Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
TWELVE
MAEVE
I roll over and encounter a scent that isn’t mine. It’s JW’s, except he isn’t in bed with me. My hand slides to the pillow next to my own. There’s a depression from his head, yet the vibrant floral fabric is cool to the touch. At one point in the middle of the night, I’m pretty sure my body was on top of his. The queen-size bed is perfect for me, but add in a six foot plus muscled man, and well, it makes for tight quarters. JW didn’t seem to mind, unless I ran him off with all of the moving I do in my sleep. I sit up, the sheet and comforter dropping to my lap. A shiver races up my spine. Clothes weren’t on my mind last night when sleep took me deep into dreamland.
I’m as quiet as a mouse, trying to decipher if JW is still in the house or if he left to head to the ranch. I’m beginning to think that he’s gone when my eyes sweep along the space of my room looking for my robe. What I find is JW’s discarded shirt instead. I slide out of the bed, bending over to grab the soft cotton and bring it to my nose. A deep blend of JW’s earthy cologne washes over me. I slip his shirt over my head, shuffle my feet to the dresser, and grab a pair of panties. Once I have them, I'm ready to head toward the bathroom to take care of my morning business, but my eyes catch on the nightstand.
JW is still here. His keys, wallet, and phone still sit next to my small alarm clock. It’s usually set to five o’clock every morning that Whisked Away is open to the public. Seeing as how my usuals are more of a weekender type of customer and there hasn’t been much foot traffic lately, I’ve adjusted my hours. No longer am I getting to the store to sit around, staying completely stocked only to give or throw away pastries. I adjusted my website the other day as well as my social media accounts. I also made sure my current customers knew they could email or message me in order to get ahold of me.
“Baby girl, you gonna come out here or make me go in there?” My jaw slackens. How did he know I was up and moving around? I’ve been quiet, or I thought I had been. You know how it goes; anytime you’re trying to tiptoe around the house, you inadvertently make more noise than necessary. Apparently, I’m not as silent as I think I am.
“Be there in a minute. Gotta go to the bathroom.” I stick my head out into the hallway. I’ve yet to see myself in a mirror, brush my teeth, and I’m sure the state of my hair is reminiscent of a rat’s nest.
“Maeve, this won’t take but a minute. Need to talk to you before I head back to the ranch.” That has me forgetting about what I’d like to do. I slide my panties up my legs, wiggling around until they’re in place, then pull his shirt down and head down the hall.
“Coming,” I say, finger-combing my hair while I walk. The sun has already risen, sitting high in the sky, and surely, he should already be at the ranch. JW’s job and mine are similar in the way we both get up early and ready to start the day. That’s where the similarities end, though. I’m able to choose when my workday is done, whereas his never ends. Even at night, there will be calls for a downed fence, an animal giving birth, or anything else that could happen on a ranch.
“Not this morning, you aren’t.” I stop a few feet away from him. JW is at the small kitchen peninsula, ass on one of the two barstools, which is the only place to eat besides the living room or my bedroom. And absolutely never will I or anyone else eat in my bed. Crumbs are a hard pass, and even when I’m sick, I confine myself to the couch while eating. It’s one of my crazy nuances. My older sister says that will change once I have children. We’ll see about that.
“Good morning.”
JW slouches further back, wearing nothing but his pair of jeans, the top button undone and the zipper only pulled up halfway. His eyes have a lazy appearance to them. He has one arm on the counter, hand around the mug of coffee, while his other is lying on his thigh. What I’m looking at is the smattering of chest hair that leads to the hottest happy trail I’ve ever seen in real life.
“Mornin’, baby girl. You going to come to me or stand there and stare all day?” His fingers tap along the inside of his thigh. I’m unsure what he’s thrumming out, a song or morse code.