Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
THE BASTARD: The bathroom is empty. I put your towels on the radiator in there.
ME: Thank you.
THE BASTARD: We’ll talk later.
That didn’t sound ominous at all.
But for now… maybe I would just grab my towels and take a shower in my en-suite bathroom.
I wasn’t sure I was in any state to be in the main one right now, and if there was any chance that I could avoid him, I was going to take it.
CHAPTER NINETEEN – CHLOE
Stick Like Glue
It was easier to avoid someone while living in the same house as them than I thought it would be.
Last night, I’d cooked dinner while Theodore was getting some work done and texted him that it was on the counter for him, and that was the last communication we’d had until this morning when I’d turned on the coffee machine at seven a.m. on the dot and shouted that I was making his coffee.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk about what happened.
Actually, that was a lie. I did not want to talk about what had happened yesterday afternoon. At all. Not even a little bit.
Unfortunately, what I wanted and what had to happen didn’t line up in the slightest.
I just wasn’t ready to face the conversation yet. We both knew I’d lied when I said I hadn’t seen anything, and I especially knew I’d seen more than just a glimpse of him.
Three months ago, I might have been able to brush it off lightly and move on without ever thinking of it again, but that wasn’t the case now.
Our relationship had changed the day I’d agreed to this business trip, and even though it’d only been three weeks since we’d arrived, there was something to be said for how much time you spent with a person.
I was with Theodore eighteen hours a day. I saw him sleepy-eyed and shirtless after just rolling out of bed. I saw him suited and booted as he carried out his role to perfection. I saw him tired and lazy with pizza socks lounging on the sofa after dinner.
I saw all the sides to this man that few others did, and naturally, the way I felt about him had changed, too.
He wasn’t just a cold, stern bastard who wanted to crush his rivals.
He was a warm, friendly man who was under an insane amount of pressure to prove himself.
It was no wonder he wore he mask he did in the workplace. And it wasn’t as if I had any particular romantic feelings for him—I just saw him now for who he truly was.
Even with that said, being attracted to him was hardly anything new.
After all, he was a handsome bastard whether he was being kind or cruel.
“I thought you’d tell me to drive myself today,” he said, looking out of the car window.
“Nonsense, sir. Working hours start at seven a.m., so this is no problem.” I flicked the stick to indicate turning right.
“You ignored me all night, and here I thought you said you didn’t see anything.”
I cleared my throat. “I would prefer to keep the conversation to professional matters only during working hours, sir.”
“That’s fine by me, but don’t think you’ll be able to get away with locking yourself in your room tonight. We need to discuss yesterday’s mishap, Miss St. James.”
A shiver ran down my spine at the quiet, slow enunciation of my name.
Bastard.
“You should put it on both our schedules so you can’t weasel your way out of it,” he added a moment later. “If you do, I’ll knock on your bedroom door from precisely seven p.m. until you answer me, even if that means keeping you up all night.”
Keeping me up all night?
That was a dangerous train of thought.
“That won’t be necessary. We can talk.” I turned onto the road that would lead us to the carpark behind the high street. “We will be here all day to oversee the opening of the Adair Travel office and to meet the employees. There’s the manager, the assistant manager, two sales associates, and one administrative assistant.”
“How busy are we expected to be?”
“The office will open to the public at midday. There are low deposit offers on both rentals and holiday home purchases to celebrate the re-opening, along with complimentary refreshments for anyone stopping by,” I explained. “I expect we’ll have quite a busy afternoon until we leave at five-thirty, sir.”
“Mm.” He tapped his fingers against his knee. “We should consider other arrangements for dinner if we’re that busy.”
“I’ll be fine to cook.”
“I don’t want you to tire yourself out.”
“Then perhaps you’d be willing to make your specialty of burnt fried eggs on toast, sir.”
“That was one time,” he grumbled. “Will I have to hear about it for the rest of my life?”
“If you don’t want photos of your eclectic sock collection to circle about the office back in London, then I’m afraid so.” I fought back a smile as I pulled into a parking spot. “With regards to the office here, the idea is that we will transfer our office work here instead of working at the cottage.”