Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
I’m breathless and panting as I try to remove myself from his lap. “Geez, I’m sorry, Gray. I have no right.”
Chapter 7
Gray
I hold on to her, stopping her from moving. I’m more forceful than I probably should be when I tell her, “You have every right.”
She searches my face, and I try to show her how sincere I am. She shakes her head. “Let me up, Gray.”
I don’t want to. Hell, if she’d let me, I’d sit here all night and hold her, but I do as she asks. I unwrap my arms from around her, but she doesn’t go far. She sits back down next to me and looks at me. Her lips are swollen, her eyes dilated, and all I can think about is that kiss we shared. We’re explosive together, but I knew we would be.
Her voice is soft. “I think this is going to complicate things.”
I choke back the words I want to say. I want to tell her that we can be good together. I want to tell her that even though I asked her to marry me in order to help her, that I want this to be real. But I can tell by the way she’s looking at me that she’s not ready to hear any of that. Hell, she may never be.
I stand up and shove my hand through my hair. I pace back and forth and try to get my thoughts in order. Eventually, I know what I need to do. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I shouldn’t have.”
She holds her hand up to stop me. “You don’t owe me an apology. I’m the one that pounced on you. These hormones...” She stops and sucks in a breath. “Well, they just have me all messed up.”
I know it’s more than the hormones. I know that there’s something brewing between us, but she’s obviously not ready to admit it.
I need to get her talking about something else. “What do you have planned for tomorrow?”
She looks relieved when I change the subject. “Maybe more job hunting... there has to be somewhere in this small town that’s hiring.”
I sit down, but this time at the far end of the couch. “I understand you want to work, but I wish you would wait until your next checkup just to make sure you and the baby are doing okay.”
She doesn’t agree, but she doesn’t disagree either. “Why were you asking what I have planned for tomorrow?”
“I thought we could go shopping in Jasper.”
She holds her hand up. “No way. You’ve spent enough money on me. I’m definitely not going shopping to spend more of your money.”
I want to argue with her, but when she yawns widely and covers her mouth with her hand, I realize how tired she is.
“Are you okay? You sleeping all right?”
She shakes her head. “I’m not sleeping well at all. I just can’t seem to get comfortable.”
I take my phone out of my pocket and open the notes app before I start typing.
She points at my phone. “What are you doing?”
I finish typing, save it, and then put the phone back in my pocket. “I’m adding it to the notes so the next time we go to the doctor, we’ll have a list of things to talk to him about. That is unless you think we should call the doctor now. I have his phone number. I’ll just call him.”
As I’m reaching for the phone, she moves closer to me and puts her hand on my arm. She starts to laugh. “No, don’t call him.”
I look at her, surprised. “Why not? He may know something...”
She’s still smirking when she answers. “He’s going to think we’re crazy if we call him this late at night on his cell phone because I’m having trouble sleeping. No way, Gray.”
“He’s a friend, and we bring him a lot of business, he won’t mind.”
The smile drops off her face. “I don’t even want to know how much business you bring a baby doctor.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “It’s not for that! He may be a baby doctor, but he’s the only doctor that lives in Whiskey Run. When someone needs patched up, he does it.”
She shakes her head. “I probably don’t want to know why one of you all need patched up, right?”
I grimace. She knows the Guardians are a sort of mercenary group, but I don’t think she sees the whole picture. “Probably not.”
I stand up and make my way to the front door. “Okay, I’m going to let you try and get to sleep. Call me if you need anything. Make sure you lock the door. Don’t answer it for anyone.”
She gets up to follow me, and when I turn to look at her, she’s rolling her eyes. “Anything else?”
That’s a loaded question because there are about a hundred things I want to talk to her about. There are so many things I want to know about her, but I don’t ask one of the many questions floating in my head. “Nope, I’ll see you tomorrow. Call me.”