Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Amusement filled his face and she noticed how much more relaxed he looked. Had she done that?
Huh. Maybe being edged was an okay price to pay if it meant he looked at her like that.
“Poor baby. And just so you know, you’re not allowed to touch yourself.”
“What kind of diabolical, mean thing is that to tell me?”
This time, his lips actually twitched.
“Although it’s not like you’d know if I touched myself,” she added.
“I’d know. I know everything.”
Damn it. She totally believed him.
“Now, my sweet girl, I have to go to work. What are you going to do today?”
“Hmm? Oh, I thought I might work on my writing. I mean, I know I’m probably not very good—”
“Stop, Jilly,” he said firmly.
“What?” she asked, staring up at him. He’d caught her working on her plot yesterday, so she told him about her small hobby.
“I won’t have you talking badly about yourself.”
“But it might be bad. You haven’t read it.”
“Then I’ll read it. Tonight.”
“You can’t read my work!” she wailed.
His eyes widened. Probably because she was acting like a crazy person. And she knew she was acting crazy, but she couldn’t help it.
This was her writing . . . it was her baby. She couldn’t let him read it. What if he hated it?
That would crush her.
“No, no, no, you can’t read it!”
“Baby, hush. It’s all right.” He cupped her chin, tilting her head back. “What’s wrong?”
“You . . . I . . . what if you don’t like it? What if it really is terrible?”
“I know I’m going to like it.”
“You can’t know that,” she said, shaking her head.
“I do. But if you’re not ready to show me, that’s fine.”
Her breathing came easier. She was acting like a lunatic.
“Sorry,” she said.
“No need to apologize, my sweet girl. You’ll know when the time is right to show me. Now, I want you to make sure you get plenty of rest. Have a nap this afternoon.”
She sighed. She wasn’t tired. But she also knew that arguing wouldn’t help.
“When will you be home?” It seemed like he usually worked late at night.
“Actually, I’m planning on being home to have dinner with you.”
“Really?” she asked, surprised.
“Really. Sound good?”
Oh. It sounded more than good.
36
She banged on her laptop keys in frustration. “You pain in the ass! Why? Why do you hate me?”
“Thea? Why is that lady yelling at her laptop?”
Jilly jumped into the air with a small scream. Turning, she saw a beautiful, curvy woman standing by the French doors with two boys flanking her. The boys looked just like her. All three of them had golden brown hair and hazel-colored eyes.
Shit.
She’d come out to the courtyard to work, but things weren’t going well. Her laptop was not only extremely slow, but it kept losing her work.
Technology was really messing with her flow. She might have to go back to pen and paper.
“Hi. Sorry.” She jumped to her feet. “I, um, I’m having technology problems.”
The smaller boy eyed her skeptically. “I don’t think yelling at your laptop is gonna fix it. Carrick says that we need to talk about our feelings rather than yell about them.”
“That’s smart,” she said with a small smile.
“Is it?” the boy asked. “I don’t really get what he means.”
“He means you should talk, not yell,” the other boy said. “It’s not that hard to understand, doofus.”
“Hey! I’m not a doofus! Thea, tell Keir not to call me a doofus.”
Thea stared up at the sky with exasperation. “Why? Why me?”
“It’s all right,” the younger boy said to Jilly. “She’s not losing her mind or seeing ghosts. She’s just praying for patience to deal with Keir.”
“With me? With you!”
“The two of you are giving me a headache,” Thea said tiredly. Then she smiled at Jilly. “Hi, I’m Thea. Jardin, Regent’s brother, is one of my fiancés.”
One of her fiancés? She had more than one?
That was . . . fascinating.
“These are my brothers, Keir and Ace,” Thea added.
“Hi, I’m Jilly.”
“We know,” Ace said. “Jardin said Reggie has never had a girl before. Man, he’s really old. I thought he would have had lots of girlfriends. Although, I get it. Girls are gross.”
Thea shook her head while Jilly bit back a smile. “You might change your mind on that when you’re older.”
“Nuh-uh. What’s wrong with your laptop?” Ace asked, coming closer.
“It’s ancient. And it keeps losing my work. It’s also very slow.”
“You should buy a new one,” Ace stated.
“Ace!” Thea said.
“Maybe she doesn’t have the money for that,” Keir told Ace. “Right?”
“Um, well. Yes, I guess that’s true.” And kind of embarrassing to admit to these strangers.
Thea put her hand over her face. “Give me strength. Why don’t you go see if Gerald has any cookies?”
Ace punched the air and took off, running. Keir followed slowly behind.
“I am so sorry about that, Jilly,” Thea told her.
“Hey, no reason to apologize. They’re cute.”