Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
He stared at her for a moment as though trying to figure out if she was joking. “How did you get it in the garage? I thought you were alone here.”
“I drove it into the garage.” She took a sip of her water. She’d briefly been excited at the prospect of having someone to talk to, especially someone she remembered with fondness. Her childhood hadn’t been filled with great memories, but that day in the park with him was one that stood out. She should have realized the boy was gone and the man was an operative. They didn’t make the best of friends.
And she wasn’t looking for anything more. No matter how hot he was.
The chair he was sitting in dragged across the wooden floor as he pushed himself back and set his napkin down. He stood and walked to the front door without a word. She heard it open and close.
So he was going to be fun to hang around with. Luckily, she had wine and did not mind watching old DVDs. She had a date with Legally Blonde and Pinot Noir tonight, and Mr. Fussy could do whatever he wanted as long as he left her alone.
I thought you were trying to tell me you didn’t want to have anything to do with me.
She could understand the sting of rejection, but he’d basically told her he was the boss of her, and she wasn’t about to let him walk all over her.
And now you’ve let him know he won’t take over your research, so what’s the harm? How long has it been? He’s hot. You’re horny. You’re literally snowed in. It’s practically a romance novel.
And the romance novel part was the trouble. Even her horny hormonal inner voice still thought in terms of romance. If she could have sex with a guy and not get involved, it would be one thing. But she knew herself well enough. If she wound up in bed with a guy she would develop feelings—one way or another.
She was sure a therapist would tell her it was left over from a chaotic childhood. She kept trying to make connections, to set down roots when it wasn’t smart to.
So Pinot and Elle Woods it was.
The door came open again and Drake moved back inside, his whole body shaking because he’d walked into the snow without a coat.
He pointed toward the garage. “I had a terrible car accident. I remember it. I was going to die and probably go over the side of the mountain.”
He was awfully cute when he was indignant. “You hit a tree. Well, I mean I think you rolled into a tree. The tree is fine, if you were wondering.”
He stood there for a moment, shivers going through his body, and she wondered which way he was going to go. Would he be utterly insufferable or go the quiet, forget about it route?
He suddenly doubled over, and a deep laugh boomed through the cabin. He straightened and the smile on his face damn near lit up the room.
Oh, that boy’s smile did something to her.
“I…I was so sure…” He could barely talk through his laughter. It was that amusement that came from the gut and couldn’t be denied. “There’s a tiny dent. I thought…” Tears leaked out of his eyes. “In my head it was this big ‘Jesus take the wheel’ moment.”
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Well, maybe he did and that’s why you only tapped that tree. I mean when you think about it, you could have gone off the side of the mountain.”
“It’s so…ridiculous.” He doubled over again and then winced as he straightened up, putting a hand to his side.
She pushed her chair back crossing to him. “Hey, you’d been shot and drove eight hours to finish your mission. You were in shock.”
He let her help him back to the chair. “I remember my life flashed before me and I was sure I was about to die, and I was sure the car was spinning out.”
There wasn’t room on that road to spin out, but she was sure it had felt that way. It had been his head that had done the spinning. He’d been at the end of his physical limits, and he’d still almost made it. She could respect that. “How about when they ask I say it was a miracle you survived?”
He took a deep breath, his lips tugging up as he relaxed back. “I think that was you, not a miracle.”
She snorted. It wasn’t a pretty sound, but it came out of her way more often than she would like. She moved back to her chair. “I think you would have found your way.”
His head shook. “I was out. I would have frozen to death.”
He seemed to enjoy the drama of the situation. “I doubt that. I think if I hadn’t been here, base would have figured out what had happened and sent someone to save you. I was under strict orders to not let you die.”