Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
So like a ghost, I drifted down the halls of the subway, seeking the exit. Because although I’d only just left Mr. Martin, I missed him, that big, warm body, the strong hands, the deep voice and gleam in his eye. When would I see him again? Would I ever see him again? And because the answer was likely “no,” I made myself straighten, take a deep breath. Maybe I’d never see him again, never feel Mr. Martin’s hands on me again, never have another intense conversation with the alpha male. But that was life, and despite the fact that it hurt like hell, I had to live with it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Rob
I missed the little girl, definitely. The trip to Tokyo was lame, a week consulting for a company that was already going down the drain, there was nothing that could save it. But that’s why they pay me the big bucks. They needed an outsider to come in, take a look, and confirm what everyone already knew, which was that this outfit was dead, resuscitation impossible.
But despite the job, the flights that were fifteen hours each, crossing multiple time zones, I still hadn’t shaken Ally from my head. My son’s girlfriend. Fuck. Had I really done it? Had I really fucked my son’s girlfriend, with Jonah sleeping down the hall, unsuspecting the whole time? But the thing is that I’m a mean motherfucker, and didn’t regret it. I regretted the pain it might cause my son, sure, but I didn’t regret the loving, didn’t regret exploring that curvy body, savoring Ally’s luscious folds. And most of all, I didn’t regret getting to know the girl in those four days, her hopes and dreams, how she was fiercely independent even when I offered to buy whatever she wanted, rejecting many of my gifts.
So yeah, the teen was different, incredibly unique, warm, loving, caring, generous to a fault although she barely had anything herself. When I’d asked her why she hadn’t gone home for Thanksgiving, she’d taken a deep breath and looked me straight in the eye.
“Because we don’t have money for a plane ticket, Mr. Martin,” she said steadily. “It’s a couple hundred bucks, and my family can’t spare a couple hundred right now.”
I was flabbergasted for a moment, literally unable to speak. Shit, I’d just spent two hundred this morning on lunch, taking Ally and Jonah out to a nice restaurant. And a ticket had been too expensive?
Reading my mind, she nodded again.
“I know it seems crazy after our extravagant meal,” she said biting her lip. “But my family’s from different economic circumstances so going home would have been impossible. And Mr. Martin,” she added softly. “I’m grateful for the chance to come here. The dorms closed for the holidays, and I didn’t exactly have a place to stay.”
I was struck speechless again. What would she have done if Jonah hadn’t brought her home? Lived in a homeless shelter? Bunked with friends? And the little girl nodded.
“I was thinking of trying to stay with my friend Clarissa, but she has three sisters home for the holidays, and a really small apartment, so it wasn’t worth the headache. So thank you again,” the brunette added softly. “I really appreciate it.”
And I grabbed her close then, holding her to my heart. Because it seemed ludicrous, how I had so much and she had so little, what kind of world did we live in? And fuck, I had to make it right for her, had to fix some of these things because I was totally lost to the little girl. Somewhere along the way, I’d fallen in love with the brunette, my heart pumping in sync with hers, every cell of my being dedicated to Ally. And the last two weeks traveling had only emphasized how lost I was, the teen on my mind the entire business trip, the last thing on my mind before I fell asleep, her name a prayer on my lips when I woke.
And frankly, I didn’t give a shit anymore. If she was still dating my son, I was ready to break them up, announce to the world that yeah, I’d fallen for Jonah’s girlfriend, as fucked up as that was. And tongues would wag sure, but what the hell. They’d get over it, Ally was eighteen, we were both consenting adults.
So I got dressed in my walk-in closet. What to wear for a trip to campus? There was no plan yet, I wasn’t sure what exactly I was going to do except pay her tuition bill, make sure that she was set up somewhere nice to live. But I’d find Ally somehow, even if it meant busting in on her dorm room or interrupting her in class.
So I stood before my closet, grabbing casual clothes, a sweater and jeans, when the doorbell rang. What the fuck, who could it be? It was three in the afternoon, and they usually took deliveries downstairs. So I strode to the foyer, annoyed, my long legs eating up the distance because I wanted to get to Hudson University stat to find my best girl and make my life right again.