Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
What did that mean?
Corbin was the sort of guy, who liked to be organized. He liked schedules. Yeah, he could adapt on a mission if things went to shit, sure. But generally he needed a plan.
Even now, he was itching to go downstairs and tidy up everything.
“You gonna be able to sleep with that mess downstairs?” Hayes asked, sounding amused.
“What? Yes. Why wouldn’t I? It’s not my mess.”
“Man, I’ve seen your desk. You border on OCD in your tidiness. Downstairs must be killing you.”
It really was. He’d managed to clean up as he’d cooked . . . and she needed a plumber to check her water because it ran hot . . . but she’d waved him away after he’d tried to wash their plates. Saying she’d get to it in the morning.
However, that wasn’t the way that Corbin worked.
“Go to sleep. Pretty sure the mess will still be there tomorrow. Fairly certain that her entire life is a mess.” Hayes walked away.
That didn’t seem fair.
Yet, as he looked at the lumpy bed and the pink floral sheets that he was pretty certain came with the house . . .
Maybe it was totally fair.
Corbin was quietly making his way upstairs at three in the morning when he heard a scream.
What the hell? Was that Bluebelle?
Racing to her bedroom, he opened the door and stepped in, looking around. His heart leaped as he saw her lying in the bed. She thrashed around as though having a nightmare.
Was that why she’d yelled out? He couldn’t see anyone in the room, but the window was open, a cool breeze sweeping in. What was she thinking, leaving a window open? And in this weather? It was freezing in here.
He heard a noise behind him and swung around to find Hayes standing there. The other man nodded to him and Corbin stepped farther into the room, his eyes already adjusting to the low light. He spotted a night light plugged into the wall. It was a squirrel. So cute.
Another cry came from where she lay tangled in the sheets. He gestured to Hayes that he’d take the closet as the other man moved to the attached bathroom.
Both clear.
“No, no, please!” she cried.
God. The pain in her voice reached into him and wrapped around his heart, squeezing it tight.
What was she dreaming about?
Beside him, Hayes was tense.
“I got this,” Corbin whispered.
“Sure?” Hayes asked. But his voice was tight and Corbin knew he didn’t want to be here. He wasn’t sure why, but something about her nightmare was hitting Hayes hard.
“I got her.” He moved over and shut the window. As he did, he swore he saw someone move along the street.
But this was San Francisco, people were likely out at all hours. He glanced around. There was no sign that anyone had been in there, and they were on the second floor with no easy access to this window.
So he pushed those thoughts aside and drew the curtains closed. Then he walked over to where she was still thrashing on the bed.
Corbin couldn’t stand to see her so upset, even as he knew that she wasn’t going to be happy to wake up and find a man she barely knew in her bedroom.
Fuck. Sitting on the side of the bed, facing her, he reached out to gently shake her. “Bebe, hey! Wake up, sweetheart.”
Great. He was being so professional right now.
“Bebe! Wake up now. You’re safe.”
She sat up with a gasp, staring around her frantically. He braced himself for a scream, maybe for her to slap him.
What he wasn’t expecting was for her to throw herself at him. To crawl into his lap and hold on tight.
For a moment, he just sat there. Like an idiot, he had his arms stretched out at his sides, sitting stiff and unsure.
Hug her back.
Slowly, still expecting some sort of reaction to his presence, he hugged her.
“Tighter. Please,” she begged.
He closed his eyes for a moment. He should resist. Put some space between them. Establish a professional boundary.
But he simply couldn’t. So he wrapped his arms around her tighter. She let out a deep breath, filled with satisfaction and something else . . . need?
Did she need this?
“I forgot how good it felt to be hugged,” she whispered.
What did that mean? When was the last time someone had hugged her?
Corbin didn’t go around hugging people all the time; it wasn’t something he required. Although his mom was always quick to hug him when he went home. Along with an assortment of aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Yeah, the holidays were filled with an overabundance of affection.
But this girl . . . did she need someone to hug her and she had no one? What about her parents?
Although after having met her mom . . . yeah there wouldn’t be many cuddles or affection coming from her.