Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Great plan.
It was the Thursday after she’d spent the weekend at their place. When Grady had opened up to her, and when she’d learned a bit more about what he needed.
She wished she could say that he’d instantly become more open with her, but he was still somewhat guarded. But she understood that it would take time for him to become more at ease.
They hadn’t had an opportunity to put any of his needs into play. Maybe this weekend since Brooks was spending Saturday night with the twins. And apparently, they were all going to the movies with some girls. Including Stella, the girl he’d stood up for at school.
She still hadn’t met their stepmom. But she did talk to her on the phone yesterday. So she felt good about him going there.
Sort of.
“Don’t even think about it,” Steele warned.
“Think about what?”
“Running or hiding. You’re coming with me.”
“Oh, um. I just need to . . .”
“To what?” he asked as he walked toward her and held out his hand. Right. This time she knew what he wanted. But she didn’t want to give it to him. She needed the stuff in this bag.
“To go to the bathroom.” She didn’t actually have to go yet, but it sounded like a good excuse.
“Got a private bathroom upstairs, you can use that.” He reached out to take the bag.
She held on tight.
He tugged.
She held on tighter.
“Baby, give me the bag.”
“I’ll just be a few minutes.”
With a sigh, he reached for her and picked her up, cradling her against his chest.
“Steele!”
“Daddy.”
She froze. “Here? But I’m working.”
“You’ve got the rest of the day off.” He walked through the main area of Pinkies. Lulu, one of the dancers, was practicing on stage.
“Oh, she’s using the moves I taught her. Looking good, Lulu!”
“You too, darling,” she called back.
Oh yeah. Right. She’d forgotten that she was being carried in Damon’s arms like a toddler.
Yikes.
“Put me down.”
“No.”
“Please, Damon. Put me down. Please.” There, two pleases and she rubbed her hand over his chest for good measure.
“No.”
Fuck it.
“Steele.”
“Hush.”
“Steele. Effie. How’s it going?” That was Nate. She closed her eyes. Great. Seemed everyone was going to see her.
“Fine,” Steele replied.
“Effie?”
“Hey, Nate. You good?” She turned to smile at him.
He was grinning widely. “Oh yeah, I’m real good.”
Great. Just great.
Steele got to the door that led toward his upstairs area.
“Trev, I don’t want to be disturbed. Only person who comes up is Grady.”
“You got it. Hey, Effie.”
“Trev,” she muttered, still holding the bag of supplies. A cramp hit her and she hissed in pain.
Steele paused on the stairs. “You all right, baby girl?”
“Just a cramp.”
“I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry.”
“I’m meant to be working.”
“And I told you that you have the afternoon off.”
“But I need the money.”
He set her down on her feet when they were in his upstairs area. She glanced around at the large sectional sofa, the small bar area and two doors, one that led to a bedroom with a private bathroom and one that led to a powder room.
It was comfortable.
But she had stuff to do.
“Jesus, Effie, I’m still going to pay you, baby.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
His head rocked back. “What?”
“To you. You shouldn’t pay me for work that I’m not doing.”
“Baby, I don’t give a shit about the work.”
“I’ll come in early tomorrow to make up for it.”
“Effie. You. Will. Not.” He grasped her chin. “You work far too much as it is. And I’m starting to think I need to keep a closer eye on that.”
“You don’t.”
“Yeah, I think I do. Because I don’t want you so exhausted from working that you don’t have time for other things. And I just want more of you. You’ve got to have time for Brooks, that’s non-negotiable. But I also want you to have time for me and Grady. So the thing that can give is work.”
“I need the money.”
“You got two men who are more than willing to take care of you, baby girl.”
She flushed. “I can’t do that.”
“You can. We want that. Everything, remember? I have your back. So does Grady. In all ways.”
She thought that maybe they should shelf this conversation for another day. Like maybe, Tuesday next year.
“I should go use the bathroom.”
His face darkened. Uh-oh.
“You left without letting me know you were going.”
“Um, I let Grady know.”
His face grew darker and he started moving toward her. She backed away. It seemed the prudent thing to do.
“And you know that Grady is out of town for the day. So you should have told me.”
“It seems like a silly rule.”
“That’s not for you to decide.”
She hit the wall. He put his hands on the wall on either side of her head.
“I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”
“Yep.”
“The kind where I’m not going to sit comfortably for the rest of the afternoon?”
“Do you get bad period pain?” he asked.