Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 70037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
A few minutes later, there’s a sharp knock on my window, and through my tears I see my father, with the woman who must be his wife standing at his side.
I can’t do this. Not now. Maybe not ever.
His voice sounds through the door between us. “Roll down the window.” I jerk my head from side to side in silent refusal, causing him to frown. He turns toward the woman like he’s seeking advice, and her eyes fill with sympathy as they meet mine. I want to hate her—I really want to hate her—but for some stupid reason, I can’t seem to drag up that emotion as we stare at each other. My dad knocks on my window again, then tries the handle, and I glare at him.
“We need to talk,” he tells me, and anger fills the pit of my stomach.
“Go away.”
“Honey,” he pleads, and I break right there while sitting in my car, with my father I haven’t seen in a year and his new wife watching.
Every ugly emotion I have been tucking away boils to the surface in an instant, and I scream at the top of my lungs, “Just go away! Just leave me alone! I never want to see you again!”
“Chrissie.” I hear pain in his voice, but I don’t care. He should have called me; he should have talked to me, but he didn’t. He’s been hiding like a coward for months.
Our staring match is disrupted by a loud roar of pipes that surprises me even inside my car. I turn my head just in time to watch a motorcycle pull up so close to where my father and his wife are standing that they are forced to step back or be run over. My heart pounds as a man dismounts from the black, shining beast between his legs and then rips off the helmet he’s wearing. I stare in stunned disbelief at Gaston, and my body instantly begins to relax at the sight of him. I can’t make out what he’s saying to my father, but my dad glances at me before he nods and takes the woman’s hand to lead her away. Gaston stands with his arms crossed over his chest until they get into a car, and he stays like that as they reverse out of their spot. While they’re pulling out of the lot, he turns to face me, and his angry expression softens with concern as he comes to my door.
I hit the button for the lock as his hand captures the handle, and a sob rips from my chest as he leans across me to unlatch my belt. He pulls me from my car and into his arms, and I close my eyes as he picks me up.
“Shh, I’ve got you. You’re okay,” he tells me, holding me firmly against his warm chest as he walks around the back of my car and places me in the passenger seat to buckle me in.
“You’re supposed to be at work.” I sniffle, trying to calm myself down.
“Baby, I’m supposed to be here with you.” He kisses my forehead, then pulls back to look into my eyes; his fingers touch my cheek, wiping away a few tears. “I need to move my bike, and then I’ll get you home.”
“Wait. You can’t leave your bike here,” I say, latching on to him.
“I can, and it won’t be here long. I’ll have someone pick it up.” He removes my hands gently from his shirt, then shuts my door before I can try to convince him I’ll be okay to drive home on my own. He parks his bike, and when he’s done, he gets in behind the wheel and adjusts the seat to accommodate his long legs.
“Gaston . . .”
“Baby, just relax. We’ll talk after I get you home.”
“Okay,” I agree quietly. Only I don’t have a chance to talk to him when I get home, because I fall asleep as soon as he starts driving. I sleep so deeply I don’t even wake when he carries me up to his place to put me in his bed.
Suggestion 8
RIDE IN ON YOUR HARLEY AND RESCUE YOUR GIRL
GASTON
I stare at Chrissie’s beautiful face for a long time as she sleeps before I finally force myself to move. I might be the boss and am able to come and go as I please, but with three businesses to run and over one hundred employees, I need to check in. I also need to call Luke to let him know I won’t be around tonight.
I grab my cell off the bedside table, then head toward the kitchen, with LeFou bouncing at my feet. Luke has been my best friend since childhood, and three years ago, he was the only person I could think of to help me manage things when I decided to expand my business and buy two more bars.