Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Intrigued, I cut a glance his way, but he’s on the phone, chatting up a donor interested in sponsoring a puppy bowl team for the Superbowl fundraiser in February. I force my attention back to my own work, but I’d be lying if I said my mind wasn’t racing with possibilities.
What on earth could he need to beg my forgiveness for?
What kind of amends are we talking about?
And is it okay if a wicked part of me plans on requesting sexual favors instead of whatever act of contrition he has in mind?
I decide that as long as I request the favors take place somewhere other than my house or his, it’s just fine. Christian has made it clear that most sexual things are on the table.
It’s just one of the many things I’m coming to really, really like about him.
Thoughts filling with a role-playing fantasy involving a college student failing to live up to his potential (Christian) and a naughty professor intent on bringing out the best in him on the couch in her office (me), I pass the time until the end of the day in my own happy little bubble, clueless as to the series of kinkily unfortunate events already unraveling behind the scenes…
Chapter Sixteen
CHRISTIAN
On the way home to check on Bella before heading to Starling’s place, I call Matty, wanting to get as much information as I can on the rumors he’s heard about my shop, but he doesn’t answer. I leave a message, ask him to call me later, and swing into my driveway.
Inside the house, I find Bella asleep on a nest she’s made of my dirty underwear and snap a pic.
Beneath the image, I write—My little angel can’t get enough of my feral man musk. Those are my dirty boxer briefs. In case you couldn’t tell—and send the text to Starling.
She texts back a laughing crying face and—Kyle does that too! I came home a few weeks ago to find him wearing my panties as a hat. Maybe they got stuck there when he was rooting through my dirty laundry, and he couldn’t get them off. Maybe it was a deliberate fashion choice. With him, you never know…
I’d wear your panties as a hat, I shoot back as Bella awakens with a big yawn and emits a soft cooing sound, clearly happy to see me.
Quit flirting with me over the phone and come flirt with me in person, Starling counters. Flirting at my place is okay, right? As long as we don’t let flirting become something more?
Hating our “no banging at our homes” rule, but knowing it’s for the best, I assure her—Absolutely. Be right there. Just have to grab Bella’s food and toys and sweet talk her into her crate for the trip.
Of course, Bella proves what a fool I am for bothering with the crate by freeing herself from her confines somewhere between my house and Starling’s. But I’m so happy to be just a few minutes from my girl that I can’t get too upset. I simply scoop a grinning Bella up from the back seat of the truck and head for Starling’s gate.
On the way, I remind myself that she’s not my girl.
But she’s mine for now, and I intend to make the most of every minute. Which means fessing up to my sins and assuring her I’ll make things right ASAP.
“Come in.” She motions me into the yard and onto the deck, where she’s already laid out chips, dip, and two beers, proving she’s ever the hostess with the most-est. “Long time no see,” she teases with a wink as I set Bella down to play. “The separation was torture.”
“Those twenty minutes were hard for me, too,” I flirt back, watching Bella waddle off toward where Kyle’s doing weird turkey shit on the swing set Starling bought the spoiled creature. Though, in his defense, he immediately welcomes his new playmate with a happy gobble before showing Bella the steps leading up to the slide. Assured the critters are going to get along, I sober as I turn back to Starling, “But you might be less excited to see me once you hear the dumb mistake I made.”
“Oh no.” She frowns. “You’d better spill it quick, then. I always like my bad news fast and to the point.”
We settle in on the deck and I give it to her straight. As I finish telling her about Matty’s tip that someone is using my business as an after-hours chop shop and the nanny cam I installed to catch the perp, her eyes go wide with horrified understanding.
“But the footage goes straight to my private online account,” I hurry to assure her, “No one else has access, and I’ll delete everything from the past few days without watching it, I promise. I don’t want you to think I filmed us on purpose or that I have any intention of holding on to that sort of thing. I value and respect your privacy too much for anything like that. It was honestly just a dumb mistake.”