Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 16066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
“What’s up?” Tony is lounging back in the leather recliner with a drink in his hand.
“I need you to create a position in the organization for Tabitha.” His eyebrows shoot up to his forehead. “She’s an accountant.” The idea came to me while we were talking. It’s obvious my girl worked hard to get her degree and has a job she loves. I can’t take that away from her and I definitely want her to be happy, so I’ll just make her my personal accountant. It’s a win-win for me. I’ll have an accountant I can trust, and my future wife will have her career. At least, until the kids start coming. Then we’ll have to rework things. All of a sudden, I realize where my mind has gone. All these changes should terrify me, but I’m too in love with my girl to worry about how my life is changing.
CHAPTER
EIGHT
TABITHA
After Marco leaves the room, I check my text messages and see that nothing is happening in our chat. I guess all my friends are busy making good on our Valentine’s pact.
It’s probably a good thing since they’d all think I lost my mind if I told them I’ve fallen for a mob boss. And I’m staying at his house, making future plans with him. They’d send the police to make sure I haven’t been kidnapped. Nope. It’s much better if I keep my little secret for a while longer.
Next, I pull up my work emails and scan through them to make sure there isn’t anything urgent. I send a couple of quick emails to put out fires before closing down the computer.
I’m not sure how long Marco will be, so I decide to watch a show on his ridiculously big television set. It takes some finagling, but I manage to turn it on and find my favorite reality show. Bert and Ernie come over and curl up next to me on the sofa.
At some point, I fall sound asleep next to my new friends. My steamy fantasies involving Marco doing a strip tease for me are interrupted when my phone dings. Figuring it’s a message from my friends, I pull it out and see an unfamiliar number on the screen.
Unknown number
Hey, it’s Hunter
Hi.
I wonder how she got my number.
Unknown number
I hope I’m not bothering you, but I wanted to see if you want to hang out a little later. We could grab a quick dinner and get to know each other.
How do I answer her? I’d actually love to hang out with her. It would give me a chance to find out more about her uncle, but I would much rather spend the last night before I go back to work with Marco himself.
I’ll have to see if it’s okay with Marco.
I erase that message before sending it. It sounds too much like I’m letting him run my life.
I’ll have to see if Marco has any plans for us tonight. If tonight doesn’t work, could I take a rain check?
That sounds better. Happy with the message, I send it and wait for her reply.
Unknown number
Sounds great. Let me know.
A few minutes later, Marco comes strolling into the family room. “Hi, Tabby Cat.” He sits next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulders.
“Tabby Cat?” I’m not sure if I like the nickname.
“When you get worked up, you remind me of a hissing little kitten.” Marco shrugs. “My hissing little kitten.”
“I’ll have to think on it and see if I can handle that nickname long-term,” I tell him.
“We can negotiate on it later,” he tells me. “Something has come up with work, and I’ll have to spend the evening putting out fires.” My heart drops listening to his words. The short time we have together before I have to return to the real world and work is coming to an end quickly. “But we’ll spend the entire day together tomorrow.”
Marco is completely forgetting about my seminar tomorrow or he’s just ignoring it. I open my mouth to correct him, but he puts his finger across my lips. “I have plans.” He smiles down at me. “I need you to trust me.”
Fudgemuffin. It doesn’t make any sense, but I do trust him. Completely. With my heart and my life.
“I’ll have to let Mr. Winston know that I can’t make the seminar tomorrow.” I’m pretty sure my stuffy, no-nonsense boss is going to fire me for this one. Oh well, being with Marco is worth taking the risk.
“Don’t worry about it.” Marco hugs me close, and I feel my virgin girly parts wake up. Down girls, I tell them. Marco and I have a ton to work out before we can ask Marco to give my girly parts a workout.
“I’ll take care of everything. You go have a nice dinner with Hunter and let me take care of everything.” My shocked eyes meet his.