Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“Okay.” She peeks down the hall. “Which way?”
I take her arm and lead her toward the kitchen. Madge has already been at work in here, a platter of food laid out on the kitchen table beside a bay window looking out on the side yard.
“That bacon looks so good.” Zoey’s stomach grumbles.
“Sit. I’ll serve you.” I pull a chair out for her.
She sits, and when I lean over to lay a napkin in her lap, I swear I can hear her inhaling deeply. I can’t stop my lips from curving at the thought of her enjoying my scent.
“Xanny and I aren’t much for cooking, so food like this is sort of a treasure.” She tucks her hair behind her ears as I start loading up her plate from the platter.
“Oh, look.” She points at the window as Madge toddles by, a basket at her hip as she leans down and starts clipping some sort of herb from her kitchen garden. “Madge is amazing.”
“She is. I’m lucky I found her. She used to be a housekeeper for a certain governor out west, but there was an … incident, and she had to leave his employ in a hurry and find somewhere safe.”
“A scandal?” Zoey’s eyes widen as she takes a big bite of the crispy bacon.
“Definitely.” I sit across from her and watch her eat, her enjoyment making my lips curl yet again. “She didn’t want to testify against her former employer, so she needed somewhere she could lay low. That was here, and she’s been here ever since.”
“That was kind of you, to take her in when she was in trouble.”
“Not kind at all.” I pluck a piece of bacon from the tray and chew it, the salty, crispy deliciousness perfectly cooked. “It was utterly selfish. Anyone who can cook this well is an opportunity I can’t pass up.”
“Smart.” She nods as she takes a bite of a well-buttered English muffin.
“I like to think so.” I pour her some orange juice from the pitcher Madge left. “Now, let’s get our business managed so we can get to work on finding your sister.”
She stops mid-chew. “The deal?”
“The deal.” I lean back, loving the way she squirms in her seat.
She puts her fork down. “Look, I don’t know what you’re expecting.” She swallows hard. “I mean, I’ll do anything for Xanny.”
“Anything?”
Her cheeks bloom pink again, and I swear I can hear her scissor her thighs together. “Anything. But I just want to, you know, um, warn you.” Her words start to run into each other as she speeds up. “Seriously, I mean straightforwardly. Maybe you saw me dressed a certain way at the club or something, but that doesn’t mean I’m any good at … at … well, at whatever it is you might be thinking to ask me for, so maybe you should think of something else you want because I’m completely inexperienced. I mean, I’m not some sort of sexy siren like Xanny, so–”
“No.” I hold up a finger. “I told you I won’t tolerate that kind of talk from you.”
She gulps. “Oh, right.”
“Try that last part again.” I meet her gaze, loving the way her pulse jumps in her throat.
“What?”
“Say it correctly this time.”
Her lashes flutter as she considers my words.
“Confidence, little one.” I lean forward. “Grip it by its throat and don’t let it go. Now, try again.”
She hesitates, her teeth digging into her bottom lip for a moment before she takes a deep breath. “I’m a sexy siren, just like my sister, maybe even better.” Her eyes widen as she says it.
“Good. I’m glad we agree.” I toss down my napkin. “Now the terms of our deal will be that you and I will find your sister. You will stay with me. I will find the man who killed Marvin. You will stay with me. I will neutralize that man. You will stay with me. Once you and your sister are safe, then you will choose how you’d like to pay for my services.”
Her face falls. “Pay? I don’t have any money. We were barely–”
“Not money, little one.” I stand, and I unabashedly eat her up with my eyes. “I don’t want money.”
She looks up at me, her doe eyes still wide. “Then what do–”
“You know exactly what I want.” And I suspect you want it, too. “Now let’s get on the road. I have a few places to visit, associates who may have a lead on your sister.” I step around the table and hold out my hand to her. “Are you ready?”
She eyes my palm, trepidation in her body language. But there’s something more, too. Heat. Unbearable heat that I want to burn me all the way through.
With a shaking breath, she reaches up and takes my hand, her lips parting to say a breathless “ready” as I pull her to her feet.