Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
The only other time I’ve seen her dance was at Ace’s wedding.
I move toward her, one arm snaking around her waist and pulling her to me. She jerks, water spraying the floor. My lips go to her ear. “I don’t dance. Never had an interest until about five seconds ago watching your ass in these pants.”
“You don’t dance?”
“Nope. Talon loves that shit. I prefer the sidelines. But, baby, I think you changed that.”
Her face tips to mine, and I take advantage, pulling her lip between my teeth before kissing her gently.
There’s a chorus of sighs, startling her again. She jolts out of my hold, this time the water spurting upward and soaking us both.
“Shit, Shelby! What are you doing?” Rowan scurries to shut off the water.
“I’m so sorry!”
A glance over my shoulder catches the entire salon of women ogling.
“I was checking that you were okay,” the woman from earlier answers.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Babe, I think she was checking if you were okay with me,” I mutter, swiping the water off my face and scrubbing my hair.
Rowan slices her eyes to the group of gawkers. “You bunch of nosy—"
“I know you.” An older woman waves her finger at me. “You’re one of the cops that came to Rowan’s house that day.”
Instantly, I remember this lady barging in with her two yapping dogs, demanding to know why we were searching Rowan’s house. I also recall she had a keen eye and a penchant for gossip.
“Oh, for goodness sakes. You snooping Sallys. This is Ford Whitman.”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“Ms. Mona!” Rowan chides. “That’s rude.”
“In my day, a man kisses a woman like that, he’s her boyfriend.”
“She’s got a point, baby.” I wink at the older woman and enjoy the flush creeping up Rowan’s neck.
Pepper, not to be outshined, barks for attention.
“Let’s get you dried off.” Rowan grabs a towel and rubs the dog down, shooting the women dirty looks.
They wander away, the last woman openly sizing me up. My skin crawls at the gleam in her eye.
“It’s your fault,” Rowan throws out.
“My fault?”
“You’re hot always, but with water dripping off your face and your shirt plastered to your chest, the sex appeal is off the charts.”
Apparently, Rowan didn’t miss the woman’s enduring look.
My gaze drops to her shirt, enjoying the way it clings to her. “New appreciation for wet t-shirts.”
She rolls her eyes, but her lip twitching gives her away.
“You washed the dog in a shampoo bowl? Don’t you have a water hose outside?”
“Eww, that water is cold.”
“It’s almost a hundred degrees.”
“Another reason to get a bath in here.”
Pepper yaps, wagging her tail.
“Go lie down,” Rowan orders, and Pepper trots to the corner where her bed is set up.
“That dog is spoiled.”
“She’s easy to spoil.”
“You able to let her out of your sight for dinner tonight?”
“Dinner?” She stops wiping herself off and looks at me with surprise. “Aren’t you working?”
“Go in at ten.”
She pauses, her face blank.
“Rowan, you have plans tonight?”
“I was going to work.”
“Do you have a late client?”
“No.” Like this morning, her reply is more of a dismissal. Images of her notes flash through my head.
Her shoulders slump and her face fills with doubt. “That was rude. I’m working on a side project.”
“Something with chemical equations?”
She hesitates before nodding. “I haven’t really told anyone about it.”
Meaning clear—she’s kept it to herself for a reason. I want to know everything about this woman, but my curiosity will not back her in a corner.
“I’d love to hear about it—when you’re ready to tell me.”
Relief crosses her features and she gives me a small smile. “Do you like Mexican?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“I’m taking advantage of having a fully stocked kitchen. Tonight, I’m making carnitas. Would you like to join me?”
“Your carnitas as good as your potatoes and mac and cheese?”
“Better.” Her grin widens.
“You gonna let me take you out on Wednesday night?”
“I can do that.”
“What time do you get out of here?”
“I’m closing at six.”
“I’ll meet you at the townhome.”
Her eyes brighten. “Looking forward to it.”
“Baby, come here.”
She makes her way over slowly, holding my gaze. “You know when you walk out of here, the vultures will swarm.”
I circle her waist, pulling her close. “Want me to stay and protect you?”
“I can handle them.”
“Are they going to bust in here when I kiss you again?”
Her lip curls to one side. Without hesitation, she goes up on her toes, bringing her mouth to mine. “Only one way to find out.”
9
ROWAN
I expected the surprise and even the pregnant pause, but the silence is scrutinizing.
“Mom, say something.”
The sound of typing clicks through the line.
“Mama!”
“Give me a minute.”
“It’s been a minute.”
“My darling daughter, who texts her mother every day with the same mundane details, just dropped information overload. It’s a lot to process.”
“My life isn’t that mundane.”
“Honey, you wake up and go to the salon from open to close six days a week. Then you go upstairs, eat a frozen dinner, and go back to work through the wee hours of the morning.”