Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“No,” she sniffles out in a small voice, and my heart drops again.
My need to get to her is even more urgent, hearing how scared she sounds. “Where are you?” I ask, starting my car.
“At my doctor’s office,” she replies, and I step on the gas, thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong at this stage in her pregnancy. “Can you come pick me up? I can’t get my stupid car to start.”
She’s usually okay with me driving her around, but this morning she insisted on taking her car to work. Now I get why. Last week, I took her to her appointment. She’d been embarrassed to change into a gown with me in the room, even with my back turned. And then there had been an awkward silence when the doctor had done the physical exam, and when I turned around, her cheeks and neck were the cutest pink color. For someone who is due to have a baby any day now, she seems so innocent, and that only makes me want her more.
“Where are you now?”
“Sitting in my car, praying to the gods it magically turns on.”
I chuckle. “Leave the car and go back inside,” I order, sensing this is the opportunity I was waiting for to get rid of the damn thing. “I’ll have it towed and get it looked at.”
“We both know I don’t have the money to cover the tow, let alone what it will cost to fix my piece-of-crap car.” I smile as she grumbles, because I know there isn’t going to be a bill to fix it. And the only person who will be looking at it is the guy at the junkyard.
“Babe, go inside. I’m on my way, and I don’t like the idea of you sitting in your car.”
“Justin.”
“Please, baby.”
“I know it’s wrong to accept your help on something this big, but I’m uncomfortable and just want to be home, cuddled up on the couch with you, a fuzzy blanket, and something to drink.” I hear her pull in a breath. “It’s already been a really long day, and I’m tired and thirsty.”
As much as I wish she’d just stay with me at my apartment, she’s still living with Shelly. But I feel like we’re taking a step in the right direction with her calling my place her home, since it’s for damn sure going to be where she lives as soon as I can talk her into it. And now that I know she already thinks of it that way, I’m shaving some time off of how long I’m willing to wait for that to happen.
“Go back inside the building and sit tight, sweetheart. I’ll be there in less than ten minutes to pick you up, and then I’ll take you home and get you whatever the fuck you want.”
“Okay, Justin.”
Her easy agreement reminds me how tired she is, and I step on the gas to cut down on how long it’ll take me to get to her. At the first red light I hit, I send a quick text to Kenton’s woman, Autumn, to ask her if she has time to run out and buy a few things for me and drop them off at my place. She’s curious as fuck about why I need a fuzzy blanket and Aubrey’s favorite tea but says she’ll take care of it right away.
With that taken care of, I manage to make it across town in eight minutes, and as I pull onto the street where her doctor’s office is, I can’t help but think about how different it is from the neighborhood where Dolly’s is located. I hate the idea of her working there, but we aren’t at a place yet where I can insist she quit her job and let me take care of her. I’ve worked too hard to get close to her to fuck it up by being pushy. Or at least I keep reminding myself of that anytime the urge to chain her to my side gets too strong.
For now, I need to be satisfied with what she’s willing to give. One of those things is normally letting me be her ride to and from work, since her car really is a piece of shit. It’s a win-win for me, because I don’t have to worry about her getting stuck on the side of the road somewhere, and it sends a reminder to everyone at the strip club that she’s mine, even if she isn’t ready to admit it yet.
A few days ago, when she let me drop her off, I pulled her boss Johnny aside and had a talk with him about keeping her safe while she’s there. He knows I work for Kenton, and that alone would have been enough to get him to agree. But he surprised me when he turned that shit around on me and acted like a big brother as he grilled me about my intentions toward her. He wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Once I made my place in her life crystal clear, he told me how relieved he was that Aubrey had someone in her life who gives a shit about her.