Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Troy heads straight for a small room off the kitchen while I pause to take in the grandeur.
Windows line the wall facing me, showcasing a lush backyard full of tropical green plants and a pool. A chandelier hangs from the trayed ceiling over the center of a long table with leather bench-style chairs. The room opens on the left into a living area with oversized blue sofas and a ridiculous television. Pictures and baseball memorabilia are poised on built-in cabinets on either side and below the screen.
“Look at this kitchen,” I say, running my fingertips along the island countertop. “Is Lincoln’s wife a chef?”
“No clue,” Troy says from around the corner.
“What are you doing?”
He comes back into view. “Checking the security system.”
“Are we good?”
“We’re good.”
His shoulders drop, and he exhales slowly. For the first time today, I think he relaxes.
Suddenly, I’m aware we’re alone. Troy and I are in this beautiful house, away from everyone and everything. And it’s all for me.
My chest tightens. “Hey.”
He lifts a brow.
“Thank you,” I say. “I don’t know if I’ve said that in my rambles today. You didn’t have to do this, and I really appreciate it. I’m sure it’s very inconvenient.”
He stiffens again.
“But,” I say, “you should be thanking me, too. I basically saved you from Laina Kelley. Talk about being a hero.”
He tries not to show his amusement but fails.
“Come on,” I say. “Let’s see the upstairs.”
“You don’t find being in someone else’s house awkward?”
“Actually, yes, I do.” I grip the iron railing and lead him up the stairs. “But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay in a home that I’ll never, ever be able to afford. So I might as well soak it up.” She pauses. “Hell, I might be dead by the end of the day.”
“There are a lot of possibilities over the next few days, but that’s not one of them.”
I blush, making sure I don’t look at him. He probably meant that literally—and that’s not how I took it.
We check out three emptied bedrooms to the right of the stairs. In one of them, a scaffold is set up as if a painting crew’s about to start work. We go to the other side of the staircase and into a cozy bedroom with a white and blue bed, light-colored wood furniture, and an en suite.
“Look at that tub,” I squeal. “I’ve dreamed of having one since I was a little girl. My mother and I watched a movie where the girl bathed in a tub like this. Mom thought it was the epitome of sophistication, and that idea has been implanted in my brain ever since.”
“Does this make you a bath lover?”
“Yes. Absolutely. What’s more luxurious than lying in a basin of hot, soapy, sweet-smelling water until it runs cold?”
His lips twitch.
“What?” I ask, curious. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me, Troy.”
“Nothing,” he says, chuckling. “You’re right. A bath is the most luxurious thing in the world.”
I stick a finger into the middle of his solid chest—regretting it as soon as I make contact.
A blast of energy shoots up my finger and frazzles every nerve in my body. Troy’s eyes flash, but he recovers more quickly than I do. Still, I try to play it off by walking around him and into the massive walk-in closet.
“I like you agreeing with me,” I say, hoping my voice doesn’t betray me. “But not if you’re making fun of me.”
“I’d never do such a thing.”
“Look at this,” I say, pointing at an island in the closet that’s bigger than most kitchen islands. “This is utterly ridiculous and the coolest freaking thing at the same time.”
Troy shakes his head. “These people have more money than they know what to do with.”
I hop onto the island and swing my feet back and forth. “What would you do if you had all this money?”
He shrugs.
“Come on,” I say, taunting him. “What would you do? Would you buy a house like this? Would you buy a fancy car? Would you just travel the world and not have a care in the world?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’d probably make sure Travis is set up for life and then take it day by day.”
My heart squeezes at the look in his eyes when he mentions his brother.
Troy’s said things about Travis here and there. I know his brother exists. I know they have dinner together sometimes. But I don’t know anything deeper.
“Are you close with Travis?” I ask.
He nods.
“He’s your only sibling, right?”
He nods again.
I smile. “We might be here a while. If you don’t start talking, you’ll have to listen to me, which usually irritates you.”
“Excellent point.” He gives me a crooked grin. “Trav is my only brother. We’re pretty close. I don’t see him every day or anything like that, but you know …”
I hop off the counter. “He’s really lucky to have you.”