Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 138904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
“Uh…thanks…” He sounded so discomfited; it shook her from her trance. Her gaze swept upward to meet his. His face had gone ruddy, and he was clearly uncomfortable with her rapt attention.
She grimaced and chastised herself for putting him in yet another awkward position.
“We should go,” she said. “Teddy will be waiting.”
Ty’s hands curled into fists when Vicki greeted Terribly Tedious Teddy with a warm smile and chaste peck on the cheek. She was sweet and generous with her affection and seeing Teddy on the receiving end of all that friendly warmth, fucking grated. Especially after the intimate moment she had just shared with Ty.
Teddy looked uncomfortable, dressed in too-new jeans, a blue dress shirt, and leather sandals…with socks. His face gleamed with perspiration, and he kept dabbing at his temples and forehead with a wrinkled handkerchief.
Ty kept his distance, but Teddy was obviously unnerved by his presence. He occasionally glanced over his shoulder at Ty, while Vicki happily led the way to her favorite part of the garden, the pond rockery that stood in its center. It was a pleasant, leisurely walk, and she had a skip to her step as she happily pointed out her favorite plants and trees along the way.
Ty was captivated, as always, by Vicki. She looked as fresh as a summer breeze in that cute, all-in-one outfit, with the thin straps and the flirty little shorts. She wasn’t wearing a bra under the thin cotton; he had noticed that almost immediately. She didn’t need one, of course, being graced with less than ample assets in that department. But Ty would be a liar if he didn’t admit to being tempted by those perky little tits. Well, not just her breasts, but tempted by every goddamned thing about her.
Last night—after he had been so needlessly cruel to her—he’d found himself unable to drink away the memory of the hurt he’d seen in her lovely eyes. And somewhere over the course of the evening, he had convinced Chance to trade today’s shift with him. Chance hadn’t even put up a token protest, instead advising Ty to make his apology “fucking epic”.
Ty couldn’t say that there was anything epic about his not-yet-verbalized apology, but wearing the flowers had seemed to please her. He hoped it would in some way convince her of his sincerity when he eventually told her how sorry he was.
He hadn’t worn the flowers in the cynical hope that it would somehow soften her up though. He had been genuinely delighted with the sweet gift and happy for the opportunity to wear it. His hand absently traced a soft petal as he followed the meandering couple, staying out of earshot, wanting to respect her request that he not accidentally eavesdrop on any of their conversation.
It wasn’t easy. The gardens were full today, and Ty didn’t want her getting too far ahead of him. That meant he had to stick fairly close to them, which Teddy seemed to be acutely aware of, if the uneasy looks he slanted at Ty were any indication.
Vicki didn’t look at him. Not once. And that wasn’t normal for her. Usually, she would send him irritated glares if she thought he was encroaching. And—more often recently—she’d fling him a naughty grin if something or someone amused her. Inviting him to share the moment with her.
His mouth tightened as he reflected on those moments. He would often find whatever she was laughing at funny as well, but he had never shared a smile with her. He hadn’t permitted a single moment of solidarity between them.
His chest heaved with a discontented sigh. He had been an asshole. For no real reason. The other guys had different relationships with their principals. Chance and Vicki, for example, had a great rapport. Whenever he relieved Ty, or vice versa, Chance and Vicki would exchange friendly greetings with an air of familiarity between them that was conspicuously absent in Ty’s dealings with Vicki.
He could keep telling himself he was being professional, but he’d be lying. He’d had warmer, friendlier relationships with past charges. Not chummy like Chance seemed to get with most of his principals, but certainly more cordial.
He had kept Vicki at arm’s length for other reasons. Reasons which he was only now starting to admit to himself.
Teddy made a few wild swooping, swatting gestures with his long arms, while hopping comically from foot to foot, and Ty frowned, stepping forward in alarm.
What the hell was the guy doing?
Vicki sensed Ty hastening toward them and quelled him with a warning look which stopped him in his tracks. He was glowering but—for now—kept his distance.
“You’re fine. It was just a bee,” she comforted Teddy, laying a tentative hand on his still flailing arm. He looked comical, like one of those inflatable tube guys she sometimes saw at petrol stations.