Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“I fucking wish,” he muttered as he dropped his towel and pulled on a different pair of sweatpants.
The quick glimpse of dick I got was enough to crank the cold-water faucet on full blast, but then I rethought my decision because a hot bath was too tempting. Especially when I found a basket of bath bombs under the sink. The mysterious Merrick seemed to have no issue with catering to his wife’s needs, no matter how girly they might be. It made me even more curious about his story—especially how they met and fell in love. Hopefully, I’d get the opportunity to meet her someday so I could ask since I couldn’t picture myself ever feeling comfortable enough to grill the man helping me about his love life.
By the time I climbed out of the tub, all of the aches and pains had eased from my body, and I was feeling almost as relaxed as I’d been after the third orgasm Arrow had given me. Tugging the shirt he gave me yesterday over my head, I grabbed my pants and pulled them on. Going commando felt weird, but I had no choice, considering Arrow had literally ripped them from my body. Not that I’d minded. I was more than willing to sacrifice every pair I owned to experience the same over and over again, and that was saying a lot since I had a weakness for lacy undergarments.
When I padded into the kitchen, I paused to appreciate the sight of a shirtless Arrow at the stove. When he glanced over his shoulder at me, I smiled. “Looks like you know how to make more than just spaghetti.”
“Yeah, I can do a hell of a lot with eggs.” He slid an omelet onto a plate. “I hope you like ham and cheese.”
I licked my lips. “The cheesier, the better.”
“I like the way you think.”
I poured mugs of coffee while he dished up the second omelet and set the plates on the table. As we sat across from each other and started to dig into the delicious breakfast he’d made for us, I explained, “There was this cheese shop in Oceanside when my dad was stationed at Camp Pendleton. My mom let me pick a different kind to try each time we went there.”
“What was your favorite?” he asked.
“It was this semi-soft cheese from Chile, Panquehue. It’s kind of similar to Tilsit.”
“You sound like quite the turophile. You’ll have to do a tasting of all your favorites for me someday.”
My jaw dropped as he casually used a word most people had never heard before. “By any chance, do you do crossword puzzles?”
“I do,” he confirmed with a quirk of his brow.
“I don’t even know what to say. You’re literally the perfect man.”
He tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing. “That’s an unusual reaction to something most people find mundane.”
“Most people aren’t cruciverbalists who make their living selling crossword puzzles to newspapers, magazines, and publishers.”
“Gorgeous, brave, and smart as fuck.” He let out a low whistle. “Talk about being perfect.”
“More like the wallflower nerd who’s into weird stuff like D&D,” I muttered.
His head jerked back. “You like RPGs?”
“A little too much,” I mumbled as my cheeks heated. “I was actually the Dungeon Master for the group I played with while I was in college. I met them during the middle of my sophomore year, and our campaign ran weekly until I graduated.”
“What level did you guys hit?”
“Seven.”
“Impressive.” He grinned at me from across the table. “Maybe we can play sometime.”
“I’d really like that.” Although I couldn’t help but think of a much more personal kind of role-playing the two of us could do together. But since he insisted on me healing more before we went any further, I suggested, “If we hunt down a pad of paper, some tape, and a pen, we could make a crossword puzzle together. It’ll help us pass the time while we wait to hear back from your friends.”
“That’s a fantastic idea.”
I was surprised by how quickly and enthusiastically he agreed. “Really?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” He gestured toward the half of my omelet I hadn’t eaten yet. “As soon as we finish with breakfast, I’ll find what we need to get started.”
“We can…um…actually start now since the first step is brainstorming a theme. Funnily enough, the one I was planning to work on before everything happened was military formations. Considering your position in the Navy, you’d probably be a huge help with that one.”
“How far did you get on it?” he asked.
“Just the first word.”
“Sounds like we have our theme picked out already, then.” He wolfed down the rest of his omelet. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in your element.”
“I’ve never worked on a puzzle with someone else before.” Rubbing my palms together, I grinned at him. “This is going to be so much fun.”