Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“Come here, perrito,” I murmured, pulling back the blankets. He quickly scurried to the bed on his scrawny legs and curled up beside me, resting his cold, damp head on my chest. Locking my phone, I set it down beside me and wrapped my arm around him, holding him close to me. “Go on to sleep,” I said softly. “When you wake up in the morning, we’ll have pancakes, eggs, and bacon.”
“Thank you,” he said softly.
I frowned, reaching up to rake my fingers through his wet hair. “What for, perrito?”
“For saving me,” he said quietly. He pressed a kiss to my chest, and my muscles clenched in response before releasing and relaxing me. “I think I’m going to really like living with you, Rico.”
My heart clenched in my chest. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, squeezing my arm around him tighter when he shivered.
“I’m going to really like living with you, too, Anurak,” I said softly.
CHAPTER FOUR
Anurak
When I woke up, I was by myself. The spot where Rico had been when I’d fallen asleep was cold, which meant he’d been gone a while. I slowly rolled onto my back and sat up, taking in the room. I hadn’t really taken the time to look at anything last night. I’d been so unsure of my place and what was expected of me that I’d only focused on Rico.
The bed I was in was a four-poster, wooden bed, and the thread count of these sheets had to be pure insanity because they were so soft. And the comforter draped around my hips and over my legs felt like I was beneath a soft, fluffy cloud—if I knew what clouds felt like. I imagined they felt like this blanket though.
A long, black dresser sat along one wall, and then another tall dresser sat in a corner. A nightstand rested on either side of the bed, both with lamps sitting on them. A clock hung on the wall above the bedroom door, reading a little after nine. Judging by the light trying to peek around the edges of the blackout curtains over the windows, it was morning and not night.
I gripped the blanket in my fists, twisting and untwisting the fabric in my fingers. I didn’t know what to do. Was I allowed to leave the room? Was I allowed to get up and use the bathroom? Rico had seemed so nice last night, but what if that was all a show and he’d be a monster this morning?
Master had been kind at first, too. Had gotten me to let down my walls, and then he’d torn me to pieces.
I hated being unsure of my place. Master had been a horrible human being, and I was so glad he was dead and could no longer hurt me, but I did miss his rules. I knew what to do and when to do it. I knew what was expected of me. I didn’t have that here. Rico hadn’t told me anything except the small orders he gave me last night before bed.
Oh and showers. I was allowed to take long showers whenever I wanted. Did that mean I could use the toilet, too?
Taking a chance because my bladder was about to explode, I slipped out of bed and quickly rushed to the bathroom, clutching at the hem of Rico’s boxer briefs to keep them up. Once I’d emptied my bladder, I rushed out of the bathroom to hurry back to bed, only to come to a halt, my heart slamming against my chest bone when the bedroom door opened and Rico stepped inside.
But instead of the anger I’d been anticipating, he just smiled at me in a way that made my insides feel all gooey. Some of the tension bled from my body.
“Good morning, perrito,” Rico greeted. That name sent a shiver racing down my spine. I didn’t know what it meant, but I didn’t care. I just liked it. “How long have you been awake?”
I glanced at the clock, noting the time, then looked back at him. “Only a few minutes.”
He held up his other hand, which had been tucked behind his back. I flinched, but then felt stupid when I realized it was just a shopping bag. He set it on the bed and removed the items, revealing a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a hoodie, socks, underwear, and a pair of sneakers. My lips trembled when he looked at me expectantly.
“Are those… mine?” I croaked. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had clothes to wear. I’d become so used to being naked. Even when Master let me wear a shirt, that was all I was allowed to wear. But wearing anything at all was seldom.
Rico nodded. “They’re yours, perrito. We’ll go shopping after breakfast to get you more clothes. I want you to have things that are all yours, okay?”