Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Her sister’s car was in front of the shop as she passed to go to the back parking lot where she kept her car. She was in for it now. Rushing through the shop, Sapphire opened the front door. “Hi, Kinsley. Sorry, Sis.”
“Bring him to the barbecue this weekend,” Ellen said, handing over the diaper bag and carrying her daughter inside.
Sapphire rolled her eyes. Her sister always picked up on clues. She obviously thought Sapphire had just rolled out of bed after an evening of sex. If only.
“I didn’t really plan to come to the gathering. And there’s no him. I forgot I was watching Kinsley and needed to be here early.”
“You’ll be there. I don’t want to handle the cousins without you. Now you owe me one.” Her sister’s slightly lighter blue eyes twinkled.
“Wait. I’m watching Kinsley. Doesn’t that mean we’re even?” Sapphire asked, amazed how her sister could always make herself come out on top of any debate. Two years separated them, but they’d been fast friends all their lives.
“Please. I really do want you there. And I have to meet the new guy in your life,” her sister told her before kissing her daughter’s cheek. “You be good for Aunt Sapphire.”
The toddler nodded with a serious look before turning to hold her hands out to Sapphire.
Who could resist that cute move?
Sapphire plucked Kinsley out of Ellen’s arms. After kissing her niece’s sweet-smelling hair, she relented, “Fine. I’ll be there. I’m not bringing Blade.” Instantly, she regretted telling her sister his name. Now, she knew he existed.
“Yes, you are. Now, I have to meet him. Blade? The cousins are going to love that name. Tell me he rides a huge motorcycle and wears leather.”
“Go to work. I’m not promising anyone will be there but me.” Sapphire shooed her sister out of the shop, laughing.
After setting Kinsley down to explore the shop while she got organized for the day, Sapphire couldn’t keep her mind on her everyday tasks. A certain biker kept ricocheting into her thoughts. “Enough already. Stop thinking about Blade.”
“Blade!” Kinsley repeated.
Sapphire stopped and looked at her. “He waved his magic wand around you too, huh?”
A babble of sounds and excited nods confirmed Kinsley’s agreement. “Blade!” she repeated. “Majik!”
A mental image of what the handsome man’s “magic wand” could look like popped into her mind, and she tried to control her expression in front of the child. There was no way all that raw masculinity came with a small cock. Just his natural swagger told you Blade knew a few things. And the way he’d moved on the dance floor last night. No drooling.
The bells at the door rang. Both Kinsley and Sapphire turned to see the object of their conversation standing framed in the doorway. The sun glistened off his brown hair, scattered over his broad shoulders. His dark eyes met hers in an intense gaze that sent a thrill through her. Blade held two cups of iced coffee and a pastry bag.
Kinsley ran toward him with her arms raised. A foot away, she tripped over her own shoes and tumbled toward the floor. Without missing a beat, Blade set one cup on the wooden floorboards as he scooped the toddler into his strong arms. “Whoa, rocket girl. You just about crashed.”
Unperturbed by the close call, Kinsley immediately returned to her favorite hobby of petting Blade’s leather cut. Blade let her play and held the cup and bag still in his hand to Sapphire. “Did you miss breakfast, Blue Eyes?”
“I don’t know how you got my mental ‘I’m starving and need caffeine’ message, but thank you.” Collecting the two items from him, she moved closer and kissed him lightly.
Kinsley protested and pressed a hand against Sapphire’s shoulder to push her away.
Sapphire laughed and winked at Blade. “I think someone thinks you’re her boyfriend.”
“What a shame. I’m already taken,” Blade told Kinsley sadly.
“Taken, huh?” Sapphire said, comically waggling her eyebrows to make the child laugh.
“Definitely,” he assured her with a steamy look that almost made her forget where they were.
Sapphire sipped the iced coffee in her hand. It was strong and sweet. Just like she enjoyed it. “I needed this.”
“Eat, too.”
The stern tone of his voice made her nod in agreement. “Wait. I thought you were bringing me dinner tonight.”
“I am. I stopped to have breakfast with you too.”
“Oh!” Feeling selfish for leaving his coffee on the floor while she sipped away, Sapphire set her items on the workbench and retrieved his coffee for him.
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
“You’re welcome. I’m never here this early. Ellen, my sister, needs to fight rush hour traffic into work.”
“Ah, yes. The rat race. I’ll have to get to the shop soon as well. The place is swarming with nine-to-fivers who need to drop off their bikes before work.”
“Don’t you have to be there?” Sapphire asked.