the counter next to me. “Zach… what is this?”
I watch his massive chest rise and fall. “You mean, this, between us? You feel it too, right?”
My mouth drops open, and I quickly snap it shut. “Feel what?”
He blushes again, and the sight stuns me. Shocked, I ask him, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
He takes another bite of food, chews, and swallows. “Yeah, I’m fuckin’ serious. I don’t know how not to be… not with you.”
I can’t dwell on this, so instead I answer the question he asked. “No, it doesn’t bother me to have you in my space. It’s just new… and I don’t know what to make of all this.”
He nods and eats the last few bites of his lasagna. He grabs my bowl and puts it in my hands. “Finish that, honey. You have to eat.”
I take the bowl from his hands, and he gets up, moving to the sink to clean his bowl. I take a few bites, thinking of everything he just said. He doesn’t stop at the one dish. He cleans the bowl and pan from the cupcakes I made. I’m enjoying the view, but I know I should go help. I finish my food and am about to get up, but he holds a hand up to stop me. “Here, I got it.”
He takes the bowl and makes quick work of cleaning it. When he’s done, he turns, leans his back against the counter, and puts his hands on each side of him. “Nothing can come of this. I mean, not right now.”
And just like that, the floor shifts beneath me. I was a fool, and I shouldn’t have let my guard down. I felt it too. I felt there was something happening between us, but obviously I was just being crazy.
I get off the stool. “Right. Well, I’m going to cover the cupcakes and then go to bed.”
I avoid his gaze and put the cupcakes into storage containers. I feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster. One minute I feel like he’s going to kiss me, and the next he’s telling me that nothing can come of us.
Still not looking at him, I walk past him, making sure we don’t touch. “Well, I’m going to go to bed. The spare bedroom is at the top of the stairs, first door on the right.”
He nods. “And yours is right across from it.”
When I give him a surprised look, he shrugs. “I went through the house and checked all the windows and locks. You have a good security system.”
I blink. “Yeah, my brothers insisted.”
His jaw tightens. “Okay.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “We going to talk about this?”
I shake my head and fake a yawn. “No. I’m tired, and I think I should go to bed.”
He comes to stand next to me. “I have to protect you, Sky. That’s what I need to focus on right now.”
What else is he going to say? “Right, I get it.” I back away from him. “Thanks for doing the dishes. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“What’s your schedule tomorrow?”
I stop at the entrance of the kitchen. “Uh, I have some content to film, and then I need to prepare for this weekend. I have a brand trip.”
He tenses. “A brand trip?”
I nod. “Yeah, Whisked Away invited me. It’s at a mountain retreat three hours north of here.”
He puts his hands on his hips. “Okay, tomorrow, I need access to all your social media, your emails, and Sky… I’m going on the brand trip with you.”
I put my hands up and wave my hands. “No, no way. I’ll be fine.”
He walks toward me. “It’s happening, Sky. You wanna go, I’m going with you.”
I stomp my foot, and instantly I feel like a child. But I still poke my thumb in my chest. “I’m an adult, Zach. You can’t tell me what to do.”