Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 105398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Cheyenne joined me in the middle of the parking lot as we watched the car pull away, practically burning rubber to get out of there.
“Did you see the little girl in the back seat?” I asked them both.
“She looked tiny, but I bet he was the same age as Pru and Piper.” Cheyenne stated.
“I got her license plate. I think we should run it. Will you run it, Jack? That woman seemed like she was jumpy.” I said.
“I got it already. I was going to run it anyway. Woman seemed jumpy, so to be on the safe side I was going to run the plates. It would’ve been done anyhow though. Just in case the car owner doesn’t show for non-payment. We have an alternative number and contact just in case.” He said.
I felt better that I wasn’t the only one who sensed something weird. I said goodbye to them both, but that little girl never strayed far from my thoughts. Made me think of futures and shit. I headed to the house where I found Gabe at the stove, stirring something that smelled heavenly.
Grabbing the can of biscuits that was sitting next to a cookie sheet, I tore the paper off and banged it on the counter. After two good thuds, it burst open in a flourish, scaring the bejesus out of me in the process.
“Fuck!” I said, hand going to my thundering heart.
“You are such a dork.” Gabe said to me. “You knew it was gonna happen, so why’d it surprise you?”
“Name me one person who doesn’t jump when they open biscuits!” I grumped.
“Me.”
“You aren’t human.” I said in rebuttal all while throwing biscuits down one by one onto the cookie sheet. (Maybe with a little more force than was necessary.) He stopped stirring the gravy and came up behind me, wrapping me up tightly from behind. He rested his chin on the top of my head for a moment before diving in.
“What is really bothering you, Em?”
I really shouldn’t tell him that I saw a kid today that looked exactly like him, and it made me want to have his babies. I really shouldn’t., but before I could stop myself, my mouth opened and I started word vomiting all over the place.
“When you left that girl at the shop, her friend showed up and gave her a ride. There was a baby in the back seat. I swear to God, she could have totally been your kid. Do you want kids?”
He froze behind me.
Then I felt like a complete loser when I realized how insensitive I sounded. He’d just told me about his ex-girlfriend aborting his child. I knew it was still a painful subject, and I brought it up anyway with my big mouth.
“I haven’t had sex since Sidney. I never really wanted kids with her; she was just a person to pass the time with. It got to be routine. I wasn’t in love with her, but having someone to come home to made me keep her around longer than I should have. I’ve always wanted kids. Just hadn’t found the right person who I wanted to have them with. What did this lady look like that had the baby?”
“She was around my height. She had dark red hair, blue eyes, and expensive designer clothes. The baby didn’t really look like hers. The dad must look kind of like you since she had the dark tanned skin and deep black hair.”
As I was describing the woman to him, a dark look came over his face, and then passed in an instant. If I wasn’t paying such close attention, I would have missed it.
A timer pinged in the behind him, and the moment was broken. He finished his preparations and then set it all out on the table.
Dinner was amazing. He cooked fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I didn’t usually get the treat of eating a nice meal unless I went over to Cheyenne’s or went out to dinner.
I stood to clear the dishes. It’s amazing how a military man can be so disorderly. Seriously, it was as if he dropped trash wherever he might have been at the time. He could be standing next to the damn trashcan as he opens his beer, but does he throw the cap in the trash? Fuck no. He sits it on the counter, next to the trash. Three flippin’ feet and he would have had that in the trashcan instead of on the counter. The nightstand next to the bed has five half-filled water glasses of water. Does he take them out in the morning when he’s through with them? No. He just brings a new glass to bed every night instead. As a result, I just started cleaning up after him, because there was no way I could live in this filth. He was almost as bad as Cheyenne.
Turning around, I found myself face to chest with Gabe. One second I was staring at his t-shirt covered chest the next I was licking his bare nipples after he whipped his shirt off. His nipple pebbled in my mouth, and I switched to the other. Then I ran my tongue up his chest and started following the tattoos. He has a gorgeous one that spans his entire back, shoulder to his waist. It peeks around his front above his shoulder, and under his left arm, curling around his pectoral. At first glance, it looked like your normal tribal tattoo. However, once I was able to examine it, I started finding words in the design. I’d let that be, but I needed a distraction tonight, and I was hoping he would give this to me.
“What does this mean?” I asked quietly.
I didn’t stop tracing the tattoo; I continued to follow it with my tongue.
Groaning in defeat, he snatched me up and tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of grain. He bypassed the living room, and headed straight for his bed. Once he reached the edge, he gave his shoulder a little kick and threw me on the bed. I bounced twice before coming to a stop on my back.