Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
“That’s because I don’t.”
“Then, get back in bed.”
“I will in a...,” I started, but she gave me a look—the one that could wither you into submission with a single raised eyebrow.
“Bed,” she said firmly. Then she turned to Torch. “And you—thank you for everything you’ve done. It was really sweet of you to take care of my girls.”
“No problem.” Torch stood, and his lips twitched with amusement as he glanced over at me. “Looks like you're finally getting rid of me.”
“You don’t have to go.”
“I do, but I’ll be back later to see how you’re doing.” He gave me a wink, then said, “See you ladies later.”
With that, he was out the door, leaving me alone with Mom’s no-nonsense glare. “What was that all about?”
“I have no idea.”
“I’ve always known that boy had a thing for you.”
“What?”
“It’s true.” She walked over and poured herself some coffee. “He was crazy about you, and it was rough on him when you left.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried, but you wouldn’t listen. You would just say it was all in my head.”
She was right. She had tried to tell me, but I never believed her—now, I wasn’t so sure. “You really think...”
“I do, but that’s a conversation for later. You need to get some rest.”
“But...”
“Bed, Rebecca,” she fussed. “You’ve got a busy week coming up, and you need to be at your best.”
“Okay. Okay.” I sighed, pushing myself out of the chair. “Ava needs a bath and some breakfast.”
“I’ve got it covered,” she said, giving me a small, satisfied smile before shooing me toward my room. “Now, go get some rest.”
I did as my mother insisted and crawled back into bed, but I didn’t rest. I couldn’t. I was too busy thinking about Torch and everything he’d done over the past few days. And I couldn’t help but wonder if my mother was right. Maybe he really did have feelings for me. It was a thought that had me smiling as I drifted off to sleep.
The next day, I woke up feeling more like myself. I’d finally shaken off the lingering fatigue and made it to my first day of work. It was mostly training and paperwork, but it felt good to be back to my old self. I’d even managed to make dinner. It wasn’t anything fancy, just spaghetti and garlic bread, but it was progress.
I’d just started to clean up when I heard the familiar rumble of Torch’s bike pulling up. Butterflies erupted in the pit of my stomach as I wiped my hands and stepped out onto the porch. The crisp evening air nipped at my skin, but I barely noticed as I watched him climb off his bike and make his way toward me.
His eyes caught mine, and I couldn’t help but smile when he stepped up to the porch. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Looks like you’re feeling better.”
“I am.”
His eyes skirted down to my purple scrubs as he said, “How was the first day?”
“Pretty good, actually.”
“Good. Glad to hear it.”
“I wanted to thank you again for the last couple of days. I really appreciate everything you did.”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me, Beck. I wanted to do it.” His eyes grew intense as he admitted, “Besides, it gave me an excuse to spend some time with you.”
“Didn’t realize you needed an excuse.”
I glanced up at him, seeing the longing look in his eyes, and my pulse pounded harder, roaring in my ears as I waited for him to take that last step.
And then it happened.
He was standing in front of me, so close I could feel the heat of his breath against my flesh. My eyes drifted down to his perfect, round lips. Unable to stop myself, I leaned into him and pressed my mouth against his. His arms immediately wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him.
A light moan vibrated through my chest as his tongue gently ran across my bottom lip. I couldn’t hide my attraction to him any longer, not from him, not from myself. His hands slowly reached up to the sides of my face as I opened my mouth to him.
The kiss became demanding, sending an involuntary shudder down my spine. This man had consumed my thoughts, my dreams, my very existence for weeks, and now, in this moment, he was consuming my heart.
His scent, his touch, the heat of his body next to mine. I wanted all of him. My hands roamed across his broad chest, feeling his muscles tighten as he continued to claim me with his mouth. I wanted to remember everything about this moment.
The feel of his hands against my body. The taste of him against my tongue. Every minuscule detail about this moment would be locked away forever in my memory. Without me even realizing it, Thomas had claimed my heart, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he would do with it.