Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“Oh,” I say, looking around in a panic. Shit! “Just trying to… get my… ten thousand steps in. You know, for cardio purposes.”
She nods even though I’ve never done any cardio-related anything before.
“Did you check on Mr. Young?” I ask, trying to act all nonchalant, but I’m leaning forward so hard that I’m coming dangerously close to doing a belly flop onto the floor.
“The shifter,” she says with a nod. “He’s awake and alert. Man, if I could bottle their healing ability up and sell it, I’d be a billionaire. Those guys are freaks of nature.”
“He’s awake?” I ask as my breath gets snatched out of my lungs.
She nods. “Yup. He asked about you.”
“About me?” I can feel my cheeks heating up. I can also feel my lips curling into a smile that won’t go away. “What did he say?”
“He’s not fully healed yet,” she says as she glances down at her phone. “He’s still a bit out of it.”
“Right,” I say dismissively, “but what did he say about me?”
“Something about the blonde doctor with the curves,” she says with a shrug. “I don’t remember.”
The curves?
I swallow hard as the smile fades from my face. I know I have big hips, but I didn’t think that was enough to dismiss me immediately. He must like his girls stick thin. Figures.
My mood plummets as I watch Alice write a text.
“He kept mumbling something about his mate,” she says as she sends it. “The guy is obsessed with her.”
“He has a… mate?” There’s a quiver in my voice but Alice is too preoccupied with her phone to notice it.
“He won’t shut up about her. Even when he was sleeping he kept talking about finding her and claiming her…. you know.”
“Lucky girl,” I say as I feel hot tears stinging the back of my eyes.
“Seriously,” Alice says with a nod. “Even with his face all mashed up, he’s a serious hottie.”
My shoulders slump down as I look at my shoes. I wore my best outfit for this guy. I spent two hours getting ready then had to run to work to make up for the time. And he’s got a girlfriend. Not just a girlfriend, a mate.
How ridiculous am I?
What did I think that the hottest guy I’ve ever seen is going to take one look at me and fall in love? Come on… You’re setting yourself up for failure.
“Oh, that reminds me,” Alice says as she stuffs her phone back into her pocket and looks at me with a grin. “I talked to Mitch about you. And good news, he’s up for a date.”
Normally, I’d be excited about a date. Even a blind date.
Alice said that Mitch would be perfect for me, but right now all I want to do is crawl under a blanket and watch Dirty Dancing on repeat while eating cookie dough ice cream.
“Um, okay,” I say as I clear my throat and try to get myself together. “I’ll let you know.”
“Oh, shit,” she says when she gets a page. “I gotta go. Duty calls.”
She takes off down the hall and my eyes go straight to room 76.
That’s where Rylan Young is.
I can still walk by and see him. Just to make sure he’s okay. I’m a doctor. That’s my job. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Before I can change my mind, my feet start moving toward the door.
I peek in and my breath is taken away when I see him lying on the bed. His eyes are closed but the swelling in his face has gone down. He looks even more handsome than I could have imagined.
I quietly walk in as my eyes lock on his massive chest that’s slowly moving up and down with every heavy breath.
For some reason, the sight makes my eyes water. He’s stunning. I could stare at him all day. I will if he doesn’t wake up.
With my heart pounding, I walk over as quietly as I can. He inhales deep and then starts jerking around on the bed. Softly at first, but then the convulsions get harder, like something deep inside is trying to jerk him awake.
He opens his eyes and I swallow hard when I see how mesmerizing they are. They’re a blue-gray color that grips my soul and won’t let go.
I stand there transfixed, heart racing, skin tingling, breathless, and disoriented. His face turns serious as he stares back at me.
Seconds go by. Neither of us moves. We don’t seem able to.
Say something, Mila!
“Hello, Mr. Mate… I mean, Mr. Rylan. Mr. Young. I meant to say Mr. Young.”
My eyes fall closed as embarrassment sets in.
It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s already taken.
“You were right the first time,” he says in a low voice that teases through my body. It gives me warm shivers all over. “You can call me Mr. Mate. Or, just mate.”