Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
I opened the door, and Cleo and Daisy were there.
Daisy looked me up and down then let out a quiet whistle. “Day-yum, you have to let me borrow that dress.”
My cheeks reddened slightly at the compliment, because I really did try hard to look nice. I splurged a little on a pretty dress, black and backless, with matching pumps. I had no idea where we were going to dinner and this was probably way too fancy for whatever Derek had in mind, but I felt slightly insecure by the women who had been with him recently…wearing double-zero jeans with big, fake tits. I didn’t want to look ordinary. I didn’t want to be a disappointment. “Thanks.”
Daisy twirled her finger. “Come on, we need the full spin.”
Cleo swatted her wrist. “You’re embarrassing her.”
“What?” Daisy asked. “She looks hot. She looks so hot that I’m a straight woman, and even I can’t stop staring at her.”
Cleo swatted her again. “Well, keep your hands to yourself.”
Lizzie came out and hugged them both. “What are we doing tonight?”
“Well, we thought we’d go to the movies and then dinner,” Cleo said. “And then bake a cake together at home.”
“That sounds awesome.” Lizzie turned to me and gave me a hug. “Tell Derek I said hi.”
“I will, sweetheart.” I hugged her tightly because she was growing up so fast.
“We’ll drop her off before eleven,” Cleo said. “Or…she can stay in one of the guest rooms, and I’ll drop her off in the morning.”
Daisy waggled her eyebrows at me.
“I want to spend the night,” Lizzie said. “I’m out of school, so why not?”
I didn’t want to argue with Lizzie in front of Cleo and Daisy, but I also didn’t hate the idea of Lizzie being out of the apartment for the night. “Alright.”
Daisy gave me a thumbs-up and winked. “You do you, girl.”
“What?” Lizzie asked.
“Nothing.” Daisy wrapped her arm around her shoulders and took her to the door.
Cleo gave me a wave. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Thanks for watching her,” I said.
“Oh, we don’t mind at all,” Cleo said. “We’re excited to spend time with Lizzie.”
They all stopped in front of the door when Derek appeared, ten minutes early. He stood with his hands in his pockets, wearing dark jeans, a white tee, and a black leather jacket on top.
Fuck…I loved it when he wore that leather jacket. And he knew it. He fucking knew it, so he wore it on purpose. It was a slightly cool evening, but not cold enough for him to wear a jacket since he always ran hot, so it was intentional.
That bastard.
Derek’s gaze was on me, ignoring his family, liking the dress as much as his sister did. He didn’t even notice Lizzie right in front of him.
“Hey, Derek,” Lizzie said. “Your mom and sister are taking me to the movies.”
Derek shifted his gaze down when he heard her voice. “That sounds nice. You guys have fun.”
Instead of sticking around for a long conversation, the three of them moved farther into the hallway to leave, Cleo’s arm around Lizzie’s shoulders. When Daisy passed Derek, she gave him a playful nudge in the side and whispered something.
He ignored her.
Their voices sounded down the hallway until they took the stairs.
Now, his eyes were on me, intense and hard, looking at me like he did every day, but now it somehow felt different. He stepped into my apartment and left the door open. With his hands still in his pockets, he kept his eyes on my face instead of letting his eyes wander down like they had earlier. He cleared his throat. “You look…nice.”
“Thanks. You do too.”
He turned back to the hallway. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” I grabbed my clutch and locked the door behind me before we headed down the hallway together. My heels gently tapped against the hardwood floor as we made our way to the top of the stairs.
He walked beside me with his hands in his pockets, not making conversation.
It was quiet, really quiet, and neither one of us said anything because we were thinking about something else.
When we reached the stairs, I stopped and glanced down to the next landing.
He stopped beside me and turned to look at me, studying my face to find the answer to the holdup.
I turned to look at him, to see his clean jaw because he’d shaved before he came over here. His hair was a little shorter because he got a haircut too. He’d perfected himself for this evening, and not because we were going out in public. His clothes fit him nicely in all the ways I liked, his shoulders broad and powerful, stressing the threads of his jacket that pulled it together. His shirt was tight over his flat and wide chest, the outline of his pectorals slightly visible. His jeans were low on his narrow hips and fitted to his lean and muscular thighs.