Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“I don’t want to get your seats all wet.”
“They’re leather, so it would be fine, and if you’re really worried about it, I do have a blanket you can put on the seat.”
“Why do you have a blanket in your car?”
“Sometimes I take a nap in my car in between surgeries. It sounds weird, I know, but it’s easier to relax in my car in the parking garage than the break rooms.”
“It doesn’t sound weird. I’d probably prefer to sleep in my car too than somewhere with other people.” She bites her lip, no idea how fucking sexy that looks on her, and turns her attention to the fire. “Should we put it out before we go?”
“Probably,” I reply and look around for something to use to extinguish the fire. We don’t have any water, so instead, I dash out near the edge of the woods, retrieving a small broken tree branch with a thick cluster of wet leaves. I put it on the fire, strangling out the flames.
“Smart,” Chloe says, eyeing me. She looks uncomfortable now, like the thought of getting in the car with me is unnerving. I wish I knew what she was thinking, or that we were still close enough I could just come out and ask her.
The clouds are just spitting out a drizzle of rain now. Thunder and lightning still rage on around us. The storm isn’t over just yet, but we caught a break in the rain.
“Which side of the lake is the house?” I ask, pretending like Rory didn’t point out her house like a stalker this morning.
“The quiet side. Dad’s been there for a few years already. We bought and restored that house I liked as a kid. The one my mom liked too.”
“I remember that house,” I say softly, noticing the sadness that instantly comes to Chloe’s pretty eyes at the mention of her mother. “Have you been out on the lake yet?”
She shakes her head. “No, just down to the dock. My dad and his girlfriend are leaving tomorrow for a romantic getaway, so I probably won’t get out there this trip.”
“They’re leaving when you just got here?” We start walking down the stone path to the parking lot.
“They had the trip planned, and me coming here wasn’t preplanned or anything. Though it works out, because as much as I love my father, he’s a talker, and I don’t get much work done when he’s around.”
“Yeah, I could see that. Having a lake house to yourself while writing a book is exactly what a movie about a writer would do.”
She chuckles. “It is a little cliché, but it will be really nice and quiet. They’re taking the dog too, so I’ll literally have no one but myself to take care of. Though when I’m deep in the writing cave—not a literal cave, but a mental one, I guess?” She shakes her head. “It’s just something us writers say. But when I’m in the writing cave, I can go like all day without eating and only drinking coffee and wine. And then it might be a few days before I shower, and I don’t know why I’m admitting this to you, though I also admitted it on TV last year so…”
“That’s also what I think of when I think of writers,” I joke and playfully nudge her. The second my skin touches hers, a shock runs through me. I look out at the woods, having to talk down my cock—and my heart.
“Write drunk, edit sober,” she says with a wink. “It’s a Hemmingway quote and isn’t that terrible advice.”
“I can’t imagine having a drink while working.”
She laughs, and I love the way that little dimple on her right cheek is still there when she smiles. “Yeah, I don’t think that would go too well.”
We get to my car, which is the only one left in the parking lot. I open the passenger side door for Chloe and reach into the back, grabbing the fleece blanket. I really don’t care if she sits in the car all wet from the rain, but I know Chloe doesn’t like to inconvenience anyone in the smallest way.
“Thanks again for driving me to my dad’s,” she says, and I get a flash of driving her home after school. There were so many times when I wanted to pull over and kiss her.
But there were even more times when it just didn’t happen.
Her phone goes crazy with text messages as soon as we’re back on the road and within cell service range. I’m curious who the messages are from, mostly because I don’t see how Chloe could be single. Jealously sizzles through my veins at the thought of her having a boyfriend, and I need to knock it the fuck off.
She’s busy replying to the messages on the short drive from the park to her dad’s house. The rain is starting to fall harder when I park in the driveway. My heart jumps into my throat when I turn and look at her. I put my BMW in park and shove that fucker back down where it belongs.