Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Hmm. He would?
“It’s nearly four and you haven’t eaten all day, I’m starting to get really worried about you.”
Oh. It was that late?
Her stomach growled on cue. Fine. Perhaps she was a bit hungry, but that still wasn’t enough to entice her out of her cocoon. She was safe here. In here, she could pretend that the world didn’t exist.
Fort! Fort! We could build a fort!
No!
She shut those thoughts down quickly. It would be all too easy to let her Little slip free.
It was bad enough that she was having to fight herself from going into the closet and pulling out that box . . .
“I have some of your favorite food here.”
Beer and pie?
She sat up slightly, pushing her head out of the covers. “What is it?”
There was a pause. “Sorry. Wasn’t expecting you to answer. I’ve got some grapes, cheese, crackers, and a protein drink that Hayes mixed up for you.”
The cheese was tempting. Bebe loved cheese.
But there was no pie or beer. Disappointing.
Sooo . . . pass.
“And if you eat some of this, I have some pie for dessert.”
Hmm.
Okay, maybe he was learning.
“What kind?” she asked.
She swore . . . if he said blackberry, then she would not be happy. She might even throw something . . .
At him.
Are you trying to get punished?
Her hand pulsed at the thought.
Corbin wasn’t like that. He wasn’t like him.
“Cherry.”
Suitable response. More than acceptable, really.
“Vanilla ice cream with it?” she asked.
“Of course.” He sounded almost offended. “Is there any other way to eat pie?”
Good.
Acceptable.
“Leave it outside my door and I’ll get it soon. Thanks,” she added with a wince.
Manners, Bebe.
Why must I always need to remind you? You’re not a baby.
Fuck off, asshole.
There was silence from the other side of the door.
“Fuck off, asshole?” Corbin said.
Oh shit.
Had she said that out loud? Crap.
“Bebe, I’m just trying to look after you. If you think that makes me an ass—”
“I didn’t mean you,” she quickly said, sitting up and pushing her blankets back. “Sorry! I was thinking about something and it just slipped out.”
“Who were you thinking about?” he growled the words through the door.
She could almost feel his anger.
But she knew it wasn’t aimed at her and she swallowed heavily around the lump in her throat.
“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered even though he probably couldn’t hear.
“Bebe, let me in, darling.”
Closing her eyes, she looked longingly at the door. A big part of her did want to open the door, but she felt raw today. Open and vulnerable in a way she hadn’t felt since . . . well, since the months following him.
Was cherry pie worth the risk of him seeing her like this?
Likely not.
“I won’t bother you again. Just let me make sure you eat and that you’re not going to . . .”
Oh. Oh! He was worried she might do something to harm herself?
“I’m really okay, Corbin.”
“Well, I’d like to see that for myself. Open, Bebe.”
This time, he injected more command into his voice. And she found herself getting out of bed and walking toward the door. The room kind of swam. Shoot. She should probably drink some water and eat something. She was feeling woozy and light-headed.
Before she could second-guess her decision, she opened the door. Corbin stood there with a tray of food and a soft smile on his face.
The only thing that could have made this better was if he was shirtless.
Yikes.
She hoped she didn’t say that out loud.
But his expression didn’t change as he watched her. She cleared her throat. “You didn’t have to worry, I’m all good.”
Her stomach chose that exact moment to growl again.
Flipping heck.
His eyebrows rose. “You’re all good? Your stomach just rumbled so loudly that the neighbors probably thought it was an earthquake.”
“It wasn’t that loud,” she countered.
Well. It kind of had been.
Oops.
“Are you going to let me in?”
She sighed. “Will you leave without coming in?”
He smiled. “Nope.”
Damn. It seemed her body wasn’t so tired that it didn’t react to him. She stepped back and he walked in. As she moved, she caught sight of herself in the free-standing mirror in the corner. It was the only piece of furniture that had been in the house that she’d liked.
Bebe let out a small scream. “Oh my God!”
“What? What is it?” Corbin asked, setting the tray on the nightstand before turning around.
His gaze moved around as he made his way back over to her.
“My hair! I’m a disaster!”
“You are not a disaster; you could never be a disaster.”
Well, it was nice of him to say so, but it simply wasn’t true. Because right now, she was a complete disaster.
She rushed into her bathroom and picked up her hairbrush.
Oh Lord.
She didn’t think a hairbrush was going to fix this. She wasn’t sure anything other than hacking off all her hair was going to fix this.