Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Besides, I've heard enough from Keegan to know she gets harassed often enough by far too goddamn many other men. They look at her and think she's here for their entertainment, as if her curves or her clothes means she deserves to be catcalled or propositioned. They treat her like she's property instead of a person.
I refuse to be another asshole in her life who treats her like that. She deserves respect. The least I can do is ensure she has it here. And let's be clear: I respect the hell out of her.
It's not just her body that drives me crazy. It's everything about her. I've heard the shit she talks about with Keegan. She may be one of the smartest people I know. Who the fuck reads Kant, Descartes, and Aquinas for fun? She does.
She's feisty, intelligent, and funny as hell.
If there is a perfect woman out there, it's her.
"We have a new receptionist-slash-marketing manager," Keegan says, grinning at me.
"Since when?"
"Since Slade hired one a few minutes ago."
My gaze drifts from him back to his sister, a sense of impending doom bubbling in my stomach. I know what he's going to say before he even says it.
Elodie has a degree in marketing.
Jesus H. Christ.
"He hired you?" I growl at her. Somehow, despite wanting to make her purr, I always manage to do the exact fucking opposite. When I open my mouth, all I ever do is piss her off. It's not intentional, but it happens every single time. I mean to say something one way, and I fuck it up every single time.
She jerks like I slapped her. Those bright eyes narrow on me, irritation funneling through them. "Yes."
Fuck my life.
"She starts next week." Keegan is thrilled. Naturally. He'd keep her in the shop twenty-four-seven if he could accomplish it. He likes having her close. He's overprotective. I guess it comes with the territory considering that he mostly raised her. Their mom died when she was young. Their dad tried to drown his grief in a bottle. The bottle never ran dry until it destroyed his liver.
Keegan doesn't notice the stare down happening around him. His sister wants to shiv me between the ribs. I want to bend her over and eat her.
This is going to be a fucking disaster.
"So you'll be around a lot more."
"I see you're still working on grasping context clues," she says, one hand propped on her hip. "That's usually what happens when you work at a place. You're at said place more."
"And yet you're here damn near every day already," I mutter, fucking with her because she's sassy and impertinent and it makes me want to spank her round ass until she's coming all over me.
Jesus. How does Keegan not see what's right in front of him?
I'm not that good at hiding the way I feel. Surely, he knows by now that I'm wild about his sister? Surely, he knows I piss her off as much as I do because I can't think straight when she's near me. He isn't stupid, and yet he seems oblivious to what's right under his nose.
I don't get it. If I were anyone else, he'd have seen it from a mile away. He's protective as hell of his sister because of the way people treat her. I guess it's been an issue for a while. Men make a nuisance of themselves and make her uncomfortable.
"Now she'll be here every day for sure," he says, throwing a bulky arm around her shoulders. They're about as opposite as two people can be. She's short and curvy. He's tall and brawny with light hair and lighter eyes. Yet they share the same nose and mouth. "I'll be able to keep an eye on her. You can help."
As if I ever take my eyes off her.
Elodie rolls her eyes at him. "I don't need a keeper, Keegan. I can take care of myself."
"Too bad. You have one anyway." He drops a kiss on her head before glancing at me. "I've got a client coming in. Slade asked for you to find her the tax forms and all of that shit. He said you'd know where they are because he doesn't."
"Yeah, I've got it."
Keegan jerks his chin in a nod and then ducks out of my private booth, leaving me and Elodie alone. I stay in my seat for a moment, staring at her.
"What?" she growls, crossing her arms to scowl at me.
"Just trying to figure out why you think you belong in a place like this," I say, shaking my head. She can do a helluva lot better than this place. It may be one of the premier shops in the state, but it isn't nearly good enough for her. She deserves better. "You don't."
She jerks again, her eyes narrowing further. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that where I belong isn't your business, isn't it?" she retorts, her voice saccharine and her cheeks pink. "Just get me the forms I need so I can go, Coby."