Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 92368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“Hey, stranger,” he says when he reaches me.
I haven’t seen Rich since our failed night out. Not because I’ve been avoiding him. We just haven’t crossed paths at work. We’ve texted a few times. Well, he’s texted me, asking how I’m doing, and I’ve replied, but nothing beyond that. He’s respecting that I have a lot going on in my life right now, and I appreciate that more than he could know.
“You just getting off?” he asks.
“No.” I shake my head. “I said I’d work an extra few hours to catch up on the backlog of paperwork we’ve got, but I need coffee, and the station’s machine sucks.”
“You know the captain does that to get confessions quicker, right? Make the coffee taste like shit and give it to the perps. One sip of that, and they’re begging to tell us the truth just so we’ll make it stop.”
He grins, and I chuckle.
“So, that’s why we have a high confession rate.” I play along, slapping my hand to my forehead.
“But you can’t tell anyone.” He lowers his voice. “It’s our little secret.”
“Gotcha.” I pretend to lock up my lips, and he laughs.
“Hell, I’ve missed you, Cam.”
“I’ve missed you, Dove.” Zeus’s voice echoes in my head.
My heart reacts to the memory of that and not the words Rich just spoke.
“Well, I’m very missable.” I shrug, playing it off, desperate to ignore my internal discomfort.
He smiles again and shoves his hand through his hair.
“I should get going.” I thumb over my shoulder. “Can’t be gone too long.”
“I’ll come with you. I could do with a coffee after the long shift I just had.”
We walk side by side, making small talk, as we head to the coffee shop.
We reach the door, and Rich is pulling it open when I hear, “Mommy!”
My eyes dart up, and I see Gigi and Zeus walking toward us. She’s sitting up on his shoulders, sucking on a Popsicle.
My eyes dart to Zeus’s, and the look in them makes me want to shrink and disappear.
“Hey, Gigi girl.” I smile up at her even though Zeus’s eyes are burning into my skin. “Whatcha doing here?”
“I’s wanted a gurger.”
A gurger is a burger. Gigi’s called them that forever. The first time she said it, it was so adorable that we’ve just called them gurgers ever since.
“And Daddy didn’t have any in his fwidge, so he bwought me out to get one. Hey, Wich.” She waves at him before sticking her Popsicle back in her mouth.
I’m feeling so off-balance at the appearance of Zeus, I don’t even comment on the fact that’s she’s eating a Popsicle before having a gurger.
“Hey, Gigi,” Rich says to her. “How are you doing?”
“I’s good. You wan’ some of my Popsicle?” She holds it out to him.
“No, I’m good, but thanks. Zeus, good to see you again.”
“I thought you were at work.” That’s Zeus speaking to me. He doesn’t even bother to acknowledge Rich, which is beyond rude.
I pull my narrowed eyes to him and say, “I am. I just popped out for a coffee and bumped into Rich.”
“Convenient. Well, enjoy your coffee,” he grinds out. “Say bye to your mom, Gigi.”
“Bye, Mommy.”
“Bye, baby.” I wave at her, but Zeus has already taken off and is striding down the street, away from me.
I stare after them.
Convenient? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Convenient that I was here with Rich?
“Cam?” Rich interrupts my thoughts.
“Mmhmm?”
“You still want that coffee?” he asks.
When I look up, he’s holding open the door to the coffee shop.
“Sure,” I say.
I cast one more glance in Zeus’s and Gigi’s direction, my heart giving a painful squeeze, before stepping inside the coffee shop.
I’m staring at my computer screen, not actually able to take in a word of the document that I’m correcting, sipping on a triple-shot latte, after yet another crappy night’s sleep, courtesy of—yep, you guessed it—Zeus Kincaid.
He was a total ass to me last night when he dropped Gigi off after I got home from work.
I know he was pissed about seeing me with Rich. I’m pretty sure he thinks I arranged to meet Rich for coffee. Even if I had, it’s none of his damn business. But, even still, I felt shitty about it. I hated that he thought I would arrange to meet Rich after our kiss the night before.
And I still need to talk to him about that, too.
The list of things that Zeus and I need to discuss is just mounting up.
But, when I did the grown-up thing last night and asked him if we could talk, I got…well, figuratively knocked out of the ring.
“Zeus…do you have a minute to talk?” I asked when he arrived to drop Gigi off.
“No,” he said without even looking at me. He leaned down and kissed the top of Gigi’s head. “I’ll see you tomorrow, baby girl. Love you.”