Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
I glance at my feet once more. “I’m sorry. I just…” I don’t want to tell him why I ran. I don’t want to voice what I know to be true.
Orion sleeps with all the women he protects, and I’m just another notch on the bedpost for him. I feel ashamed.
Orion studies me for a moment and then wanders off down the hall, shutting himself into his office.
I feel so foolish I could scream, but I won’t. Instead I feed Jeb, and then head off to the bathroom to take a long, hot shower, and try my hardest to forget about that kiss.
However, easier said than done.
I grip my broom tightly, my heart drumming a frantic beat in my chest. Focus, Briar, I remind myself, sweeping up the stray feathers and bits of bird poop scattered across the walkway. The humid air in the aviary clings to my skin, and the chorus of parrots and cockatoos provides the usual soundtrack to my workday. Normally, the chatter is comforting. Today, it only heightens my nerves.
Orion stands a few paces behind me, his tall frame impossible to miss even if I weren’t trying to ignore him. I can feel his presence like a static charge in the air, prickling the hairs on the back of my neck. We haven’t spoken much since yesterday, when he kissed me on the beach. It was a kiss that turned my world upside down, and I’m doing everything I can to push it out of my mind while I’m on the clock. But how can I forget when he’s right here, watching my every move?
I shove the broom across the concrete path a little more forcefully than necessary, trying to channel my racing thoughts into something productive. Usually, work is my escape. But now, the sense of security I normally find here has been overshadowed by the constant buzz of fear that Jason could appear at any moment. Don’t be ridiculous, Briar, I scold myself for the hundredth time. He can’t just waltz in here without a ticket or a plan.
Still, I catch myself checking every corner, every shadow. The flutter of feathers from the cockatiels makes my heart jump, and when a man with blond hair brushes past me, I freeze, thinking it’s Jason for a split second. My mouth goes dry, and I have to swallow down a wave of panic before I realize it’s just a stranger, a random guest. Not Jason.
From behind, I sense Orion shifting his stance. Is he about to come over? My heart skitters at the possibility. Focus, Briar. Sweep. I force my attention back to my broom, inhaling through my nose as I bend to collect some stray feathers.
I catch sight of my coworker, Heath, approaching with a sympathetic smile. He’s wearing the standard khaki uniform minus the Tweed jacket, and there's a half-eaten granola bar in his hand. “Everything okay?” he asks, concern etched in his brow. “You look kinda frazzled.”
“I’m fine,” I lie, pulling the broom close to my side, my knuckles turning white around the handle. I glance over my shoulder without thinking. Orion’s dark eyes meet mine, and the intensity there makes my pulse spike all over again. I snap my gaze back to Heath. “Just a little jumpy, that’s all.”
Heath bites his lip, looking like he doesn’t quite believe me. “You sure? You’ve been glancing around like you’re expecting someone to jump out at you.”
I force a shaky laugh. “Don’t be silly. Probably just had too much coffee this morning.” My attempt at a joke falls flat, and Heath’s concerned expression deepens.
Suddenly, someone tall and imposing steps in from my left, and my nerves jolt again. But this time, it’s Orion. He’s practically towering over both of us, arms crossed, eyes flicking between Heath and me. “Briar,” he says in a low voice, “you all right?”
My cheeks blaze. The way he says my name wraps me in warmth, even though I’m painfully aware of how transparent I must look. “I’m—”
“She was just telling me she’s fine,” Heath interjects, sounding doubtful.
Orion’s gaze slides toward Heath, assessing him with a cool detachment I’ve come to recognize as his protective mode. “Thanks,” he says curtly, turning his attention back to me. “I’ll take it from here.”
Heath raises his hands in a gesture of surrender. “All right, no problem. I was just—”
“Thank you for checking in, Heath,” I say, cutting off any friction before it starts. He nods and heads off, leaving me alone with Orion.
The air crackles with tension as Orion steps closer, his stance stiff, his expression unreadable. “You sure you’re good?” He lowers his voice, leaning in slightly so only I can hear. “You keep looking around like you’re expecting Jason to pop up.”
“I’m just... paranoid, I guess,” I admit, hugging the broom handle for dear life. “Every time I see someone with blond hair, I think it’s him.”