Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 59701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
But the point is, I don’t have to do anything at all if I don’t want to. I have ice cream in these bags. If I want to loaf around and eat chocolate peanut butter while marathoning the hell out of Netflix, so be it.
I do a little dance in excitement, then turn and scream when I see a face looking through my back door.
“Sorry!” Callum yells through the glass. He’s soaked from the rain, and I hurry over to unlock the door and let him in. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I have a front door,” I remind him as I fetch a towel and pass it to him so he can dry his face and hair. “With a doorbell. When that rings, I don’t have a heart attack.”
“I saw you go inside with the groceries, and I thought I’d just meet you back here. Bloody bad idea.” He dabs at his face and then sets the wet towel on my counter. “Are you okay?”
“As soon as my heart dislodges from my throat and returns to my chest, I will be fine.” I take a breath. “I figured you’d gone back to London.”
“I did,” he admits. “I just returned this morning.”
“Oh.” I brush my hair out of my face, surprised at this turn of events.
“I had a business meeting that I couldn’t miss, and it was better if I appeared in person rather than virtually. I also looked in on my father. I’m not sure if you knew, but he had a heart attack last year, and I don’t like being gone longer than a few weeks at a time so I can keep an eye on him.”
“I’m sorry, I hadn’t heard.” I reach out and pat his arm, feeling strong muscles under his long-sleeved shirt.
“It wasn’t publicized,” he says. “It was a mild heart attack, but it scared the hell out of all of us.”
“I’m sure it did. I’m glad he’s doing well.”
He nods. “All this formality is pissing me off.”
Before I can reply, he swoops in and plants his magical lips on mine, kissing me thoroughly. His fingers dive into my hair, and he moans low in his throat as if he’s starved for me.
It’s intoxicating. Surprising.
Okay, it’s pretty damn awesome.
“Did you think I would leave for good and not say goodbye?” he asks, his forehead tipped against mine.
“You did before, and we had sex. And I don’t mean that in a bitchy way, I’m just stating the truth.”
He frowns. “I really buggered things up with you. Give me your mobile.”
“Excuse me?”
“Please give me your mobile.”
I comply and watch as he taps the screen, then passes it back to me.
“I added my number in there and texted myself so I have yours, as well. We should have done that years ago. Maybe we could have avoided all that miscommunication.”
“You gave me your cell phone number.” I blink down at the digits in my phone.
“Yes.”
“Like, your private number?”
He drags his knuckle down my cheek. “Indeed.”
“Okay, then.”
“How have you been?” he asks as he lets me go so I can resume putting away the groceries.
“Busy,” I say. “And, honestly, I hate it when people use busy as the response to that question. I mean, that’s not a good answer. But in this case, that’s all I’ve been. I lost an employee and hired two more, so I had to train them. Gretchen found herself a new boyfriend, which would usually be none of my business, but he’s kind of a dick and has decided he likes to hang out in my café when Gretchen’s working.”
“What’s his name?”
My head turns at the steel in Callum’s voice. “Why?”
“Because I’m going to have him investigated.”
“Oh.” I wave him off and shake my head. “He’s just a guy who’s latched on to Gretchen. But the warning signs are all there that he’s a controlling, obsessive jerk, and all she sees is that he’s paying attention to her.”
“You’re worried.”
“Of course, I am,” I say, folding up my reusable grocery sacks and storing them in the pantry. “She’s my employee and my friend, and she’s chosen a big jerk to fall in love with. Actually, scratch that. She’s not in love at all. She’s infatuated, and she has rose-colored glasses on.”
“She’s an adult,” Callum reminds me. “And as frustrating as it is, all you can do is speak your mind. She has to make the decisions for herself.”
“She’s bad at it,” I reply with a sigh. “Enough about me. And her. How are you?”
“Frustrated,” he says and rubs his hand over his face. “I was called home unexpectedly, and I should have called you to tell you I was going. I missed you while I was away.”
“Oh.” I smile at the thought of Callum missing me. Maybe Gretchen needs to see that this is how missing someone should work. Sure, a phone call would have been nice, but hearing that he thought about me while he was away is wonderful. “I might have given you a passing thought or two over the past week.”