Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Yeah, that would be the perfect time for Sir and Pet to play some more.
Salem finished the last piece of work he had to do and glanced at the clock with a wince.
Shit.
He’d hoped to finish earlier than this so he could spend some time with his girl.
He wondered if she’d eaten any lunch. Getting to his feet, he stretched, working out the kinks in his body before he set off, trying to find her.
Ten minutes later, panic was just starting to form in his stomach as he put on his coat and stepped outside to find her sitting on the daybed.
“I’m starting to think that we need to put a tracker on you,” he grumbled as he walked over to the daybed.
She smiled up at him. “It’s a big house.”
“Yes, it is. What are you doing out here, Pet? It’s cold.”
“But the sun is shining,” she protested.
“That doesn’t make it warm.” He sat next to her.
“I’ve got my coat on, though.”
“Which I’m glad about.” He lifted her onto his lap. “But you also need a blanket, hat, gloves, and a scarf.”
“I’m not fragile. Where I used to live, this would be considered positively barmy.”
He frowned slightly. “And where was that?”
“Ahh, well, I moved around a lot. But for a while I lived on this cold island off the coast of Scotland with my Grandpa.”
She tensed slightly and he wondered if she’d meant to reveal that. She could be very secretive. It made him wonder if she had something to hide about her past.
Easy.
Don’t push her too much too fast.
“Your Grandpa? You lived with him?”
“Yes, after my mum died. It was just her and me for a long time. And then after she was gone, child services took me to live with my Grandpa. He was . . . interesting. He didn’t like people much and I don’t think he ever expected to be landed with a child. I can’t recall my mum ever mentioning him to me.”
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he told her, turning her so he could look down at her. “That must have been so hard.”
She shrugged. “I had my friends. They helped me.”
He had so many follow up questions. Like how old she’d been when she’d gone to live with her grandfather. And who were these friends? She’d never mentioned them before.
But he held them back, because he could tell she’d reached the limit of how much she was comfortable telling him.
“Would you prefer to live in a warmer climate?” he asked her. He loved living here but if she didn’t . . .
Whoa. Where had that thought came from?
“No. I’m happy here.” She smiled up at him.
“You are so beautiful, baby,” he told her huskily. “I’m sorry that I had to work so long.”
“It’s all right. I just came out here to clear my head a bit.”
“Have you had lunch yet?”
“It’s lunchtime?” she asked, shocked.
“It’s past lunchtime. How about soup and rolls?”
“Yummy. I don’t want to go in yet, though.”
“All right, we’ll have lunch out here. But I’m getting you a blanket and a hat.”
She pulled her phone out from where she’d hid it behind a cushion. She hadn’t wanted to risk Salem seeing the messages she’d received this morning.
They were the real reason she’d come outside. She’d needed some fresh air to try and settle her nerves.
Tamsyn rubbed her tummy.
The subterfuge was getting to her. It was making her feel ill.
These were good guys and what she was doing wasn’t right.
One of his lackeys had been sending her messages, telling her that he wasn’t happy.
And she knew what happened when he wasn’t happy.
She had to send him something or she was likely going to end up getting a visit. Which wouldn’t go well.
So she sent a message to the lackey. Because she didn’t want to talk directly to him.
Tell him that I’m living with them and they are falling for me. I’ll get them to spill their secrets to me. No matter what I have to do.
God.
She was going to puke.
Glancing up, she saw Salem walking toward her holding a tray of food with a blanket over his arm.
He was such a good man. And she was the worst sort of person.
“Here we are. Tomato soup with sour cream and warm bread rolls.”
Tamsyn wished she could eat the food. He placed the tray on daybed. Then he placed the blanket around her. He even produced a hat from his pocket and put it on her head.
Such a worrywart.
He settled in next to her, then reached over to grab a bowl of soup and a spoon, handing them to her.
She took it, holding it in her hands as she watched him grab the other bowl.
Then he sat and watched her.
“What is it?” she asked. “Is there something on my face?”
“No, baby, you’re beautiful as always. I was just waiting for you to start eating.”