Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” I run my fingers through her fur.
“That she is.” Except he’s not looking at his dog. He’s looking at me. “Finish your story, sweetheart. The temperature is only going to keep dropping, and I’m going to need to tow your van up to my place until we can get you to town.” When the tip of his tongue drags across his lips, I have a hard time focusing on the task at hand.
“Oh well, I hit a patch of ice, overcorrected, and careened into what I’m realizing now must be your part of the mountain.” I bite my lower lip, wondering what this will set my insurance company back and how they’re going to end up dropping me like a bad habit.
“Shit happens, more than I’d like to out here. Not gonna leave you stranded. Will tell you the likelihood of anyone making it up here is slim to fuckin’ none. I got a warm place you can stay. I’ll drop you and Nala off, come back and get your van, and we’ll reassess in the mornin’. Sound good?” He offers his hand to shake, being entirely too nice for everything I’ve caused him.
“Are you sure? I mean, I’m a stranger, you’re a stranger. I can probably stay in my van.” It’ll be cold, but I wouldn’t be putting him out and placing myself in a situation I can’t control.
“Positive. Call whoever, take a picture of me and my place to send them. A warm house is better than freezing to death.”
“I don’t even know your name.” My voice comes out breathless.
“Clay. Clay Garcia.” The name matches the man, completely and totally.
“Minnie Sinclair, though I think I’ve told you that already with all of my yapping.” This time, I get a full smile. It sucks the air right out of my lungs.
“You might have said that. You also said Clementine. Pretty name, sweetheart.” He helps me stand up. Nala stands, too, staying closer to me than her owner.
“Thank you. Would you mind if I grabbed a few things and maybe use your phone? Mine kind of shit the pot with the accident.” A cracked screen and who knows what else. I do remember seeing it flying out of the cupholder and hitting the window before it landed on the floor. I picked it up when it came time to assess the damage, except it wouldn’t turn on, further fucking me in the process.
“Not a problem. You good to walk?”
“I think so. There’s no blood anywhere.” Thankfully. Running on adrenaline could make me crash later.
“I’m sure you’ll be sore as shit come tomorrow.”
“Without a doubt. I won’t be but a second.”
“I’ll be right here. Holler if anything changes,” Clay says. I roll his name around in my head. No way will I say it in front of him, not when there isn’t a reason to.
“Thanks.” I head inside, feeling his eyes on my backside the entire freaking time. Surely, this isn’t one-sided. I’m not that dense, right?
CHAPTER 6
Clay
Goddamn son of a fucker, this is what it’s like. I’m hooked. There’s no other way to describe what happened the moment my eyes landed on Clementine’s. Then I touched her, barely skating my thumb over the apple of her cheek, watching as her eyes blazed like an inferno full of longing. I’m not sure what is more reactive, my heart or my dick. Both seemed to be working double time as I watched Minnie walk away and come back. This has got to be what Amos and the Johnson brothers felt when they met their match. Never in my life did I feel a pull like I do with the woman who’s currently in my bedroom.
It didn’t take us long to drive back up the driveway, Nala running alongside us, with Minnie in the passenger seat and leftover supplies still in the back, which meant no room for my girl. She didn’t mind, and when I parked near the side entrance, Nala greeted the woman who I know without a fucking doubt will be mine. One way or the other, I’ll convince her to stay even though I’ve yet to have the slightest taste of her.
“Clay.” I’m hanging by the door as she moves closer to the king-size bed. The dark wood frame takes up the majority of the room. I didn’t care. Still don’t. I’d rather have a bigger bed with less room around than being crammed on something too damn small for my tall frame. The rest of the room is outfitted with a nightstand on either side and a tall dresser on the wall opposite of the window. I’ve got a small television mounted to the wall which is only used in the morning to watch the weather report. The last piece of furniture is a small bench at the foot of the bed. It's where she drops her small bag when she realizes this is my room.