Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
“Those assholes.”
“They just thought I was difficult. That I was asking too much.”
“Being warm was asking too much?” he queried.
“I’ve never understood why they complained about buying me things. As a child, I thought I was costing them money, but when I grew older, I realized that they received money from the trust fund my parents had left for me and Rhodes. When Rhodes and I turned eighteen, we went to our family lawyer and told him everything. Rhodes had saved most of the money he’d earned with his part-time job to pay the lawyer’s fee. The lawyer arranged for us to access the trust fund early and we moved out.”
“Do your aunt and uncle have anything to do with why you don’t like being called a brat?”
“They used to call me that all the time. And the irony is that their son, James, was the biggest brat of all. Rhodes used to hate when they called me that. When he was bigger, he started mouthing back. My uncle used to grow so red in the face . . . I thought he’d have a heart attack. But once Rhodes was bigger than him, there wasn’t much he could do anymore. It wasn’t like he could push Rhodes around. Or threaten to send him away. He liked the money he got for having us too much.”
“Push him around? He was physical with you both?”
Ethan’s voice had grown soft and he was very still. She studied him for a moment, trying to understand the change in him. “Are you angry?”
“No, baby. I’m fucking furious. Please tell me he didn’t touch you.”
She shrugged. “He never hit us. But he would manhandle us. Grab our arm and drag us around. Shove us to get us where he wanted us. Lock us in our rooms.”
“Please tell me that bastard is still alive.” His hands were clenched into fists.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I want to make his life a misery.”
“Pretty sure living with my aunt is misery enough. In a way, she was worse. Always yelling at me.” She shuddered. “I don’t handle loud noises well. Especially people yelling at me. Then I tend to retreat into myself.”
“I understand that. I want the name of your aunt and uncle.”
Hmm.
“I don’t think that’s wise.”
“Cate,” he warned. “I can get those names myself.”
“I don’t want anything to do with them,” she told him. “And I don’t want you to do anything to them. You might get into trouble.”
To her surprise, rather than get upset at her edict, he smiled.
“Worried about me, baby?”
“That you’ll end up in jail? Yes.”
“Don’t be. I can be sneaky enough that they’ll never know I’m coming.”
Oh, dear Lord.
That thought shouldn’t make her want to smile. But the fact that he was angry on her behalf . . . that meant something to her.
Another yawn caught her by surprise.
“Let’s get you home, baby.”
After tidying up their mess, Ethan put it in a bin in the parking lot before returning and pulling the blanket up over her legs once more.
“Next time, you’re wearing more clothes,” he bossed.
She rolled her eyes at him.
“Are you getting sassy with me?” he asked.
Was she?
Hmm. Perhaps. And it felt . . . fun.
“Who me? I’m never sassy. I’m always very serious.”
“And lying now? Tut-tut, someone is a naughty girl.”
Thankfully, being called naughty didn’t have any bad connotations, so she found herself relaxing back against her seat as he pulled into the street.
When they got home, she saw that Rhodes was back.
“Wait for me to come around and open your door,” Ethan said after parking.
She raised her eyebrows. “But we’re back home. You’re off bodyguard duty now.”
He huffed out a laugh. “I’m never off bodyguard duty. Especially when it comes to you.”
What did that mean?
Hadn’t they agreed to be friends? And yet, he’d taken care of her while they were eating. Feeding her and wiping her hands and face.
She wasn’t quite sure what to think. All she knew was that she had a full belly. She was warm and tired.
So she sat where she was without complaint and watched him walk around the front of the SUV. He glided more than walked.
Like a large, dangerous cat.
Wow. She really needed to get some more sleep. She was becoming fanciful.
Ethan opened her door. To her surprise, he reached across her. She very nearly leaned into him, nearly took a hit of his scent. Then she realized he was undoing her seatbelt.
Reaching down, he grabbed her briefcase and held out his hand to her.
She took it, feeling shy and giddy.
Was this what it felt like to be attracted to someone? To want them?
This man isn’t yours and he’ll be leaving soon.
Somehow, her body didn’t care about any of that, though. It just wanted more of this man.
More of his care and attention.
What she should do was pull back from him. But they were friends now. She couldn’t do that to a friend.