Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“I sent a note.”
She was so freaking adorable. “Where’s Greer?”
“Reading in the office.” Her voice took on the pride it reserved for her daughter. Any fool could see how much she loved her child and Linc knew her dedication to Greer only heightened his attraction to her. Piled on and made her even more sexy. Emma took the brushes he rinsed and laid them on a stack of paper towels to dry.
After he wiped his hands, he angled himself to face her. She looked up at him and his heart skipped a few beats.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Emma.”
Her entire open expression closed down faster than he could take his next breath. So fast his head spun.
“No one is here, so no need to toss out things like that. I should get going and get Greer home.” She stepped back.
Hell no. Linc followed and gripped her upper arms.
“Toss things out like that? What? The compliment I just gave you? I’m not lying, Emma, you are a beautiful woman.”
“I know I’m not a troll but I’m also not like the women you’re used to being with, so let’s not pretend otherwise. I can have Dawson come get us.”
Anger spiked. “I’ll take you home. And this conversation isn’t finished.”
She lifted her chin, defying him, and stepped out of his touch. “This isn’t a conversation and it is finished.” Spinning on her heel, she walked to the door, leaving him to be the one staring at her ass.
And he did. Without a single shred of shame. But he was hot on her heels and caught up to her as she breezed into his office like she owned the place.
“Come along, Greer, time to get you home and fed.”
The girl slid a book into the backpack at her side and climbed off the chair she’d been occupying. By the time she’d put the backpack on her shoulder, Emma was at her side, purse on her own. Cold, distant eyes met his.
He strode into the office to swipe his keys. Standing before Emma, he lifted her hand in his, thumb stroking the soft skin, then placed his keys in her palm. “Get her settled, I’ll be right out, just going to lock up.”
Jaw tight, she nodded and walked off with Greer beside her.
Christ, how the fuck had he screwed this up so bad? All he’d done was tell the truth, but this woman treated him like he was the devil. And he didn’t like it one bit.
Scanning the room, he realized that Emma had done wonders in the short time she’d been working with him. He could see hints of him in the formerly generic office. He clicked the light off and locked the door as he exited.
With the night lighting system up and running, he walked through the empty hall to the door, pride at what he was accomplishing filling him. He was going to make this work. No matter how many obstacles he had to climb over.
After the alarm was activated and the front doors were locked, he strode across the parking lot to his large truck. It was running and he smiled at the silhouette of Emma in the passenger seat. He couldn’t see Greer but his back windows were tinted.
Linc walked around the front, so she wasn’t surprised when the door opened, then got up in the cab.
“Are you coming to dinner, Linc?” Greer’s question busted through the tension like a truck through a gate.
He so nearly said yes because, damn it, he wanted to spend more time with this woman and her daughter, but given he’d already fucked up, he wasn’t going to push his luck. Shifting into gear, he pulled out of the parking lot and waited for Emma to make the decision.
She didn’t say a word. Hell, she wasn’t even looking at him. Her entire body vibrated, which he assumed was with lingering anger. At him. For calling her beautiful.
“That’s up to your mama. I know she’s put in a long day and may not want another mouth to feed.”
He watched her in his peripheral vision as he got them on the road leading to her place. She tensed further. How it was possible, he couldn’t begin to say.
“What Mr. Conner is trying to say, Greer, is that he’s too busy to stay.” Her gaze was arctic as she turned in the seat to look at her daughter.
“That’s not what he said.” Greer blinked and met his gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Your mom’s right, kid. There are a lot of things I have to do. This is why your mom is so invaluable to me. She keeps track of my schedule and makes sure I’m not forgetting anything.”
The silence as he finished the drive wasn’t horrible but it definitely wasn’t as relaxed as it could have been. He parked by her house and shot her a look before jumping out and going to her door.