Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yeah. Sorry. My breakfast doesn’t agree with me,” I lied, lightly tapping my chest with a fist.
He nodded slowly, like he didn’t quite believe me. “I’ll take the room.”
That was quick. Suddenly, I caught myself staring at his lips. The man was very good looking, maybe the most handsome guy I’d ever seen in real life. His cheekbones alone made me want to reach out and trace my fingers over their beautiful lines. Where was he from? With genes like his, he probably came from an incredible bloodline.
Leo will definitely not appreciate having him here.
Looking for an excuse to shut this down, I said, “I need you to fill out an application first. And you’ll have to meet Leo, my fiancé. He’s sleeping right now, but you could come back after I check your cred—”
The guy pulled a wad of bills from his pocket. “I only plan to stay for two weeks. How’s ten thousand?”
I eyed the roll of cash. That was drug-dealer-type money. That, or he stole it. Either way, he could definitely afford to rent a hotel room if he only planned to be in town for a few weeks. “I’m sorry, but we don’t want any—”
“I know what you’re thinking: I stole it, or I sell drugs, but I assure you that is not the case.”
Strange how he’d guessed my exact thoughts. On the other hand, most people would make the same assumptions.
I folded my arms over my chest. “So why are you walking around with that kind of money?”
“Cash is convenient for people in my situation. No credit card.”
I raised an expectant brow.
“Also,” he added, “I have people looking for me.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to get mixed up in your business. We just need a little extra money, not extra problems.”
“Then why not list the room on that short-term rental app?”
Because I would have had to pay all sorts of fees. This was supposed to be a temporary thing for quick cash. “I’m sorry, but the answer is no.”
“I’ll only be here for a few weeks doing research,” he said, his voice deep and smooth with rich seductive notes.
All apprehension drained from my mind.
He added, “After that, you’ll never see me again.”
He stared deeply into my eyes, lulling me into a warm, relaxed state. Suddenly, I didn’t want him to leave. I’d never felt so safe, so needed, so totally calm. He should stay…
“Okay,” I muttered. “The room is yours.”
He took my hand and shoved the wad of money into it. A wave of pinpricks rushed up my arm from his fingertips.
I jerked my hand away, gripping the money. “Can you come back later so I can introduce you to Leo?”
“I’ll be back tonight. May I have a key?”
“I have a spare in the kitchen.” I headed down the hall, feeling trapped in a dream where I was observing myself but not in the driver’s seat. Was I really letting this man stay in my home? It was a mistake. And yet, I couldn’t say no.
“By the way, what’s your name?” he asked.
“Piper. Piper Spiros,” I replied, stopping in front of the kitchen drawer containing knickknacks and keys.
He bowed his head, his pale eyes locked intensely on mine. “Nice to meet you, Piper. I am Draco.”
CHAPTER SIX
How the hell am I going to explain this to Leo? I’d just rented a room to a strange man off the street for ten grand. No background check. No references. I wasn’t even sure his name was Draco.
What I did feel sure about was that he had people looking for him. Seemed shady enough. So why had I let him inside the house so easily? I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.
After Draco left, I cleaned the guest room, changed the linens, and put fresh towels in the bathroom. Then I finished up my lecture prep for the week and started on dinner.
“Hey, Pipe. We need to talk.” Leo stood in the kitchen doorway, startling me from my intense thoughts.
I stopped stirring the pasta. “How’s the head?”
“Been better.” He walked over and leaned against the counter beside me.
I instantly felt nervous. No kiss or hug. “What’s up?”
“I did a lot of soul-searching last night.”
“You mean drinking,” I said.
“That, too.” He let out a slow breath. “We need to put everything on hold.”
I set my wooden spoon on the counter. “Leo, I know losing your job is terrifying. Not to mention embarrass—”
“It’s not that. I mean it is, but I’ve been questioning this plan for months.”
He had? I wished he’d told me sooner. This was a big endeavor, and we were putting everything on the line to set up our future. If he was getting cold feet, I wanted to be there to support him.
“I question it every day,” I said, “but don’t throw away your dream over a snag. We can figure this out. Just give yourself a few days to digest the whole job thing, okay?”