Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16498 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 82(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16498 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 82(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
While he orders lunch, I put away the cleaning supplies and head to the bathroom to freshen up. This whole situation is freaking nuts. I sit on the edge of his huge marble bathtub and take several deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. I’m about to freaking have lunch with the hottie. After a while, I realize I’ve been hiding out in his bathroom for several minutes. It’s time to face the music.
A shiver runs through me as I step into the dining room and find him leaning against the breakfast bar. Brendan turns to me and smiles. "Thank God I came home for lunch today," he mutters under his breath, stepping toward me. When he runs his finger along my collarbone, a shiver runs through my body.
“Why?” I ask before I’m able to hold the words back.
"I met you." My pulse races as his eyes stare into mine. I want to believe what I’m seeing shining in his gaze, but it’s all happening so fast. Curvy girls like me don’t get the hot, wealthy businessmen. “And now I plan on keeping you.” Woah. Now, I know this is the twilight zone.
“All of this sounds crazy.” My inner skeptic inserts herself into the conversation.
“I know,” he sighs, “but we’re in this crazy situation together.” At least he admits it. “Lunch should be here any minute. Let’s talk a little and get to know each other.”
Brendan takes my hand and pulls me toward the living room. I tug slightly on his palm to interrupt our progress. "I’m not going to sleep with you."
He stops and leans down to place a kiss on my nose. “When I get you into my bed, you won’t be doing any sleeping.” My mouth drops open as he continues. “And I’ll wait until you’re ready.”
The doorbell rings, interrupting our conversation. As I watch him walk away, I breathe a sigh of relief. At least I have a few minutes to pull myself together before I rip off my clothes and drop at his feet.
I don’t taste a bite of lunch and have no idea what we even discussed. Confusion cuts through me as I try to figure out what’s happening here. “Thank you for lunch.” I push my plate away, done pretending to eat. “Now, I’m going to finish cleaning.”
“You don’t need to clean anything else.” Brendan shakes his head.
“I can’t take money for a job I didn’t complete,” I argue. “And I need my paycheck.” Boy, do I need the paycheck if I ever hope to get out from under my uncle’s thumb. Brendan opens his mouth and then closes it without saying anything.
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he sighs. “I should probably get back to work, too.” My heart drops as my fairytale afternoon comes to an end. “But I’d like to take you to dinner.” I blink several times, wondering if I heard him correctly. “Once we’re both off the clock, we can take our time and get to know each other.” When he adds, “Properly,” all sorts of steamy fantasies run through my mind. I really need to stop reading all those dirty books. They’re responsible for all my inappropriate thoughts.
Before he leaves, I agree to meet him at the new restaurant not far from my house. Brendan wants to pick me up, but there’s no way I’m letting him anywhere near my house. My uncle is downright terrifying, and I’d hate to scare off my handsome suitor. I spend the rest of the afternoon daydreaming about Brendan. I only hope I’m not opening myself up to a huge heartache.
After I finish up, I head back to my apartment to shower. Uncle Marco allowed me to move into his garage apartment once I graduated from high school. That doesn’t keep my overprotective, “well-connected,” very scary uncle from keeping a close eye on everything I do. My parents died in a car accident seven years ago and named Uncle Marco as my guardian. The never-married mob boss took the responsibility seriously, and my normal everyday life ended at fifteen.
I moved across the country to live in his Las Vegas mansion surrounded by security guards and wealthy “friends” who keep an eye on me for my slightly paranoid uncle. I ended up finishing high school online since Uncle Marco couldn’t find a school that met his stringent security requirements.
It took some begging, but I finally convinced him to let me have a little bit of freedom in college. I do mostly online classes, and Uncle Marco arranged for one of his “associates” to give me a job cleaning executive apartments in the highly secure Sundune Corporate Apartments. I’ve been stashing away every cent, hoping to gain my independence.
It’s not that my uncle is mean to me. He’s just smothering me.
I shower before applying a small amount of makeup while my plan to escape for the evening goes through my mind. First, I’ll tell Rosita, Uncle Marco’s housekeeper, that I’m going to a study session at the college library. If I play my cards right, I can walk in the front entrance and right out the back before Jason, my pain in the rear-end bodyguard, realizes what I’m doing.