Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Esmerelda gets up from where she’s watching TV, and I smile at her. “Thanks for babysitting.”
She comes to rub Bella’s head. “She was so good. She nudged me with her nose every time she needed to go out.”
“Aww…”
“She should be fine for the rest of the night,” Esmerelda says as she presses the button for the elevator.
“See you tomorrow.”
Esmerelda takes the elevator down to the fifth floor, where her apartment is. I have another apartment on that floor, which I purchased as an investment, but I never got a tenant for it. It’s something I’ll get around to when I have some spare time.
I switch off all the lights, and head to my bedroom with Bella in my arms, while thinking Esmerelda’s been with me through thick and thin.
She’s more like family, especially after my parents died in a fire that almost killed me as well. Esmerelda woke up in time and managed to get us out, but my parents weren’t so lucky.
I place Bella on the bed before grabbing a pair of sweatpants. When I head into the bathroom, she comes after me.
While I shower, Bella lies down on the pile of clothes I left on the floor.
I love how she follows me everywhere.
“You’re glad I stole you, right?” I ask her.
She lifts her head and just looks at me for a moment before going back to sleep.
When I’m done in the bathroom, I climb into bed and hold the covers up so Bella can crawl beneath them. She presses against my side and rests her head on my chest before instantly falling asleep again.
“I wish I could fall asleep as quickly as you,” I mutter as I shove an arm beneath my head.
Staring up at the ceiling, my thoughts go back to Eden, and I think of how my beautiful dancer is creeping into my heart.
Grabbing my phone, I unlock the screen and type out a message.
Dario: I want to see you again. Don’t make me wait a whole week.
Knowing she might be asleep, I set the device down and close my eyes.
If Eden tells me she can only meet me on Sundays, I’m not going to be happy.
There’s a burst of exhilaration in my chest as I realize I want to see her every single second of every day.
Christ. I’ve already fallen for her.
Chapter 16
Eden
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Dario all day. I even agreed to meet him for a quick cup of coffee a couple of blocks away from the ballet company, which means I haven’t had time to eat dinner.
I have the burger I got from the diner in the secondhand bag, which I bought at a thrift store earlier. I’ll eat it during my shift at work.
I walk to Half & Half, the coffee shop where I’m meeting Dario, and as soon as I enter the establishment, I spot him sitting at a corner table with his back to the wall.
He instantly notices me and stands up. When I’m close enough, he pulls me into a tight-as-hell hug, which I love.
Holding each other for a moment, I soak in the warmth coming from his body and the feel of his arms around me.
Yep, I’ve got it bad for this man.
He pulls back and presses a kiss to my mouth before he smiles at me, his eyes roaming over my face.
“I missed you.”
“You saw me yesterday,” I chuckle as we let go of each other and take our seats.
“Yeah, but that was hours ago,” he complains. “I wish you didn’t have to go to work. I need more than ten minutes of your time.”
My stomach grumbles loudly, which has Dario’s eyes snapping to my waist. “Are you hungry?”
I wave a hand in the air. “I’ll eat when I get to work.”
There’s a rough edge to his tone when he asks, “What have you eaten today?”
Something tells me I’ll be late for work if I admit I haven’t had time to eat all day. This morning, I was busy with Winston, who fixed the heating in my apartment, and the shift at the diner was so crazy I didn’t even get to drink something.
Lying, I say, “I had a big lunch. Stop worrying.”
“What can I get you?” Dario asks as he stands up again.
“A hot chocolate, please.”
“Be right back.”
I watch him walk to the counter and take in the light blue suit he’s wearing today. The color suits him, and he looks way too attractive.
I glance at the other tables and notice how women take notice of him, and it makes jealousy bleed into my chest.
When Dario’s done placing our order, he glances at me, and the corner of his mouth lifts in a sexy grin.
He keeps staring at me until the barista tells him the order is ready, and as he brings our beverages to the table, it starts to sink in that Dario is really interested in me.