Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 122206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Dante had rapidly become my favourite person in the whole world, and I didn’t know what to do about it. He was a dear friend, but I liked him so much that it was ridiculous. I thought of him constantly in a way that was not at all friendly. I had never masturbated so much in my entire life until I met him. I had no choice but to deal with my lusting after him in private because he only saw me as his friend, and I knew he always would.
“It must just be me,” I said. “Pay me no mind.”
Dante snorted. “Did ye have lunch?”
“No, I collected me aids and skipped it.” I turned my head. “Aren’t they beautiful?”
Dante promptly crossed the space between us, lifted his hand, and ran his fingertips over my brand-new jet-black BTE aids.
“Beautiful.”
I smiled at his agreement. “I missed hearin’ it.”
“Ye missed hearin’ what?”
“Your voice.”
Dante stared down at me. “Ye did?”
I nodded. “Your voice is me safe sound. It makes me feel calm.”
Dante’s eyes appeared to darken, but I couldn’t decipher the emotion expressed within them.
“These aids are insane,” I continued. “Ye won’t believe how cool they are. I haven’t had upgraded aids before, not ever. These have rechargeable batteries, mobile audio streamin’, Wi-Fi, and app connectivity. I can connect the aids to me phone and watch YouTube, and the aids act as earphones. How feckin’ brilliant is that?”
Dante chuckled deeply. “I love that you’re so happy about them.”
“I am,” I beamed. “They were expensive, but me health plan covered seventy-five percent of the cost, and the rest was broken down into monthly instalments for six months. I wasn’t approved for a credit card yet, which is probably a good thing, so instalments were the way to go.”
Dante lost his smile. “I’m still annoyed that ye won’t let me just pay that debt off for ye.”
“It’s my debt,” I told him firmly. “I can pay it all by meself.”
Dante didn’t understand the importance of taking care of my own bills or my own debt. I had been taking care of Daddy’s for so many years that dealing with my own problems was like a breath of fresh air.
“I know, I know. You’re an independent woman who doesn’t need a man.”
“Ye’ve got that right, sunshine.”
I erupted with laughter when he suddenly reached out and tickled my sides. I jumped away from him, loving the sound of his own laughter as it flowed freely.
“Come on, Miss Independent,” he teased. “Let’s grab a quick bite in the staff room.”
Twenty minutes later, Dante and I had each eaten a sandwich and had a good chat before we got back to work. I was writing some inscriptions on sticky notes for changes I had to make to a customer’s invoice when a small beep sounded behind my desk, indicating someone had just opened the reception’s door. I looked up and smiled in greeting.
“Ina O’Shea?”
“That’s me, sir.”
“I’ve a delivery for ye, miss.”
I signed the man’s tablet, and then he left before I could ask him a question. I peered down at the box he delivered, looking for a logo, but it was just a solid brown box. On the top of it was a sticker with my information, and on the description, it had Love Honey raffle winner, first place.
“Oh, my God!”
I didn’t realise I shouted until Dante, his brothers, and the two Slater brothers burst into the reception from the garage floor with wrenches, ratchets, and screwdrivers wielded in their hands like weapons.
“What is it?” Dante demanded. “Ina?”
“This was just delivered.” I pointed at the box. “It’s for me. I didn’t mean to scream, but I won a raffle.”
“A raffle for what?”
“Love Honey. A woman came in two weeks ago sellin’ tickets, and I bought a strip of five tickets for two euros.”
“What’d ye win?”
“I’ve no idea. I think it’s a gift basket. Maybe it has expensive shampoo and body wash!”
My excitement over something so minor amused the men who relaxed. Dante lifted the box onto the counter for me, and he, along with the others, leaned on the counter and watched as I opened it. They all looked thoroughly amused, and some of them were trying their hardest not to laugh. I didn’t understand why until a moment later. I pulled out the plastic-wrapped basket inside the box, and my smile was wiped from my face almost instantly.
I felt my eyes widen to the point of pain when they locked on the box of an eight-inch neon blue dildo that promised orgasm after orgasm. Underneath it was two boxes with vibrators, one was wired and the other was battery operated. I saw another box for condoms and another for three bottles of fruit-scented water-based lubricant. There was even a €500 gift card to spend on the company’s website and a box with lingerie inside the basket that said one size fits all.