Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 124140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 621(@200wpm)___ 497(@250wpm)___ 414(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 621(@200wpm)___ 497(@250wpm)___ 414(@300wpm)
Cat:
I can’t afford not to work.
Alejandro:
Your landlord is releasing you from your rent. The place will be cleaned out by the end of the week, and you have a credit card now. You’ll use that to buy anything you need so there is no need for you to work. Comprende?
Deep breaths, Cat.
She didn’t know how to reply to any of that. He needed to learn that he couldn’t control everything.
Be nice, Cat.
Don’t tell him where he can stick his damn credit card.
Holding back was so difficult, though.
Sometimes she felt like she was floating on a high with him. He could be caring and tender.
Then other times, he was a complete tyrant.
And she still wanted him.
It was completely baffling.
Alejandro:
Why is Bernard complaining about you prancing around half-naked in front of him?
That rat bastard.
Cat:
I was in a towel! He needs to take a chill pill. Take that stick out of his ass.
Another knock on the door had her glancing over.
“Yes?”
Bernard opened the door. “Mr. De Leon said that I must make sure you eat lunch.”
“I can make myself something,” she replied.
“Not in my kitchen, you won’t. Tell me what you would like and I will make it for you.”
Yeah, she could tell how happy he was about that too.
“Just butter and bread. Thanks.”
“You need to eat more.”
“You asked what I wanted,” she said impatiently.
“Fine. But I will be—”
“Informing Mr. De Leon. I know.”
“Also, some packages have arrived and I’ve set them up in the pink room as instructed.”
She moved to the door, aware of how Bernard averted his eyes. Dear Lord.
“Where is the pink room?”
“I’ll tell you.”
“You will?” That seemed too easy.
“After you eat lunch. A proper lunch.”
She gaped after him. “Well played, Doomy. Well played.”
Well. Hell.
She closed her eyes and opened them again.
But they were still there.
The pink room was exactly how it sounded. An abundance of pink. Immy would love it. There was pink wallpaper with white bunnies on it. Really cute.
Completely not her.
A single bed in the corner with a pink coverlet and a white wrought iron headboard similar to the one in the blue room. A white desk and chair sat across the other side of the room. And there was a huge, pink chair in one corner that looked like a great spot to curl up.
She’d checked through the closet to find more clothes had been delivered. Most of them were pink.
Seemed like Alejandro had been expecting a princess.
And instead, he’d got her.
Poor bastard.
Only . . . did he know the real her? Warts and all. Because she was holding back.
Guilt filled her.
Maybe you should tell him why you are here.
But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t see him staring at her in distrust and anger. He’d want to know how she’d set everything up and that would expose her friends to his wrath.
No. It was better this way.
Pushing all of that aside, she studied the items in front of her.
The things he’d bought especially for her.
And didn’t that make her feel special? She wasn’t used to gifts like this. Heck, she wasn’t really used to being given gifts at all.
And these were . . . amazing.
An oven that you could actually cook in. Well, if you had the correct mixes.
And a doll that could cry and shed tears. That could eat and poop.
The two things she’d wanted as a child but never had. It wasn’t like not having these things had affected her. They’d been wants, not needs.
But he’d remembered.
And he’d bought them.
Not only that, but there was also an enormous pretend kitchen that she could play with.
She should be happy. And part of her was. But she also . . . she didn’t know what to do.
Grabbing hold of Roger and Snuggly, she held them tight. What was she supposed to do?
Play?
How? Freeing her Little side didn’t come so easily without Alejandro here. Did he bring out her Little?
She guessed he did.
She chewed at her thumbnail, wincing as she remembered that she’d already chewed it to the quick.
Ouch.
The toys were almost too pretty to touch. To clean. Cat shouldn’t be touching them.
Yeah, she’d just leave them like this.
And then if he ever found himself a Little he wanted to risk falling in love with, they’d be in pristine condition.
Alejandro stared down at his phone in irritation as they pulled up at Tia’s Café.
Cat had received his gifts. Bernard had texted him to say they’d arrived and that she’d spent a few hours in the pink room.
That wasn’t the only thing he’d texted him. He was going to need to have a chat with Bernard about how much he needed to tell him.
Alejandro didn’t need a minute-by-minute report.
But he thought that Cat might have texted him. Bernard told him that she’d left everything as it was. She hadn’t even opened the packaging.
Didn’t she want to play with the toys? He thought it might give her something to do while he wasn’t there.