Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 75240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
No. It was better to stay away from men, which was what I did.
My resting bitch face took care of most of them, and when that didn’t cut it, I let them feel the edge of my tongue.
“Hey, do you need a ride?” Bowe asked from almost directly behind me.
I froze and turned, staring at the man who, not even seven hours ago, had seen the scars on my belly and immediately shut down any and all communication between us.
His eyes had kept drifting down to my belly, and yeah, I realized they were nasty and didn’t do it for most men, but they were a part of me. I literally couldn’t help what my body looked like.
Sure, I could control my weight better, but that would require actual effort on my part, and I wasn’t really up for the challenge.
“Nope, I’m almost there,” I said. “Another mile and a half.”
He chuckled. “It’s raining.”
“It is not,” I countered, then immediately felt the first rain drop.
Gritting my teeth, I started to walk faster.
The faster I walked, the faster it rained down on my head.
“Shit!” I growled in frustration. “Doesn’t this just figure?”
“Doesn’t what just figure?” Bowe asked, this time from his big fancy, truck.
I glared at the beautiful beast—the truck and not Bowe—before retuning my eyes to him.
“Doesn’t it figure that the one time I decide to try to make it to work without calling my brother like he told me to do, it freakin’ rains. Do you know how much hell I’m going to catch for this?” I asked him.
He gestured to his truck. “Get in.”
I sighed and hurried around the front of his truck, then opened the door and stared up at the thing with curiosity. “How do I get in?”
He grinned, then pointed to the handle. “Grab hold there, and then lift your leg and jump inside.”
I did as instructed, and landed half on the seat.
Scooting fully into the seat, and choosing not to notice how the seat’s cushion was blowing cool air up my ass, I turned to face the front.
“Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
“I have to go see Grams anyway,” he brushed off the thanks. “It’s about two minutes from the hospital. Won’t even notice the extra minute it’ll take to drop you off.”
I smiled and stared down at my hands.
“Yesterday…” he hesitated.
I waved my hand in the air.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No,” he stopped. “It…you make me…I swear I feel things when I’m around you that are completely irrational. A paramedic should be able to put those feelings on hold, but I can’t. Something about you makes my heart beat faster.”
I turned to face him fully, and my eyes widened when his eyes were on me instead of the road.
“Are you trying to kill us?” I asked him, pointing to the road.
He turned back, shrugging. “No. But I wanted you to understand that I was serious. That required eye contact.”
“You’re a nice man, Bowe,” I started.
He laughed.
“You know how many times I’ve heard that before?” he questioned me.
I shook my head. “No. But it’s no less true when I say it. I really think you’re nice.”
“But…” He waited for me to finish what I had to say, and he was right to have that skeptical look on his face.
“But I can’t have feelings like that for you.”
“Why not?” he challenged.
“Because you’re a firefighter.”
His brows lifted. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You’re a hero. A public service official,” I pointed out.
“Yes,” he agreed slowly. “And?”
“And you’re busy. I’m busy. We don’t have enough time to do anything more than say a cursory ‘hi’ when we pass doing whatever the hell we’re doing at that moment in time,” I expounded.
He snorted.
“How about you tell me what is really keeping you behind those high walls, and I’ll tell you that I’m the exact opposite of what you think I am,” he tried.
I shrugged.
“I’m busy.”
“You’re not busy,” he countered.
I smiled at him as he pulled into the hospital turn around that was used for patients to get in and out of their cars.
“You can say that all you want,” I pushed open the door, “But that doesn’t change the fact that I am.”
With that I closed the door to the truck, nodded at him, and walked into the hospital without looking back.
Well, sort of.
The only reason I didn’t look back was because there was a large wall of mirrors directly in front of me, giving me a great view of the man watching me watch him.
And what I saw in his eyes, the promise in them, wasn’t something I thought I could fight.
Chapter 6
Not every man can be bearded. Some need to stand on the sidelines and clap as we pass by.
-A Bearded Man’s secret thoughts
Bowe
“Whoa,” Booth said the moment he saw me. “What happened to you?”