Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
I needed to go.
I’d done what I needed to do.
Checked in on her.
Made sure she was okay.
I had to force myself to leave, even if the urge to drop down on the couch next to her was a fuckuva lot stronger than I could have anticipated.
“Here,” I said, grabbing the magnetic notepad off of her fridge, and removing the attached pen, jotting down my number. The one for my real phone. And my address, just in case. “I’m gonna leave you with my phone, if you want to come to a party with me sometime. When you’re ready. And I’m leaving my address in case you ever… need it,” I said, really having no idea why I was providing it. Save for the fact that I really would love to have her at the house. Preferably in my bed.
But I couldn’t exactly say that, now, could I?
I ripped off the page, reattached the notepad to the fridge, then stuck the note to the surface with one of her many mismatched magnets, this one featuring a character from The Princess Bride.
“Call me. Or text me,” I added, figuring she likely wasn’t much of a phone call person. “If you need anything. Or if you just want to talk,” I added as I made my way across the room. “I mean it,” I said.
“Thanks,” she said.
“For pulling stalkerish behavior to check on you?” I asked, shooting her a smile.
“Yeah, for that,” she agreed, smiling back.
“You sure you’re alright?” I asked.
“We’ll be okay,” she assured me, meaning her and the dog, who was nibbling on the ear of his Golden Retriever stuffed animal. “Thank you, Alaric. Really,” she said as I made it to the door out of sheer force of will. Because I really wanted to go and sit next to her. Then, after a while, carry her off to bed.
She didn’t need my sexual advances after a hard night.
She needed some rest.
“Anytime,” I said, meaning it. “Text me,” I said, before taking myself into the hallway.
I shot off a quick text to Sion, letting him know she was okay.
I paused there, head tipped back, eyes closed, trying to reason with every cell in my body that wanted to barge right back in there.
When my gaze opened, I saw the police tape on the door, and a violent slash of blood on the frame.
Something about it wasn’t sitting right with me.
But I had no claim to Siana.
I couldn’t insist she let me stay, or to come with me.
So I did the only thing I could.
I left.
Kicking myself for it the entire way home.
Tried to get back to my own life.
And in doing so, the next day, I wasn’t home when she showed up on my doorstep.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Siana
It had been a truly awful night.
Horrific.
I should have been racked with nightmares of bad guys with guns, and friendly faces bleeding out all over the place.
Having more wild sex dreams about Alaric felt wildly inappropriate as I woke up, sweaty and frustrated.
I guess I could blame the fact that I’d not only seen him in person again, but that he’d been in my space. He’d been… nice.
I mean I was practically a complete stranger, but he’d held me while I sobbed. He stayed and talked to me, even though he was under no obligation to do so. Then he’d even left me his phone number and address in case I wanted to talk to him. Or go to a party with him.
I’d stared at that little note a lot longer than I should have, my mind flashing with images of what a biker party might look like.
It wasn’t long until the fantasy devolved to me standing there, holding up the walls, feeling wholly out of place and awkward until, finally, I snuck out without being seen. Or missed.
I really doubted I was ever going to take him up on the offer, but I did find myself plugging his number in, then his address in with his contact.
In doing so, I felt slightly less of a loser for my contacts list. Which consisted of my mother, the vet, my doctor, and various takeout food numbers.
That was it.
Then, I took myself and Frida to bed. Without our last walk of the night, both of us too exhausted to care.
The cold, wet nose nudging my arm let me know what had finally roused me from the steamy dreams.
Turning, I saw Frida seated next to the bed, eyes expectant.
“You gotta go, huh?” I asked, rolling to a sitting position, and grabbing my glasses.
A glance at my phone said it was barely six in the morning.
“Give me two minutes to get dressed,” I implored, rushing into the bathroom to throw myself somewhat together, before rushing out to slip her leash on. “Okay, let’s get moving,” I said, trying not to stop and stare at Kylo’s door.