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)
“How can you—” I squeezed my eyes shut. “This is not the conversation I came here to have.”
“I know, but you won’t let me say how I really feel, so you’ve left me no choice.” He kissed down my forearm until it rested on his shoulder and his lips had reached my neck. “I would take a bullet for you. Jump in front of a moving car for you. Walk through fire for you. All without a second thought.”
“Stop.” I turned my face into his. “Whatever I am to you, the one thing I am not is equal to the value of your life.”
“I disagree.”
“Then we agree to disagree, because I would be very upset if you did any of those preposterous things.” I kissed his cheek. “But I get it. You’re head over heels for me, so calm down, Casanova.”
He laughed against my neck, and my skin tingled with each rumbling chuckle. “About time. Now, shall we order dinner and talk? That’s what you came here for, after all?”
“I assume you want to order food because you have nothing in your kitchen.”
“An accurate assumption,” he confirmed. “So, what do you want to eat?”
“Korean food.”
He stepped back and handed me his phone. “I know nothing about Korean food, so here. You’re in control tonight.”
I took his phone and eyed him. “Just for the food, or for everything else?”
“Don’t get cocky.”
“I thought that was why I was here.”
“Chloe.” He said my name in such a low tone that it was almost growly, and the dark glint in his eye told me not to push it anymore.
I laughed and dropped back onto his sofa. “All right, all right. How are you with spice?”
“Good. Go wild. Order whatever you want.” He sat next to me and peered over at what I was doing.
That was a problem.
I was going to take his words at face value.
I selected my favourite restaurant and scrolled the menu. I ordered mostly my usual things but added a few I usually only got as a treat, including a couple of bottles of soju, and then handed Theo back his phone. “Pay, please.”
“Is this my future?” he asked, taking it and inputting his card details.
“What, ordering food every night? No. I’d be cooking if you had food in your fridge.”
“You’d be cooking if we were at your place. I bet you already went shopping, didn’t you?”
“Of course. It was the first thing I did on Sunday morning. My best friend stocked the essentials for me on Saturday, so I didn’t have to worry.” I smiled. “And you can’t come to mine. I told you that. I live in the company apartment building, and it would be weird if anyone was to see you.”
He sighed, resting his head on my shoulder. “I know. You should move out.”
“Alternatively, you should go shopping.”
“I can’t. It makes me think of you.”
“You’re just a big baby, aren’t you?” I stroked his hair, smiling.
Theo wrapped his arms around me, scooting me closer to him. Somehow, I ended up sitting between his legs with mine resting over one of his thighs. He had his fingers linked at my hip, and I was perfectly nestled against his body.
“That’s better,” he muttered.
“What’s this for?”
“To trap you so you can’t escape when you start talking.”
“How very efficient of you.”
“I thought so.” He nuzzled my neck. “Food will be forty minutes. So, answer my question.”
I paused. “What question?”
“Am I the only one thinking of you as my girlfriend?”
“No!”
“That was emphatic.”
I grabbed his arm and looked at him. “I thought I was the only one thinking of you as my boyfriend.”
Theo stared at me. “Maybe Harvey was right. Maybe we are a stupid couple.”
“He said the same thing to me,” I said forlornly. “We definitely are.”
“Mm.” He tugged down my jumper and kissed my exposed shoulder. “Was that all you wanted to talk about?”
“No, so stop trying to turn me on. I’m being serious here.” I wriggled away from his lips, but his grasp on me was too tight.
“I don’t think I will.” He brushed his nose along the curve of my neck. “Turning you on is my favourite thing to do. Second favourite, actually. Maybe third. I’m not sure. But they all involve you, don’t worry.”
I was a little afraid to ask what the others were. “Theodore.”
He stilled. “I just got shivers. Not the good kind.”
“Excellent. Now I know how to control you.”
“I would happily be your puppet, Chlo.”
“That’s a bit creepy.” I laughed, leaning against him. “Let me tell you what’s on my mind, damn it.”
“Is it me?”
“Theo!”
He chuckled, loosening his hold on me. “All right, fine, I’m sorry. Go ahead; tell me.”
I took a deep breath and slowly let it back out. “What would you say if I told you I’ve changed my mind about resigning?”
His entire body tensed, and almost as if it were contagious, mine did the same. It was clear that what I’d said wasn’t what he’d expected in the slightest, and a wave of nausea rolled through me.