Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
5
PHOEBE
I probably should have been appalled at what Silas just said, but I found myself impressed…and oddly turned on. Blaine Asbury was a colossal jerk, and I dreaded bumping into him, which happened often since the company I worked for managed several hotels owned by his family.
I always tried to avoid him when we were at the same events, but that wasn’t easy when he seemed to seek me out each and every time. Not even having a big, intimidating Navy SEAL at my side had stopped him from coming over to flirt with me.
If I wasn’t so proud of my job and didn’t want to do anything to risk losing it, I would’ve let Silas’s interaction with Blaine slide. And maybe even gave him a kiss for being so hot while he got growly over me. However, I needed to at least try to rein in Silas enough that we didn’t get thrown out of the event. “First of all, Blaine can be creepy in his arrogant way, but I don’t think he was undressing me with his eyes. And nobody else is going to, either.”
“We’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one, baby.” Silas shook his head as he scanned the room before his perceptive green gaze landed back on me. “I’m a guy too. I know what he was doing.”
My eyes narrowed. “Because you spend a lot of time stripping women of their clothes in your head?”
“Only you, baby,” he reassured me with a sexy smirk.
It was difficult not to lose my train of thought when his smile made me feel as though my panties were about to spontaneously combust, but I forced myself to stay on track. “Okay, then can you at least promise that you’ll find a way to make your point without getting me into trouble with my boss?”
His grin widened as he nodded. “Challenge accepted. Hooyah.”
“I’m going to take that as a yes.” I shoved a phyllo cup with goat cheese and fig jam into my mouth and chewed while I considered how to word the last part. Deciding the best way was to just be direct, I asked, “Girlfriend?”
“Guys like that don’t understand innuendo. If there’s even an ounce of wiggle room, they assume there’s still an in for them.” We barely knew each other and this wasn’t even our first date—even if it felt like one—but that didn’t stop my shoulders from slumping at his explanation. Noticing my reaction, Silas added, “But I didn’t throw that particular word out there randomly.”
Tilting my head to the side, I asked, “You didn’t?”
“Nope.” He reached across the table and laced his fingers through mine. “I figured it’s going to be true some day in the hopefully near future.”
“I…I…I—” I stuttered, sounding the same as I had when I found the threatening note on my car, except this time I was stunned for a fantastic reason instead of an awful one.
He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Relax, baby. I’m not going to pressure you into anything. We have time for you to settle into the idea of being in a relationship with me.”
“Well, okay then,” I mumbled, appreciating how he laid his intentions out there when most guys prefer to keep a girl guessing. “Let’s hope we survive tonight with my job intact so we have the chance for me to do that while I’m still gainfully employed.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about, Phoebe. I won’t let anything happen to you or your job tonight.”
Silas kept his promise and even ended up helping me connect with several event planners—a couple of whom only came over to try to chat him up. I’d enjoyed being able to call myself his girlfriend both times since turnabout was fair play.
“That was fun,” I murmured as he led me out to where he’d parked his SUV.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I'm glad I could provide some entertainment.”
“Hey, you can't really blame me for warning off those women when you're the one who started it,” I teased.
“Don't take me wrong, I'm not complaining,” he reassured me. “But you have to admit that you had just as much fun calling me your boyfriend as I had warning that pompous ass away from you.”
“Pompous ass.” Thinking about how appropriate the insult was, considering his personality and the start of his surname, I giggled. “Now I'm never going to be able to see him without calling him that in my head.”
We got to the SUV, he helped me into the passenger seat. “Considering how it started, I'm happy that the night went so well for you.”
My laughter dried up at the reminder of that threatening letter. “Yeah, I never would have guessed that I’d actually enjoy myself with how freaked out I am. It's a good thing you came to see me as soon as you got back in town. I don't know what I would have done without you.”