Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“Don’t tell me what I want.” My voice was decidedly snappy. I wanted Worth. And if this was how I got him, at least for now, so be it. “You’re right. It’s less ethically complicated if you’re a temporary employee. And I’m not going back on anything I said last night. I’m going to be the best you’ve ever had.” Warming to the idea, I smiled and lightened my tone. “And hey, this is a chance for me to experiment guilt-free.”
“How do you figure that?” Worth sounded like the idea of me experimenting sexually was horrifying. Good. I liked shocking him, keeping him off-kilter when it came to assumptions about me.
“I want sex to matter. You matter to me, whether as a friend or…something else.” I waved a hand. “Even if you move on eventually, this is my chance to try all the kinky things I’ve only read about with someone meaningful.”
“Please don’t make me out to be some shining example of humanity.” Worth grimaced as if his stomach were acting up again, and I closed the gap between us to rub his tense shoulder.
“Trust me. My eyes are wide open. But you do matter, and I’m going to keep telling you that until you believe it too.” I stared at him, willing him to see himself in my eyes, see how Worthy he truly was. I wanted to kiss him, but there was no time. “Now, if you’re going to bail out Marta, you better hurry.”
“I’ll take Buttercup out first. I think she’ll be fine here by herself this morning as long as she keeps leaving your cat alone.” He headed for the stairs, then turned back toward me. “Have a good time at church.”
“I will. Maybe next week you can come? My folks and plenty of others would love to see you.”
“We’ll see.” He quickly slipped down the stairs, clearly not wanting me to press the point, so I didn’t.
“Thank you for helping out,” I called after him instead.
“Don’t thank me.” He looked up at me from the second-floor landing. “If you’re serious about repeating last night, dream up some bossy scenario for later.”
“I can do that.” I winked at him, and an hour or so later, freshly showered, shaved, and in dress clothes, I was still thinking about Worth’s sexy request despite standing in the rotunda of my parents’ nondenominational church. It was a colorful space I usually adored—lots of rainbows and welcoming signs, but I was so deep in my own head that I almost missed my mother tapping me on the arm.
“How’s Worth?” she signed when I turned to look at her.
“Better.” I signed back. She was an amazing lip-reader, but I’d long held the habit of signing with her in spaces like this, where signing offered a little more privacy.
“He didn’t come with you.” Mom looked pointedly to my left as if Worth might magically appear any second. I wished.
“He’s covering a shift at Blessed Bean.” I forced a smile as I signed, but my mom saw through me the way she always did.
“Maybe he’s not ready yet.” She nodded sagely. “Probably has too much anger still.”
She wasn’t wrong, but I felt honor-bound to stand up for Worth nonetheless. “Don’t you think it’s understandable?” My fingers flew faster than usual with signing. “A serial killer destroyed his family.”
“Do you think that’s his only anger?” Mom’s hands were long and elegant and expressive as ever, but her wise expression was impossible to ignore.
What else was Worth angry over? In the moment I took to contemplate Mom’s question, a longtime parishioner came sauntering over.
“Sam!” Ginny Davis, a local Realtor, had a purposeful expression that immediately put me on edge. “I was hoping to catch you before the service. I’m sure the opening of Green Label down the street has you in knots.”
“It will be fine. Business as usual.” Lies. In God’s house, no less, but no fire or brimstone came for me.
“I have a client who could make your work easier. It’s a developer. They tried to buy the Lucky Penny B&B last year. Your location would be ideal, and the sale could help you finance a new location with less competition and more funds for lean times.”
“We’re not for sale.” My voice was firm. No one was chasing us out of Safe Harbor’s downtown, and that was final.
“At least think about it.” She pressed a business card on me as the organ sounded, encouraging folks to move into the sanctuary for the service.
I pocketed the card but didn’t give her proposition any mental energy as I took my seat. Instead, Worth occupied my every thought, and despite the sacred location, my brain kept dreaming up decidedly carnal scenarios for Worth. Perhaps if I thought enough about sex and, indeed, had enough sex with Worth, I wouldn’t have room for any other worries.