Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Really gotta go, Justine.”
“Fine. Just let me see my toy one more time …” I tug at his waistband, stretching it out to get a good look down his pants—and groan—before letting it snap back in place.
His abdominal muscles clench in response. “Message me later. If you want.”
“We’ll see. I may be too busy cleaning.” There are used condoms strewn all over the floor. “You left your DNA all over this place. I could frame you for murder.”
He frowns. “With my semen?”
“A crime of passion. You sick bastard.”
“But then you wouldn’t be able to enjoy my finer assets.”
“Conjugal visits could be fun. Imagine all that pent-up frustration.”
“Conjugal.” His eyebrows arch. “We’re back to talk of marriage, are we?”
“We’ve come …” I draw a circle in the air to finish my sentence.
He laughs as he heads for my bedroom door.
“Hey, don’t you want to know how I got your phone number?”
“Either Sara or the fridge receipt. Knowing you? The latter.” He smirks as he opens my door.
Scarlet is on the other side of it, in the kitchen, dressed for a day in the classroom, sipping on her coffee as Garrett strolls out, shirtless.
“Good morning,” he offers before veering down the hall to where the rest of his clothes wait on the floor.
“Morning,” she murmurs, her eyes trailing after him with interest before shifting back to peer at me lying in my bed.
Moments later, the front door opens and shuts.
“Good night?”
I yank a pillow over my face and scream into it.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ned surveys the porcelain bunnies and bouquets of tulips that adorn the Bonny Acres’ reception area. “I can’t believe I’ve never been in here before.”
“I can’t believe it’s taken me four months to convince you to come with me.”
“I don’t know if convince is the right word.”
“Convince, harass—we’re splitting hairs. The important thing is that you’re here.”
“And Vicki knows I’m coming?”
“I mentioned the possibility to her, yeah. And she was excited.”
He reaches up to touch the half Windsor knot with his free hand, his other gripping a small pot of pansies. “How is my tie? Is it straight? Trudy always used to fix them for me.”
I smile. I’ve only ever seen Ned in sweater vests and beige trousers, but it’s clear he’s chosen something nicer for tonight. “It’s perfect. You look dashing, young man. Stop fussing.” I offer him my arm, which he gingerly takes.
The common room is already half full of the usual Friday night social butterflies. Shirley is at her customary table, alone, playing a riveting game of solitaire. In a table by the far corner, Vicki huddles with a book. But she must have been watching the door because she looks up as soon as we walk in and waves at Ned.
“Justine!” Harper calls from the opposite side of the room, beckoning me over with a chin jerk.
I lift my finger to tell her “one minute,” but Ned pats my hand down.
“I can make my way over there. I’m not shy.” He shuffles across the room, slowing to greet several residents on his way past. It seems he knows more people at Bonny Acres than he realized.
Harper waits for me with an odd smile on her face.
“What’s up? You need help with decorations?” I look around. Easter eggs and bunny streamers hang from the ceiling. Everything seems set already.
“I do need help, but not with that. Nancy called me an hour ago to tell me she has a nasty bug, so tonight is your lucky night. The night you’ve been pestering me about for months.” She gestures toward the bingo ball, dragged out from the closet and waiting.
“Seriously?” I throw my arms in the air in victory. “Yes! Finally!”
Harper shakes her head. “I don’t understand you sometimes.”
“But you’re happy for me.” That’s what that little smile was.
“I’m happy I won’t have fifty-four residents with diarrhea this weekend.”
“Two things to celebrate, then.”
She snorts. “Also, pure evil is back. Guess we’ll need plates and napkins again.” She juts her chin toward something behind me.
I spin on my heels and watch as Garrett strolls across the room toward me, arms laden with a white bakery box. I can’t help the wide smile that erupts over my face. “What are you doing here? I thought you said you had something in the city tonight.” We’ve been texting daily. Casual, superficial messages. Mostly playful barbs at each other. A few feet pics for fun.
“I moved things around.”
“You should have warned me.”
“I like surprising you.” His eyes drop to my red tunic and leggings. “You look really good tonight.”
My pulse races, my fingers itching to reach out and touch him again. It’s been days, and my body instantly throbs at the sight of him.
“And you can’t look at me like that here,” I warn, acutely aware of the attention on us.
“Right.” He sets the pastry box down. Already, several residents are out of their seats and flocking toward us, all smiles for Garrett. They don’t care if he’s the harbinger of destruction for their beloved town. They want to know if he brought any of that lemon pound cake.