Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“Nope. I went to school and hung out with my parents.” She looked away at the mention of her parents and my heart ached for the little girl. Her gaze met mine again after a while. “I like your jacket.”
“Thanks, I like your bracelets.”
She smiled sweetly. “Can you cook?”
I shrugged. “Enough to get by. A big place like this doesn’t have a cook?” It seemed odd but it wasn’t my place to judge, at least not overtly.
Layla glared at her uncle with a look that clearly said, “I told you so. “
“I told Uncle Brady the same thing. He can afford it, but he said no.” Layla sighed like a long-suffering wallflower and I couldn’t help but smile. “He won’t be happy until I burn the place down.”
Brady let out a strangled noise that was difficult to decipher.
I bit back a laugh. “I’m nobody’s version of Iron Chef, but I can teach you a few staples to avoid repeat visits from the fire department.”
“Yeah?” Her silver-blue eyes shone with hope.
“Yeah, sure. It won’t be fancy but it’ll taste good and get the job done.”
Layla studied me carefully, looking so much like her uncle minus the golden blond hair. “I like her,” she declared and left the living room with a hint of a smile.
This was the strangest interview I’d ever been on, and I’d had tons of them over the course of my life, but it seemed like it was done. Brady stared at me before he wiped his hands on his thighs and stepped back.
“Can you start today? I’ll double your rate for an entire shift if you say yes.”
I resisted the urge—again—to roll my eyes at yet another rich dude who thought money was the only language they needed to know. “My normal rate will be just fine, Mr…Brady. But I will need to take a day off to pack up a few things sometime soon.”
“Yeah, sure,” he nodded but I could tell that his attention was already on whatever work he needed to do. “No problem.” He stood, towering over me as he held out a hand to me.
I accepted the handshake, but I wished I hadn’t when the jolt of electricity flooded my veins. It was visceral, the connection that swirled between us, which was ridiculous since I didn’t even know his last name.
It’s just physical, I told myself as I quickly shook his hand and yanked mine back, far out of his reach.
Far away from that uncomfortable feeling he evoked within me.
Far away from the urge to do something reckless. Something stupid.
Something dangerous.
Chapter 5
Brady
Progress.
Nothing felt better than two full days of uninterrupted work, tweaking code and making adjustments to the story, updating easter eggs and offering better bonus gifts. Day and night for the past forty-eight hours, my ass has been in my comfortable, plush, ergonomic office chair staring at three monitors until my vision started to blur. I didn’t sleep, didn’t rest and I didn’t eat a thing until I felt I made enough progress to reward myself with basic human needs.
The best part was that Toni of the full red lips and ever-present leather jacket, had everything well in hand with Layla. She was confident and competent, and there hadn’t been one damn smoke alarm in two full days.
A yawn cracked my jaw and I knew it was time to venture outside my office and into the rest of the house. After a much needed stop in the bathroom, my stomach roared with the ferocity of a Grizzly Bear and I realized day three was halfway over already, so I made my way to the kitchen. Before I had even taken a few steps in that direction, feminine laughter rang out. I got closer and heard music playing as well. It was a familiar song, one I’d heard hundreds, if not thousands of times during my youth.
“My mom loved this song,” Layla said. There was a smile in her voice, and when my gaze landed on her, her expression was one of wistful happiness. For the first time in months she seemed lively. Really and truly happy, as evidenced by the wide smile that split her face. “The Ramones just do it right, she always said.”
Toni was still shaking her round ass to the sound as she whipped her hair around, a smile on her face as well. “Your mom was right, and she had excellent taste in music.”
I held my breath and waited for Layla’s smile to fall, for the tears to come, but though her smile dimmed, it turned wistful. “She did. I miss her,” she admitted quietly.
Toni stopped dancing as the music continued. “That’s the part no one ever tells you, kiddo. The pain may lessen over time, but you’ll always miss her. This song will play and you’ll think of her. You’ll see a bouquet of her favorite flowers and you’ll want to buy them for her.”