Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 35378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
A couple whistled.
Time stood still as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he drew her close. One of his hands so close to her ass, but teasing at the base.
He pulled away, dropping another kiss to her lips.
Lemon slowly came to her senses, realizing she was still in the supermarket, and they were not at home.
“What was that for?” she asked. “Not that I’m complaining.” It was her workplace, so in a way, highly inappropriate, but she couldn’t deny that it made her toes curl and her heart melt.
“I wanted to come and see you,” he said, tucking some hair behind her ear.
“You did? You were at work?”
“Yeah, I was out running errands.”
“What kind of errands?” she asked.
“Work stuff. Totally boring. I missed lunch, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t come and kiss you.” He took her hand, locking their fingers together.
Lemon glanced past his shoulder to see Cindy with a couple of her friends, laughing.
She pulled away from Nate. “Well, it was good to see you. I’ll talk to you later?”
He stared down at her, and she had no choice but to keep his gaze. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“That is not nothing, Lemon. Those women giving you a hard time?”
“No. I am left alone.”
Nate shook his head, reaching out to her. “Don’t lie to me.” He drew her closer to him, his hand on her hip. “Talk to me.”
“It’s nothing. They … I don’t even know what the hell is going on. The whole cursed-houses thing. One of the women came and asked if we were dating, and I let it slip we were, and she made some disparaging comment about how I’m way out of your league.” She shrugged and held her thumbs up. “All in a day’s work, right?”
He shook his head, and the glare he sent down to the women had Cindy and her friends moving on.
“Hey,” Lemon said. “It’s fine. I don’t care.”
“Lemon, you look miserable. I’m not having that.” He cupped her face, tilting her head back. “You are a wonderful, beautiful, sexy woman. They’re just jealous bitches, and the truth is you’re way out of my league. You shouldn’t be looking at a guy like me.”
“What? A guy into security?” she asked.
“We are very different people.” He kissed her again.
He always gave vague answers. They were starting to wear a little thin. Six months, Nate knew more about her than anyone else. She shared her sewing journey with him. She cooked for him.
“I’m looking forward to our date tonight,” he said.
“Me too.”
“The red dress?” he asked.
“The red dress.”
He pulled her against him and kissed her.
With one touch and a kiss, he helped to make her forget her own senses. After running her hands up his chest, she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back with a passion.
She wished she wasn’t at work.
Someone cleared their throat, and Lemon had no choice but to step back.
“Tonight,” Nate said.
She agreed and watched as Nate left the store. Turning her attention back to the disapproving customer, she helped the woman as best she could but knew there would be a complaint about her behavior. There was nothing she could do about it.
Her lips still tingled from Nate’s kisses.
She looked forward to tonight’s date so much.
After getting through work, she was more than looking forward to getting home.
There was no car in Nate’s drive, and she made her way into her own home to shower and change.
In the red dress, she sat on the edge of her bed, nervous.
Nate should be picking her up in five minutes.
One glance outside, and there was no car in sight.
Was Nate going to stand her up?
She licked her lips, feeling her hands go clammy.
Maybe Cindy was right?
She wasn’t the kind of woman men like Nate went for. After standing up, she went to her vanity table, which she rarely used. Sliding open the drawer, she pulled out the picture. Six years ago, she’d bent the picture in half. Her mother wouldn’t allow her to tear apart memories.
Opening the card, she stared at what she once thought was her little family. Her mother, herself, and her father.
She hadn’t looked at this picture in so long.
Biting her lip, she stared at her parents. Memories surged inside her, of seeing them together, even after the reality of what they were came to mind.
She bent her father back and away from the picture, putting it into the drawer. Was she doomed to make the same mistake as her mother?
The doorbell rang.
Nate wasn’t late.
He was right on time.
Chapter Five
Disposing of a body was easy.
An O’Leaves hitman was an entirely different setup. Rocco had no choice but to come to town at a secured location, to check the body out, and then to make his decisions.
To send a message to the O’Leaves, a part of his body had to be removed, packaged up, and dealt with. After spending the morning with Lemon’s father, the only person he’d wanted to see was Lemon herself. Seeing her upset had made him want to deal with the women personally. To hurt them, but he couldn’t allow his cover to be blown and dead wives would raise too much suspicion.