Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 130947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
“What’s wrong?” she asked as he removed the piping hot pie and started slicing it into wedges.
“Nothing. Just that it got all gooey and runny again,” he muttered, pointing at the oozing cheese. “I thought maybe it wouldn’t this time without the other crap on top.”
“That’s cheese,” Liv explained as they took the new pizza to the table. Baird had already scraped the old one down the sink which was equipped with a powerful suction attachment that put any garbage disposal she’d ever seen to shame. “It’s supposed to do that. It melts—that’s what makes it so good.”
“You sure about that or are you just trying not to hurt my feelings again?” Baird eyed her suspiciously.
“I’m positive.” Liv smiled at him and took a bite out of her pizza. As the cheese spread out in a long, thin string between her mouth and the slice she was holding she pointed at it. “See? Delicious.”
“We’ll see about that.” Dubiously he picked up a slice of his own and took a bite. Liv watched as the look on his face turned from doubt to excitement. He chewed, swallowed, and took another bite. Then another. Then he was on to his next slice.
“Hey, hang on. Don’t make yourself sick!” Liv cautioned.
He grinned at her. “You’re right. This is really good—especially the cheese stuff. Looks horrible but tastes fuckin’ amazing.”
Suddenly Liv thought of something that made her grin. “You like the cheese, huh?”
“Mm-hmm.” Nodding, he dived into another slice eagerly. “It’s great.”
“You want to know what it’s made of?” Liv asked, still grinning.
He swallowed and looked at her suspiciously. “I don’t know. Do I?”
“Sure.” Deliberately, Liv picked a stray piece of cheese off her plate and popped it in her mouth. “It’s made with milk. Lots and lots of milk.”
“Milk? Really?”
“Yup. You know—cow squeezings?”
For a moment Baird looked horrified. Then the corners of his mouth began to twitch and that deep rumbling laugh Liv was beginning to find so attractive came pouring out. He sounded so happy she couldn’t help laughing with him and soon they were both roaring while Baird pounded the table until the red metal serving trays jingled and clattered.
Finally they tapered off to giggles and snorts. Liv’s stomach actually hurt and she realized she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard.
“Gods.” Baird wiped at his eyes and smiled at her. “I want to thank you, Olivia.”
She grinned. “What for? Feeding you cow squeezings?”
“No.” He was suddenly serious. “I was in a pretty bad place before I met you—before we met outside our dreams, I mean. It was dark and cold and the pain…” He shook his head. “I don’t even want to talk about the pain. Let’s just say it was bad. Really bad. So bad that sometimes I wondered if I was going to have anything left once I finally met you and claimed you. Anything to offer you but agony and hurt and horror. But you…” He reached across the table and took her hand gently in his. “You haven’t even been in my life an entire day and already you’ve given me back the laughter I thought I’d lost forever. I’m grateful to you for that. More grateful than I can say.”
Liv looked down at the big hand holding hers. “I don’t hate you, you know. I just…this isn’t what I want for the rest of my life.” She looked up at him. “I wish you could understand that and just pick someone else.”
“You still don’t get it, do you, Olivia?” He stroked her palm with the broad pad of his thumb, making Liv’s pulse jump erratically. “There’s no one else in the universe for me. No one but you. I know you don’t see that now, but you will.”
Liv frowned and tried to pull her hand away. “How can you be so sure I’ll come around? Aren’t you risking an awful lot on the assumption that you can seduce me?”
“I’m willing to risk anything and everything to have you,” Baird said seriously. “And I know you’ll come to me eventually. I can tell by the way you’re heart beats so much harder when I touch you. By the way your cheeks flush pink when I’m near you. By the delicious scent of your body getting ready for me.”
“My…my scent? I have a scent?” Liv whispered, trying not to think of the other things he’d said.
He inhaled deeply, his eyes never leaving hers. “Gods, yes—if only you knew. Your scent drives me crazy. I could pick you out of a crowd by your scent alone even if I was blindfolded.”
Liv thought about telling him that he smelled pretty amazing himself but decided it was probably a bad idea. “I…I should go get ready for bed,” she said, trying to draw her hand out of his again.