Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
For someone who’d grown up in the city, scenes like this, rolling hills, and animals grazing off in the distance was something she’d not been exposed to until coming to the farm. It was a far cry from what she’d always expected. There was no smell of manure to abuse her nose, no unsightly droppings all over the ground. In fact, the closest animals were the horses corralled a few thousand yards from the house.
“How was your shower?” Riley joined her at the table and poured her another glass of wine before taking his seat at the head of the table to her right.
“It was fine; we need to talk.” She figured she’d get this out of the way before they went any further.
“About?” His answer was calm, laid back as if he had no idea what they could possibly have to discuss.
“About you moving me in here after I distinctly told you I wasn’t ready.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“What do you mean shoot? That’s it; you moved me in with you when I said I wasn’t sure I was ready.”
“Exactly, you weren’t sure, you didn’t say no, had you…no, that’s a lie, even if you’d said no, the results would’ve been the same. If that’s all you wanted to talk about, why don’t you tell me about this new case of yours?”
Celia’s mouth was down to her chest in disbelief. “Riley, you do know this is the twenty-first century, and women have minds of their own. There are such things as boundaries…”
“Let me stop you there; I’m not into that new age shit when it comes to relationships. My woman stays under my roof, where I can take care of her. If you wanted to have one those twenty-first century things like you’re talking about, then you shouldn’t have got in my bed.”
“You can’t be serious, are you serious?”
“Celia, did you or did you not have feelings for me long before this?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Is there someone else out there you plan to see? Did you plan to leave your options open in case something better comes along?”
“Of course not that’s not the point.”
“That’s exactly the point. We’re together we spent weeks getting to know one another, I fucked you six ways from Sunday and then some. What the hell did you think was going to happen after that?”
“But we don’t have to live together…”
“That’s what you think. Had you been listening to me in the last few weeks, you couldn’t have missed the sort of man I am.”
“When I lay claim to a woman, I’m not about to leave her out there in the wind for some other asshole to come sniffing around. When I roll over in the night with my dick hard, should I fuck the pillow? What’s the point of having a woman in my life if she’s not there when I want her?”
“And you? Why do women settle for so little these days? You’d really be comfortable leaving my bed and my home and going back to that little hut of a place when you can be here sharing all this with me?” Why did his unreasonable words seem to make sense? Her argument had sounded legit in her head earlier when she was putting it together; now, he’s making her second guess herself with just a few archaic sentiments.
“Do you even hear what you’re saying?”
“I’m the one saying it, so yeah. And before you hit me over the head with your modern woman feminist bullshit, know that no matter what you say, your ass isn’t going anywhere. Now how did that poor girl die?”
The detective in her was affronted, but the woman in her couldn’t help but be tickled by his take-charge attitude. It had been so long since anyone wanted to take care of her and never in such a spectacular fashion. But if she gave in now, would he always expect her to cave to his dictates in the future?”
“I keep telling you that mind of yours is going to get you into a world of trouble. Stop comparing me to those assholes you knew back in the city, I’m not them, and you shouldn’t want me to be. Where are they now? Speaking of which, I wanna know about this guy you slept with.” Celia choked on her wine and stared at him wide-eyed.
CHAPTER 15
“You can’t be serious, why would you want to know about him?”
“I’m not really interested in him as a person just in what he means to you and if he’s someone you’re still in contact with. I don’t mind telling you that I’m a territorial fuck. I’m not the kind of guy who can be cool with his woman staying friendly with someone she’s been to bed with.”
“He’s married with a kid, and we haven’t seen or spoken to each other in years.”