Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
“Daniel!” It came out a giggling screech—her stomach was the tickliest part of her body, which the demon very well knew. “I’m—going—to—kill—you!” she managed to gasp out between giggles.
Flipping to her back when he finally released her, she found an unrepentant Daniel Esera grinning at her. And boom, there went that fist of “like,” right into her chest, clamping itself around her heart. “I’ll get you for that,” she threatened, hoping he’d put her husky voice down to having just woken.
“Promises, promises.” Twisting, he bounded out of bed. “That was a good sleep.” With that satisfied pronouncement, he spread out his arms in a full-body yawn, all rippling abs and brown skin that glowed with health. “Want an omelet for breakfast?”
“With cheese. And onions. Lots of onions.”
“Weirdo. But okay.” Then he was gone, flexing his arms back to stretch his shoulders as he padded out the door, his body on bold display. She’d seen that body countless times over the years, from back when it was skinny and lanky, then lightly muscled, then as it was now. It had never made an impact in a male-female sense.
This morning her cheeks burned, flutters erupting everywhere.
Exhaling loudly, she stared up at the ceiling. “I do not need this complication,” she muttered. “I have enough on my plate.”
But her body wasn’t in the mood to listen. Neither was her heart. Because it wasn’t about Danny’s admittedly spectacular body—it was about the fact he’d made her cookies he damn well knew she couldn’t resist, how he’d come in here and sat with her, talked with her, watched TV with her, played silly guessing games with her where they tried to predict the plot.
Just because she’d needed it.
She had to admit it: Daniel Esera would make a wonderful boyfriend—for the right woman.
* * *
Danny slung the strap of his duffel over his shoulder, then grabbed Catie’s small roll-on case with his other hand. When she didn’t argue with him, just closed the door of their taxi and waited on the curb in front of the departure area of the airport, he knew her leg had to still be giving her trouble. Not enough for her to not wear the prosthesis on that leg, but enough for her gait to not be quite even, and for her to let him get away with playing knight in blue jeans and a gray sweatshirt.
She hadn’t even bitched at him when he’d called the airline and had himself transferred to her flight. Once inside the departure area, she took over, checking them in on the machines and choosing seats side by side. Both their pieces of luggage were small enough to go in the overhead compartments, but since their frequent-flier status allowed one piece of checked luggage each, they sent them through.
The security queue was longer than Danny had expected but moving along at a good clip when they joined it. Danny was aware of a few surreptitious glances, but no one approached them.
His muscles uncoiled.
He didn’t know how long he could keep up this facade—he felt like such a fraud when people treated him like a rugby hero. He wasn’t, and they’d all seen it from the stands or on the big screen over most of the past season.
* * *
“What’s up with you?” Catie asked with a nudge of her elbow. “You’re as jumpy as a cicada.”
“That is the oddest comparison ever.”
Catie frowned but left it for now. She’d dig out the problem later. At this instant, she was very conscious of all the ears around them. Most of these people probably didn’t care one way or the other, but she couldn’t take the risk that someone in the queue was a fan or just wanted a moment of social media fame.
A movement by her side.
Glancing down, she saw a boy of about seven staring at the prostheses exposed below her midthigh-length denim skirt. “Hey, little man.”
He looked up, brown eyes huge. “Are you a robot?” he gasped out.
Catie winked at him. “Shh.”
Face gleeful, he said, “Can I touch you?”
Having never had a problem with little kids and their curiosity, she said, “Sure, one time. My robot defenses might activate if you try it again.”
He raised a super careful hand and gently brushed his fingers against one rod of gleaming metal. “Cool.” It was all air.
“Manaaki! Manaaki!”
His head jerked toward the back of the line at the sound of that feminine voice. “I gotta go.”
“Bye,” Catie said and waved him off.
That was the most exciting thing that happened in the queue as they inched their way forward. Especially since Danny had gone silent and seemed lost in his own thoughts. Something had been up with him since he’d received a text message just as they’d gotten into the taxi for the ride to the airport.
It couldn’t be anything to do with his family because he’d have told her that straight off the bat. But it was clearly something important enough to weigh on him. It worried her. Danny was the most cheerful of all the adults in the family. And of the two of them, he was definitely the more even-tempered.