Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 138526 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138526 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
“Wow…” I mutter, cringe smiling at the sight. This is so embarrassing. Couldn’t he have brought these to my house?
Mr. C mutters something unintelligible under his breath and slams his office door behind him, leaving me to deal with this alone.
I move the flowers to the window ledge and reach for the card.
“Forgive me. I was an ass.
I love you.
P
Xxx”
Strong arms wrap around me from behind, holding my back to a toned chest.
He picks me up so my feet are dangling off the floor and I can hardly breathe.
“Say you’ll forgive me?” Pax whispers in my ear, kissing the shell and then my neck. “I won’t put you down until you do.”
“I’m not a handbag, I’m heavy. You’ll have to put me down eventually.” I can’t help but feel a little bit happy about his groveling.
“Forgive me?”
“I still don’t know what I did wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong; it was me; I was jealous that your attention wasn’t on me all night and even more jealous when you chose to wear something he gave you over something I gave you.”
He puts me down so I can turn in his arms. “I didn’t realize that’s what…” I sigh. “I’m sorry. Honestly, you don’t have to worry about me and Mr. Conti. He’s married and I’m with you. I’m not going to ruin that.” His smile is blinding but I stop him as he swoops in for a kiss. “But please don’t do that again. If you want to get mad, get mad, but talk to me about it so I can fix it. I couldn’t eat or sleep. That’s not fair.”
“I know. I behaved like a child,” he whispers, pecking my lips as often as he can.
“I’m not denying you your epiphany,” I respond, feeling a lot lighter than I have all week. “One more chance. I’m not putting myself through this three times. Twice is my limit.”
“I won’t fuck it up.” He deepens the kiss for a moment and hugs me for a longer moment. I’ve missed his body against mine. “Date night tonight?”
“Not tonight,” I answer, glancing towards Mr. Conti’s office. I swear I just saw his blinds twitch out of the corner of my eye. He’s probably waiting for a safe moment to tell me to get back to work. “Thursday?”
“Why not tomorrow?”
“I’ve got plans then too.” I push him away from me.
He frowns, unhappy that I’m not dropping everything for him. “Doing what?”
“Dinner with a friend,” I reply, omitting the fact it’s Mr. C’s mother and father I’m dining with. “But I am taking a week off so I’ll have so much time to bug you.”
“You don’t bug me,” he answers, pulling me in for another kiss. “I miss you.”
“I missed you too. I want to hear all about your trip.”
“You will, when you make time for me,” he jests and walks away backwards, still smiling. “I love you, Rose Sinclair.”
My cheeks flush when he yells that last part. I duck behind my desk, muttering curses at him.
“He is so sweet,” Miranda comments as she passes, eyeing him hungrily like she does Mr. C.
She always seems to appear behind me at the most inopportune moments.
I open the lid of the box on my desk after scoffing a few of the chocolates and laugh when I reveal the contents. It’s a really large T-shirt with Pax’s face on it. In bold above and below his goofy smiling face it says,
“TAKEN
BY THIS STUD”
“That’s disturbing,” Mr. C says, poking his head around the door.
I hug the T-shirt to my chest. “It’s amazing.”
“Disturbing,” he repeats and nods for me to follow.
My excitement has me counting to six and tapping my feet as I go. He throws a pencil at me; I catch it and smile smugly. “Nice try.”
He throws an eraser this time and it bounces off my forehead.
Ugh.
He just thinks he’s so hilarious.
Wait and see, Mr. Conti. Wait and see.
Chapter Seventeen
He’s my friend.
“Are you ready?” I whisper to Maria. I picked her up from school thirty minutes ago with a plan of action in place.
“I am so ready,” she whispers back, her gorgeous face set with determination.
“Good.”
I push open the door and Maria announces in her usual cute and hyperactive way, “DADDY!”
He looks up from the folders on his desk, I check to make sure they’re nothing important as he hugs his daughter and smiles at me, mouthing a thank you for bringing her.
I almost feel bad for the reason why I brought her before soccer practice.
“Maria, why don’t you show Daddy the gift we got him?” I place her sparkly purple bag on the floor and we both crouch either side of it.
“You got me a gift?” he asks excitedly though it’s exaggerated for his daughter. He doesn’t normally speak like this.
“We did,” I reply and his smile falters when he sees mine. “NOW!”