Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
He shrugs and takes my hand. “It’s a rental. I wanted somewhere private for us tonight.”
“So this is an Airbnb ?”
He nods. “Disappointed?”
“Hardly,” I scoff. “Impressed, actually. This is…sweet.”
His deep laughter echoes on the quiet street and shoots through my body, infusing me with the lust that’s always present when I’m around Joaquin.
“Good,” he says with a sweet smile. “Come on.” He gives my hand a squeeze and tugs me toward the house. He motions me to enter and locks the door behind us. He flicks a switch, and soft lights illuminate the lower floor.
I gasp when I take in the beautiful rooms. “Wow, this place is fantastic. Like a dream home.” My dream home, anyway. I might decorate a little differently, but this looks like the sitcom homes I always wished I lived in growing up. “It smells so good in here. Does the place come with a chef?”
“No,” he smirks and tugs me through the living room and into the kitchen, where the heavenly smell intensifies. “Unless you think I might be a chef. I made us dinner. My mama’s chili rellenos. Hungry now?”
My mouth drops open in shock, and all I can do is nod like an idiot. “You cooked dinner?”
“Yep.”
“For us?”
He nods again. “Yes.”
I blink, so fucking confused and wondering if I’m still in that damn hospital bed, dying of fever. “Wow.”
He lets out another laugh. “Guess my cock isn’t the only way to shut you up.”
I reach out to smack him, and he grabs my wrist, pulling me close until our bodies line up perfectly. The sweet kiss he drops on my lips is so soft, so gentle that I can feel my eyes sting with unshed tears. I moan when he pulls back and licks my lips.
I pull away and ask, “Need help with anything?”
“Nope. Just have a seat.” A small smile spreads across his face, and he nods toward the quaint kitchen table.
“So, this is your mama’s recipe? She taught you how to make it?”
No man has ever cooked a meal for me, and definitely not a family recipe. It feels like this might mean something, but I can’t get ahead of myself. He’s been a jerk for too long.
“Yeah, she taught me to make the basics because she didn’t want me to be a useless husband later in life, but then she taught me this to keep me off the streets. It broke her heart that it didn’t.”
Guilt is written all over his face, and I place a hand on top of his.
“She would be happy to know you still remember the recipe.”
His mouth twists into a lopsided smile. “Maybe.”
More silence settles between us as we eat the delicious stuffed chili pepper. “She would definitely be proud,” I say and pat my belly. “I plan to have more. Later.” It’s time to clear the air and enjoy what’s likely to be our last fuck, so I fold my arms and wait him out.
Eventually, Joaquin speaks. “I’m not mad at you, Willow, and I’m sorry if that’s how it seems. Sometimes I’m not sure how to handle shit that comes up.”
I nod and wait for more, but several minutes pass in silence, and I think that’s all he’s going to say. I’m not sure how I feel about that. He’s not mad at me, but something had angered him. I want—no, need—to know what it was. “You were mad, though.”
He nods and takes a long pull from his beer. “Hell, yeah, I was mad. At myself. If not for me, you wouldn’t have been shot, Willow. I’m so fucking sorry about that. Knowing that asshole was so close to you because of me, it pissed me off.”
“I get that, but I already told you that I don’t blame you.” I pause to see if I’m getting to him. He looks down at his plate, and I can’t tell, so I just continue. “And if I don’t blame you, how can you blame yourself?”
Nothing. So, I sigh because I can see where this is going. “I don’t want you to keep me close because you feel guilty. I’m not into being a charity fuck.”
Especially from a man I want to love me.
Finally, he looks up, at some point over my head. “I should have protected you, Willow. You’re my ol’ lady, and I wasn’t able to keep you safe from those fuckers. That feels shitty.”
“Your ol’ lady?” My heart thumps like crazy against my chest, and I hold my breath waiting for what he might say next.
Joaquin nods. “Damn right, you’re mine, and from here on out, I’m going to protect you. No matter what. I just, fuck, I don’t know…I need you to know that I can protect you, Willow.”
I blink, and my brows furrow to match the confusion I feel in my heart. I thought he didn’t give a damn about me beyond my skills in the bedroom. I told myself it was too much to hope for that he might return my feelings.