Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
A groan had my head jerking to the living room. Tango sat up with a wince, the blanket falling to his lap. Immediately, he looked over to the kitchen, our gazes clashing. His blue eyes softened at the sight of me cracking eggs into a bowl, and his lips tilted up at the corners.
My heart tripped in my chest. That smile should be illegal, but even if it was, I would still ache to see it every single day.
“Hey, baby,” he rumbled as he stood from the floor, another wince flashing over his face. I didn’t like that he seemed to be in pain, but he was the one who’d stayed on the floor, and that was where he’d been when I found him after getting up. “I’ll be right back.”
I nodded and focused back on what I was doing. The coffee maker beeped as I was whisking the eggs, and then Tango was at my side, his body brushing mine, making a shiver snake down my spine. He grabbed a coffee mug out of the cabinet and set it on the counter, pouring coffee into it—black. I grimaced.
He chuckled as he popped the two pain pills in his hand into his mouth and swallowed them with the scalding coffee without so much as a wince, even though steam was steadily rising from the mug. “Need help?”
I shrugged. “Not really, but you can if you want.” I pushed the pancake box to him. “Can you do the pancakes?”
“Got it,” he assured me.
We worked in silence for a few minutes with only the sizzling of the pans filling the silence. It was comfortable and very domestic. It had me daydreaming about a life with Tango where I was his husband—his boy—and we did this kind of thing every morning before he headed to the clubhouse for church.
I wanted it so badly, I ached.
A few minutes later, we were both sitting at the kitchen table with food. Tango had refilled his coffee cup, and I had chocolate milk in front of me. I had an obsession with the drink, and Tango had never blinked an eye when he figured out how much I loved it. Instead, he just made sure it was always on hand for me. And the guys in the club had picked up on it as well, always bringing it home with them if they went to the store.
“Uhm, can we go over my rules?” I tentatively asked a few minutes later.
Tango grunted and looked up at me in surprise. “Yeah, baby. I forgot, to be honest. Fuckin’ tired.”
I frowned, shrinking in on myself a little. I didn’t want to stress him out. “We, uh, can do it later if you want—”
He shook his head at me, making me snap my mouth shut. “No, baby. Not your fault I’m tired. I’ve got things to get done today anyway. Your rules are simple, though.” He held up the index finger on his right hand. “Do not open the blinds or windows unless I’m in the room with you.” He held up his middle finger. “You are not allowed outside unless I’m with you.” He held up his ring finger. “Last rule: if you hear a noise and I’m not in the house with you, take the gun Gidget gave you,” I’d honestly already forgotten about Tango telling me about the gun during one of my lucid moments on the way here, “and go straight into the basement and do not come out until I come to get you myself.”
I didn’t like the third rule. It left Tango unprotected and no warning that something may be happening, but I wouldn’t fight him. Tango was ex-military and well-trained. He knew what he was doing. Even if I didn’t like his plan, I trusted him to do what he thought was best.
“Okay,” I softly replied, relaxing a little now that I had boundaries again.
We finished our breakfast in peace, and once we were done, I washed the dishes and he dried them, putting them away. My chest ached with how badly I wanted this with him every single day. I didn’t want some woman coming in and taking his last name and taking the responsibilities I had. I didn’t want him to fall in love with someone else and make me less important.
I selfishly wanted him all to myself. And I wasn’t the least bit apologetic about it.
Tango moved the curtain aside and then grinned, pushing it open so I could look out, too. I gasped, my eyes widening in excitement.
It was snowing!
“Oh, my God!” I rushed out, quickly turning off the water and drying my hands. I spun to face Tango, who was already looking at me with a tender smile, his blue eyes all soft for me. My heart went all gooey at the tender expression on his face. “Can we go outside?” I begged. I clasped my hands together in front of my chest, pouting at him and widening my eyes. “Pretty pretty pretty please? I’ve never been in the snow!”