Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
“Making candles,” she replies with a sigh. “I have two hundred to get done for a special order.”
“Holy shit, two hundred candles? On your day off?”
“I don’t have days off, Zeke.” She shakes her head and then ruffles her hair, scratching her scalp. “But that’s okay. I have bills to pay, and this order was huge. In fact, what time is it?”
“Just past eight.”
“I should get home and get started on it. Do you mind if I start a load of laundry on my way out? I never got to it last night.”
I can’t help it. I lean in and kiss her softly. “I don’t mind.”
“Thanks.” She’s holding the throw against her and just looks at me.
“What?”
“I need you to leave so I can get out of your bed and get dressed.”
I cock my head to the side. “Why do you need me to leave for that?”
“Because I’m naked.”
I don’t move a fucking muscle. “I hate to break it to you, but I’ve already seen everything you have to offer.”
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
“Because it was while we had sex.”
Narrowing my eyes, I take another sip of the coffee. “So, if I see you naked when we’re not having sex, that’s not okay?”
“When you put it like that, it sounds stupid. But, yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have time for this conversation.”
She moves to get out of bed, taking the blanket with her, but I quickly set the mug aside and cover her, pinning her beneath me.
“There will never be a day, in this or any other lifetime, that you need to be shy about your body with me, Cherry. Or with anything, for that matter.”
“I’m not shy.”
She twists her lips together, so I lean in and kiss her once more. “Okay. I’ll go.”
“Thanks,” she whispers as I stand. Then, taking my coffee with me, I leave the bedroom.
The dynamic of our relationship has completely changed in the span of less than a week. Instead of being annoyed by the simple sight of her, or the mention of her name, I suddenly want to be near her constantly.
And the sex? Out of this fucking world.
I’m surprised the smoke alarms didn’t go off.
I’ve just finished my coffee and set the mug in the dishwasher when Cherry walks out of my bedroom and retrieves her basket from where we left it last night, then disappears again down the hall and into the laundry room.
I hear the washer start, and then she’s back, now dressed but her hair still askew.
“What can I have on hand for you for the mornings since you don’t like coffee?”
“Oh, you don’t—”
“Okay, that’s fucking annoying.”
She frowns, and I grab a rag to wipe down the countertop.
“I know I don’t have to do anything. But I want to, and I plan to have more nights with you. You must drink something in the morning. What is it?”
“Green tea,” she says. “With honey.”
“Milk?”
“No, just the honey.”
“I can do that. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Everything with you is hard,” she mumbles and then rolls her eyes when I smile smugly. “Not that, perv.”
“Oh, yeah. That.” She reaches for the front door. “Stop.”
She turns, one eyebrow raised.
“I’m gonna need a kiss.”
“You’ve had a million of them.”
“One more.”
I lean my hip against the counter, waiting for her to come to me. After just one second of thought, she walks over to me, boosts onto her tiptoes, and puckers up.
I oblige her, leaning down to meet her, pressing my lips to her soft ones. She pulls away quickly to march back to the door.
“See you later,” she says as she opens it.
“Count on it.”
* * * *
“You brought me lunch?”
Five hours later, I’m standing at the threshold of Cherry’s condo, holding a paper bag full of subs and chips. She’s dressed in little shorts, a tank top, and nothing else.
Even her hair is up in a messy bun thing on top of her head, exposing the long line of her neck, and it conjures the need to nibble that irresistible skin.
“You’re a goddamn goddess.”
“Right.” She rolls her eyes, but I also see the faint blush on her cheeks. “Is that lunch?”
“Oh, yeah. Sandwiches. Thought you’d need food by now. And maybe some help, too.”
“Are you the help?”
“I’m the only one standing here.”
“Okay, come in.” She steps back, gesturing for me to come inside, and then closes the door behind me. “I need a quick break anyway.”
“How many have you made so far? I take it the scent of them is lavender, given that your condo smells like lavender fields.”
“You’d be right. I’m about fifty in.”
I blink at her as she pulls the food out of the bag. “Only fifty?”
“That’s a lot, actually.”
“Jesus, you’ll be doing this well into the night.”
“That’s the plan.” She unwraps a sub. “Which one is mine?”
“They’re both the same. Turkey.”
“Cool.” She takes a big bite and reaches for a napkin to wipe the mayonnaise off her lip. “It’s a process of making sure the wax is the correct temperature, adding the scent and color dye, pouring, placing wicks, labeling the jars.”