Total pages in book: 225
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
He smiles. “So, what do you think? Maybe instead of watching TV, you can pour another glass of wine and put on something sexy?”
He never suggests I have a second glass of wine. In fact, he was the one who suggested I open a bottle and he had a glass with me for a change. I stare as he opens the box and shows me the contents.
I don’t know for a few breaths what I’m looking at. It’s a tube contraption of some sort.
“It’s a vacuum device,” he explains. ”I pump it over myself until it gets me… ready. Then there’s a ring I’ll put on and … we’ve got thirty minutes or less.”
My eyes bulge.
“Oh,” I breathe.
“I… realized I wasn’t being very fair to you, Chloe. So I thought we could at least … try. When I ordered things to be delivered to the hotel yesterday, there was a catalog. And… I ordered this yesterday from there for rush delivery today.”
Try. Try?
I blink a few times and rub my lips together before I blow out a long exhale as I absorb this shocking development.
My phone rings.
Adam looks over at the dining table, which he’s closer to than I am. “Do you need to get this? DS Cavalier?”
“It’s work. It can go to voicemail,” I say, heart skipping a beat.
My mind is churning at a thousand revolutions per second. Adam wants to have sex. Adam bought a device to be able to have sex with me. In our bed. On the sheets where Derek and I–
“Cavalier. That’s the big client, isn’t it?” he asks.
Derek is phoning me. Derek is probably watching. This makes me angry. This is a very private moment he’s watching and now he’s calling?
“Chloe?” Adam prompts.
I give my head a shake. “It’s Friday night. After eight o’clock. They don’t expect me to answer. They’re probably leaving a message for Monday morning.”
It stops ringing halfway through the third ring.
“What do you think?” he asks. “About this?” He gestures to his lap.
“Well…” I say and shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
Adam looks hopeful. And I’m surprised. And thrown.
“Um…”
My phone starts ringing again.
“DS Cavalier,” Adam remarks, lifting my phone and extending his hand in my direction.
My face burns hot.
I move over there and take it, then turn the phone off and set it on the table.
“Two calls in a row. Maybe something urgent.” he says, looking concerned.
“We’re having an important conversation.”
I have a strong work ethic. Always have. Maybe he’d interrupt an important conversation like the one we’re having if his editor was calling in the middle of it, but I don’t think it’s outlandish or out of character for me to give him my undivided attention. Even though I’m not sure he has it because my brain feels absolutely muddled at the moment.
But as for undivided attention, it’s yet another one of the things between us that I’ve noticed.
I’ve put him first. Always. I haven’t always gotten that back. Then again, I’ve never been about equality in a relationship in that way where I kept score. I’ve put my all into it the way I’d want the other person to do. Maybe that’s changing. Maybe that’s changing because of all that’s happened.
“This is sudden,” I say. “And I’m a little unprepared for it. I…”
My head is swimming.
“Let’s just try it. I’m okay if I don’t get anything out of it. I know I won’t feel it, but you will and… I wanna try. Try and do this for you. For… for us. See how it goes, you know?”
I’m about to tell him a fib… that I have my period. Because I need to think. And no way would Adam want period sex. I suggested period sex in the shower once and he got absolutely grossed out at the notion. But before I get a chance to say it, the doorbell rings.
“I’ll… I’ll go see who that is,” I say, rushing to the door. I can make out a tall man standing there with his phone to his ear through the frosted glass.
I open the door just an inch.
“Yes?”
“Chloe Turner? My name is Ken. I’m assigned to keep you safe. Please step out here and take this phone from me. There’s someone who needs to speak with you privately and urgently.”
There’s a running vehicle in the driveway behind my car.
I frown. Keep me safe? That’s a joke. Keep tabs is more like it.
“Now, please,” he urges authoritatively.
“No,” I deny. “Go away.”
I’m about to shut the door when I realize he’s inserted his shoe there. He’s got a stern look on his face.
“Miss Turner, please. Don’t make my job hard tonight, okay?”
I open the door wider and gesture as I move forward. He steps back as I step outside and shut it behind me.
“Listen,” I say, “This is not cool.”