Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 117201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Had she tried the pillows he’d bought? Were they too firm? Too soft?
They were . . . on the floor, actually.
In place of them, there was a balled-up sweatshirt.
Is that what she preferred to lay her head on at night?
The slightest hint of her orange and basil scent drifted out, diverting his thoughts and making him swallow hard.
Inhaling quietly, Burgess continued a few steps to his bedroom door and nudged his way inside, flipping on the light with his elbow. Now that he was alone, he allowed himself to grind a curse through his teeth, dropping his duffel onto the bed and unzipping it quickly, in search of the white bottle of Advil. The damn music was still on full blast out in the living room . . . which was why he didn’t hear Tallulah enter the bedroom behind him. Not until her shadow cast itself over the bed and he turned to find her quietly closing the door, but very deliberately leaving it open a crack.
The pulse at the base of her neck was fluttering slightly, her fingers linking and unlinking in front of her. Being alone with him still made her a touch uneasy, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever stop being rageful at the man who’d turned her world into a scary place, but he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it wouldn’t be that way for long. Still, no amount of pain in his back could distract Burgess from the fact that he was alone with Tallulah in his bedroom and she looked like a fucking smoke show.
His hookups had been few and far between since the divorce, mainly because they made him feel lonely. The aging bachelorhood of it all was pathetic. But Jesus, if he encountered this woman on the road, or anywhere for that matter, he would beg, cheat, and steal to bring her home and sleep with her. The irony of her already being in his home—and off-limits—was not lost on him whatsoever.
“Hey.” Her gaze flickered down to the white bottle in his hands. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just run-of-the-mill stuff,” he said smoothly. “I get body slammed for a living.”
Her lips jumped. “So you do.”
“Lissa seemed happier today.”
“Yes.” Her smile made his stomach flip over. “She did.”
“Thanks for helping her with her homework.”
“You don’t have to thank me. That’s my job.”
“And cooking.”
“Now, that isn’t my job. Tonight was definitely the last time.”
“Understood.” He tried really goddamn hard not to look below her neck, but the strain of making it thirty seconds was taking a toll on his self-control. Burgess made himself a deal. Just her hips. He’d just memorize the line of her hips in that skirt and he’d go back to making eye contact. One, two, three . . .
God.
That leather had been licked onto her by the devil. Cursed with the knowledge that she wore stockings underneath made his balls feel heavy, his hands itchy to touch.
Eyes up.
“Are you going out?” he rasped.
“Yes. That’s what I was going to speak to you about.”
“You’re going to tell me your plans?” She was volunteering them without him having to ask? Awesome. Saved him from looking too interested. Which he was. Way too interested in where she was going in black lace panties.
“I mean, no? I wasn’t going to inform you of my plans. Should I?” Humor crackled in her eyes. “I was actually wondering if you had keys for me, so I don’t have to sleep in the hallway.”
“Keys. Right.” This wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought. “They’re hanging by the door—the ones with the pepper spray attached.”
Her smile dimmed, her expression growing more curious than anything. “You bought me pepper spray?”
“Did I overstep again?”
“I think so?” She shook her head slowly. “There are a lot of gray areas with you, boss. And I already have some spray attached to my keychain.”
“Good.” She’d definitely put a little extra emphasis on the word boss. “I would want my daughter to carry pepper spray.”
Why did he say that? It made him sound old enough to be her father, which thank fuck, he wasn’t. Still. Could he call any more attention to their eleven-year age difference?
“Since we’re already operating in the gray areas, maybe you should let me know where you’re going. Just in case.”
She studied him, half amused, half searching. “I’m meeting some grad students at a club near the harbor. I met them at orientation, and we share a class.” She brightened. “Actually, Chloe is coming, too.”
That caught him off guard. “Chloe. As in Sig’s future stepsister?”
“Yes.”
“How did that come about?”
“Well . . .” Her amusement deepened. Why? He couldn’t recall ever amusing anyone before Tallulah. “When I made plans to meet for drinks today, I figured the more the merrier, so I texted Chloe to join us.” Burgess couldn’t help it, he was completely fascinated by that mentality. Making plans with people she’d just met? Mixing friend groups? Where did the chaos end? “If I let too much time pass after meeting Chloe, we’ll never hang out. Making friends in a new place means taking initiative.”