Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
He cocks his head to the side and narrows his gaze. “I’m curious why you want me to know you’re definitely not jealous.”
I’m practically panting.
“I’ve lost the thread of this conversation,” I say dumbly.
How are we here again, staring at each other’s mouth? Why are my hands fisted at my sides, my thoughts in the gutter?
His bed is right there. Hell, who says we even need a bed? I’m limber.
Luke must sense I’m spiraling because he shakes his head and brings us back down to earth. He’s the responsible one. “Right. I’m not hiring Alexia. I spoke to her for all of five minutes and knew immediately that I would never want her around my daughter for more than a brief encounter. I feel bad for Peyton.”
“Don’t worry, it doesn’t sound like she’ll be with her family for much longer.”
He nods, taking that in.
“So if that’s all…”
“I should vacate your bedroom?” I joke, trying for some levity.
Ha ha ha. SEX. I’m thinking about sex and surely you are too.
We do more of the staring, the charged eye contact. The moment passes where he should escort me out, but we stay where we are, neither of us heading toward his bedroom door.
“Luke…”
His name is a question.
It says, Am I crazy here? Is this all just me? Surely, these feelings aren’t completely unrequited?
But he looks absolutely alarmed by where I might be trying to lead the conversation. No more light banter. It’s like he thinks I’m about to propose marriage. He’s hearing the looming chime of wedding bells off in the distance.
Every neuron in my brain slams on the brakes. Warning sirens blare.
REROUTE, BROTHERS!
“Oliver asked me out.”
He did, in fact. Last night he sent me a text message asking if I wanted to join him and his friends for another dinner. Only this time, he wants to swing by and pick me up for a drink first, just the two of us. I wasn’t sure how eager I was to take him up on it until this very moment.
I guess I’m going then. I should probably let Oliver know that.
Luke’s expressions are all over the place. The alarm I thought I just saw in his eyes is eviscerated in an instant. Now, it’s nothing, a blank space behind his brown gaze. His smile is now just a flat, unfeeling line.
“Okay. When?”
“Day after next.”
His shrug says, I’m not even sure why you’re bothering to tell me this.
“I’ll take Harper out to dinner then.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
Then he walks to the door, opens it, and holds it for me so I can get back to work.
SEVENTEEN
CHLOE
Tuesday night, I’m in bed, dead asleep when I jolt awake. There’s a presence looming at the edge of my bed, a hazy figure most likely born from the fires of hell. I choke back a scream just as Harper leans forward into the faint light from the moon peeking through the drapes. There are tear tracks on her round cheeks and her bottom lip is quivering.
I sit up immediately, whipping off my blankets.
“Harper? Are you okay?”
My heart’s racing like I’m being chased by death, and it’s my natural instinct to pull her close and hug her, to try to calm her as much as myself.
“I had a bad dream,” she cries against me, wrapping her arms around my neck and squeezing so that even if I were going to try to pry her off me, I wouldn’t succeed.
I shush her soothingly and run a hand down her hair. “It’s okay.”
I start to rock her forward and backward as I ask her if she wants to tell me about it. She curls up on my lap even more, trying to burrow into me.
“Okay, okay. We won’t talk about it, but bad dreams are only dreams. All you have to do is tell your brain no. Say, No, brain. We aren’t going to think about that silly stuff anymore.”
I start to stand to carry her back to her room, but she whimpers and starts crying harder.
“Can’t I just stay with you?”
I don’t even hesitate before I reply, “Of course. Yes.”
I reach over to fix my pillows so there’s a spot for her to lie down beside me. I’ll let her stay in here until she’s calmed down and fallen back asleep. Then I’ll carry her back to her room.
I had bad dreams every so often when I was a child. I still do, sometimes, and I hate that feeling of being alone in a dark room right afterward. All I want is to be tucked safely beside someone. Harper’s request is so innocent I could never deny her.
I lay her down and tuck her underneath my blanket. Then I lie down beside her and rub her back, up and down, over and over again, trying to get her racing heart to slow.
She flinches and scoots closer to me.