Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69785 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69785 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
And being in his presence made me want him. A lot.
Hell, it felt just like it did that first day that I’d seen him. We’d been electric then, and the feeling sure hadn’t changed with space and time.
If anything, it seemed like it had built up.
“You know how to use that?” he asked curiously.
In answer, I turned around and jogged away, shoving my AirPods in as I went.
I looked down at my watch and cursed. Not only had his sudden appearance startled me so much that I hadn’t stopped my watch, but now I only had less than an hour to finish this run, get my shower, and get to work in time to meet a client.
I ran harder than I’d ever run before, and still the man caught up to me and looked barely winded as he held pace at my side.
We didn’t say a single thing after that.
Not one single word or look passed between us.
The only ‘almost’ touch was when I stopped at mile three and a half and turned around.
He hadn’t been expecting me to stop, so when I stopped and turned, he ran past me.
He had to put on the brakes and haul his ass around in the opposite direction and catch up to me. Which he did quite easily.
I ignored him as I moved, feeling the hollow ache in my hip start like it always did.
The ache intensified to a dull throb, and then to a sharp stab by the time I arrived back at my office/place.
I came to a sudden halt right outside the front doors of my office and leaned over, my eyes closing thanks to the pain.
The scrape of a shoe on concrete had me turning to look at the man that’d held a steady pace with me the entire way.
He was already walking across the street toward the bar.
Except, when I expected him to go inside, he walked to a bike that was right outside the alley that led to the back of the bar, swung his leg over it, and settled his fine ass onto the chrome and black beast.
He started it up with a roar, and even over my podcast I could hear the throaty rumble of it.
Had he always ridden a motorcycle?
As he pulled out onto the street a few seconds later, I looked away and then limped back up to my apartment.
Once there, I took a shower, got dressed, dried my hair, and then applied a small amount of makeup before slipping into my favorite jeans.
Even though I was a lawyer, and was probably expected to wear nice clothes, I didn’t bother.
There was no reason to.
I’d learned the lesson of pretending to be someone who I was not a long time ago.
Now, I dressed to impress myself. Which was why I slipped on the faded jeans that felt comfortable as hell, a yellow t-shirt that said ‘thank you for leaving me alone’ and my favorite pair of tennis shoes.
Though not as comfortable as sweatpants would be right now, I was relaxed in them nonetheless.
Limping my way back down the stairs and into the alley, I walked around the back of the building to the back entrance where I produced my keys and slipped inside the building.
Once there, I locked it behind me and limped my way into the main office where I contemplated keeping the door locked since I could already see Jayco’s smiling face pressed against the glass waving excitedly.
Why was he so freakin’ happy all the time?
Still limping, I moved toward the front door and unlatched the lock, not bothering to wait for him as I turned around and headed to the little kitchen where I made myself a cup of tea.
I also pulled out my salad that was supposed to be for lunch today and walked to my office where I proceeded to wolf it down.
It was only as I was slurping up the last ranch-drenched lettuce leaf that I realized I had someone in my office with me.
Not the whole time, luckily. But sometime in the last few minutes, Jayco had stopped at the door and started to watch me.
“Hungry?” he teased.
I ignored him and licked my lips, using my hand to wipe my mouth free of any residual ranch before tossing the entire thing into the garbage by my desk.
Once that task was done, I practically gulped down my tea in four long swallows.
Damn, I was starving.
I thought running was supposed to help me slim down?
Granted, I’d never be the skinniest girl on the block. My genes just wouldn’t allow for that.
My mother had been a full-figured woman, and my father definitely hadn’t been a slouch in the bulk department.
“Hey, what’s that look for?”
I frowned at Jayco.
“What’s what look for?” I asked, my eyes going to the paper bag in his hand. “Did you go to Murphy’s?”