Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Madison Kelly would rather walk away than offer me a glass of water if I burst into flames. Hell, from some of the looks I got earlier, she’d likely pull out marshmallows and make smores if given the chance.
It’s a nonissue, and if I can control myself, then I think this might work out. The boys seem infatuated with her already, even after the very limited time they spent with her. I thought Cole was going to cry when I told him no that she couldn’t read them their bedtime story. That expectant part of me that has been catered to for so long almost reared its ugly head because of the disappointment that settled inside of me that he preferred her tonight over me.
The door to the bedroom I picked for her is closed, telling me she found it on her own. All other doors in the hallway are open because, honestly, the house was on the musty side when we moved in from having been closed up for so long.
I knock on the door twice and get no answer. I won’t open her door and invade her privacy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t imagine myself doing just that and finding her naked on the bed, as I turn around and descend the stairs.
I swear I’ve never been in such a position in my life. Well, maybe I let certain thoughts control me when I was younger, but it hasn’t been an issue for a very long time.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I snap the second I step into the kitchen and see her standing in the light of the fridge, wearing nothing but a thin t-shirt.
Granted, it covers more of her body than the sundress did earlier, but there’s just something inherently sexual about it. It’s reminiscent of putting on just enough clothes after sex to not be insanely indecent.
“Getting something to fucking eat,” she snaps, emphasizing the cuss word in an effort to make sure I know how out of place my own use of the word was.
I grind my teeth. “Why are you wearing that?”
I wave my hand up and down in her direction.
She pulls at the side of the shirt, making it rise several more inches up her thighs. “You have a problem with pajamas in this house or are you offended that I’m not covered in silk?”
“Do. Not. Mention. Silk.”
“A personal affliction?”
If I clench my jaw any tighter, I’m going to crack my molars.
“You haven’t even been here five hours, and you’re already breaking the contract you signed.”
She lets the fridge door close. Despite the lights not being on, she’s easy to see. It’s eight in the evening, but it’s Texas and the sun won’t fully set for over an hour.
“I plan to read it but enlighten me. Is the food here not part of the benefits package you mentioned at the diner?” She crosses her arms, her stance stubborn and confrontational.
“The food?” I ask stupidly. “You can eat whatever you want, but it explained very simply that you can’t try and seduce me.”
Her indignant laughter floats over the room, and it hits me in a way I’m sure she doesn’t intend it to.
“Seduce you? Did you forget to take your meds or something today? In what world would you think me coming down to grab something to eat is an attempt to turn you on? If you can’t control your reaction to how a woman is dressed, then I think you need to seek therapy.”
I growl in irritation. Maybe I didn’t word it exactly how it needed to be said, but the woman flusters the hell out of me. I don’t like the power she has.
“Madison.”
She takes a step back, tugging down the hem of her shirt. “Am I not safe around you?”
I freeze. “What?”
“Do I have to worry—”
“Fuck no,” I snap, finally understanding what she’s implying. “I would fucking never.”
Her features soften a little but not fully. What has this woman been through?
“I’d prefer it if you wore bottoms,” I say, taking a step back to give her space. “The boys are short, and I don’t want them seeing… anything.”
I wave my hand in her general direction.
“And anything in the fridge is yours for the taking. We can keep a list if you want anything special. I usually do the shopping on—”
“I don’t mind doing the shopping,” she says. “It’s good for the boys to get out and understand when it’s time to be serious and when it’s time to play.”
“You can use the same card I gave you for the house,” I tell her, this conversation taking a very awkward turn.
“I’ll do that. Goodnight.”
I step to the side so she can walk past me to get back to the stairs.
“Madison,” I say, her feet freezing in their tracks, but she doesn’t turn back around to face me. “You didn’t get anything to eat.”