Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 106065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
That sounded perfect to me. I didn’t wanna go anywhere. “Can I walk around in these?” I pinched the loose fabric of my boxer shorts.
“Of course, whatever you prefer.” He smirked and dragged a hand over his mouth and jaw. “Seeing adorable Littles running around in their underwear isn’t a threat to my sanity at all.”
I burst out a giggle and felt my ears turning hot. “Do you think I’m adorable, Sir?”
He chuckled and started walking to the door. “I’m gonna be a gentleman and walk out. Join us when you’re ready.”
Damn him! I smiled so wide that my cheeks hurt.
Then I let out a big breath and scrubbed my hands over my face.
I was not going to flirt with Sloan or anyone else living under this roof.
End of discussion!
I just didn’t know which doggy was the cutest. Buddy and Beast were certainly my two best friends and cuddlers. Rex, a German shepherd, was so Greer’s top dog. He observed a lot and kept an eye on Monster, a little Chihuahua mix, so he didn’t get trampled by the other beasts. Odin was one of them; he was huge—one of those Great Danes—but he was also the calmest of them all. He had a little gray in his black fur, so maybe he was old.
Then Bandit… Oh my goodness, he was a tiny little thing! A black Labrador puppy who’d recently joined the family.
His teeth were super sharp.
“Ouch.” I yanked away my hand and nursed it, though that didn’t last long. He was too cute to resist, and he only wanted to play.
It was a good thing I’d put on my T-shirt, though. One big paw on my shoulder could scratch me up, and Buddy and Beast had no sense of personal boundaries. As I sat on the floor in the living room area, they both tried to climb up on my lap.
I was in love with this house and the energy that filled it. To think, they had five kids too? I hadn’t seen the upstairs yet, but I’d understood it was essentially dedicated to the children.
Greer’s house was the opposite of my condo. It was a place of warmth, mismatched furniture, books, memories all over the walls, and rich colors. I wondered if I could find a single item from IKEA here.
“Corey, do you have any allergies or food sensitivities?” Archie asked from the kitchen.
I liked how open it was. Archie was in the kitchen, Sloan was setting the table in the dining room, which was just an extension of the living room—and separated from the kitchen by a bar. Everyone could chat while doing their own thing. Nobody had to feel lonely.
“No allergies,” I replied, scratching Bandit behind his ear. “Lots of food sensitivities, but you don’t have to worry about that.”
If things were that dire—if there wasn’t a single item on the table I could eat—I could walk to the store. We were only ten minutes outside of Winchester.
“Or you can start rambling and I’ll make a list,” Archie replied.
That was the second time I thought I heard a hint of British in his accent.
“Listen to him, Corey,” Sloan advised. “Let us make you feel comfortable here.”
How smart was that? I’d get too comfortable.
Archie abandoned what he was doing and walked over here, and he sat down on the couch with a notepad.
If his eyes were gorgeous in the dark, ugh, I had no words for how they looked in broad daylight. His hair was a couple brown shades away from being black, and that included his long eyelashes framing his deep blue eyes. Plus, he had dimples that made me wanna lick his face.
Maybe I was a doggy too.
“Master told us you have autism,” Archie said. “It goes without saying that we want to be mindful and help you with whatever struggles you may have.”
Oh no, I couldn’t. There were a lot of struggles. If they knew everything, they’d regret letting me stay here for a few days. Greer was talking about a week? That wasn’t happening. Marcus was due home next Thursday or Friday.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek and nuzzled Bandit’s soft ear.
“You can start with a few things,” Sloan suggested. “Perhaps, name three common foods or ingredients you can’t eat?”
I suppressed a sigh. I had to meet them somewhere, and three was an okay number, I guessed.
“I struggle with many dairy products because of texture issues,” I admitted. “It’s totally fine to use it for cooking or whatever, but I can’t have it plain. Like milk or yogurt or cream. Not even whipped cream, ice cream, or milkshakes.”
Archie didn’t seem affected. He just jotted it all down. “Critical question now, love. Where are we on cheese?”
I grinned. “I like cheese.” I watched as Sloan laughed under his breath and positioned himself behind the couch. Then he bent down and kissed the top of Archie’s head. “I’ve found a couple substitutes that work too,” I mentioned. “One type of almond milk for when I really want cereal, and a vegan heavy cream that I put on my strawberries sometimes.”