Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“No. He hung up on me.”
“Oooh, then you must have said something good. Attagirl.”
“Well, I told him I loved Theo.” I hadn’t said it to hurt or provoke Bolton. Like a bird that needed to burst from its cage, the words had exploded out of my chest. I wanted Bolton to move on with his life—and let me move on with mine.
She was just about to finish placing the veggies on the last pizza when she froze, her eyes locked on the dough in front of her. Then she dropped the olives and mushrooms right in the center and quickly pivoted toward me. “You did what now?”
“I know it was stupid.”
“What did he say?”
“He hung up—”
“No, Theo.”
“Well, he wasn’t there during the conversation, so he didn’t hear it. But then he walked in and demanded to know what happened…so I fessed up.”
“Oh. My. God.” She slapped the counter with her hand before she turned back to the pizzas. “You’re both here right now, so I guess it went over alright.”
“Yeah.”
“Did he say it back?” She looked at me again.
I wasn’t sure if he would ever say it back. Didn’t seem like that kind of man.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she said quickly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I just wasn’t expecting to hear all of this tonight.”
“You aren’t prying, Scarlett.”
“No, I am,” she said with a chuckle before she fixed the veggies on the pizza. Then she placed four in the oven, two side by side on each rack. She shut the door and set the timer on her phone. “I’ve come to care for Theo like a brother, so it’s hard not to get invested in his love life.”
“He didn’t,” I said, doing my best not to sound disappointed.
She came back to the counter, and her eyes softened in sadness. “I’m sorry, girl.”
“It’s okay. Please don’t feel bad for me.”
“I don’t feel bad for you.” She took a drink of her wine then washed her hands in the sink. “Just because he didn’t say it now doesn’t mean he won’t say it whenever he’s ready. But I know that must have hurt.”
It hurt like a motherfucker. “Watching him run away would have hurt more, but he didn’t do that.”
“Has it been…awkward?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s good. At least he didn’t give you the cold shoulder like most guys would.”
“The more I get to know him, the more I realize how different he is from other guys.” He could be so distant and detached, but he was always there when it mattered. Ever since I’d moved in under his roof, he’d made me his priority.
The timer on her phone went off. “First batch is done.” She put on her mitts and placed the pizzas on the stove before she put in the next four pizzas.
“That’s a lot of pizzas for four people.”
“Well, Axel will eat three by himself, and Theo probably will too.”
“You never have leftovers?”
She chuckled. “I wish. Would make my life so much easier. But Axel eats everything I make the second I make it.”
“It’s sweet that he loves your cooking.”
“He’s an easy man to please, honestly.” She grabbed the pizza cutter from the drawer and started to slice the pizzas into halves, then quarters, then eighths. “In all ways.” She waggled her eyebrows.
I chuckled. “You’re a lucky lady.”
“Oh, I know I am. But don’t tell him that because it’ll go straight to his head.”
“What will go straight to my head?” Axel entered the room with their daughter tucked into his arm, dead asleep.
“Nothing,” Scarlett said quickly. “The pizza will be ready in ten minutes.”
“Why do you assume I’m here for the pizza?” He walked around the kitchen and approached her, effortlessly holding their daughter like she wasn’t even there.
“Because I know you.” She grabbed her glass and took a drink.
He came close and grabbed her ass right in front of me. “Maybe I came to see my baby.”
“Right…” She tried to pull away.
He tugged her in close and forced a hard kiss on her mouth.
She didn’t fight that. She even leaned into it.
He pulled away, a smirk on his lips. “So, ten minutes? Because I see four pizzas right there.”
She rolled her eyes. “I knew it.”
“Theo wanted me to ask.”
“He did not.”
“He’s full of shit, Scarlett.” Theo came into the room like a shadow from the passing sun. Even if he hadn’t said a word, I would have noticed his energy right away. Like a black panther that stalked its prey, he sauntered into the room.
“Oh, I know he is.” Her timer went off, so she grabbed the oven mitts again and removed the new batch of pizzas.
Theo came to my side and looked at my glass of wine before he looked at me.
I felt that thrill when our eyes locked, felt that tension in all my muscles…including my heart.