Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“I went to Hemingford Hall by myself,” she says softly, looking out her window. “The guy was weird. Made me feel uncomfortable.”
At least I know why she wanted to go together this time.
“Most people aren’t happy when you show up unannounced at their place of residence.”
“I know.” She glances back over at me. “That wasn’t even the bad part.”
I wait for her to elaborate. “Just spit it out already, woman.”
“Someone followed me there. They left me a flower and a note.”
“I’m sure it was your boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” She shakes her head. “I do not have a boyfriend.”
“You just grope dudes in parking lots for fun then?”
“What are you—oh. That was my twin brother, you idiot. Gross.”
Twin brother.
Would he have been living in my room too had Jamie not changed her mind?
“Looked intimate.”
“It wasn’t,” she grumbles. “It’s a stalker.”
I snort out a laugh. “Golden has a stalker?”
“This isn’t funny. It was scary.”
“Well, next time you’ll listen to me. I told you not to go there.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, clearly fuming at my words, and refuses to say another word. Shrugging, I turn up the music a bit and enjoy the beat of the next couple of songs on our drive. By the time we turn off on the road that takes us to Hemingford Hall, she’s relaxed again and eagerly taking in the sight of the stately building perched on the side of the lake.
An old truck and a maroon minivan are parked out front. I park beside the minivan and shut off my car. Gemma doesn’t immediately get out, instead glancing over at me beneath her thick lashes.
“Will you stay close?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her no because riding in the car was close enough for me, but real trepidation shines in her eyes. She may be my nemesis, but I won’t let some random guy make her feel uncomfortable. That’s my job.
“Yeah, Golden, I got you.”
She grins at me, a megawatt smile that nearly blinds me. It’s unfortunate she’s so fucking pretty. My dick twitches in agreement. That line of thinking needs to go out the damn window because I will not get distracted by her glossy perfection.
I climb out of the vehicle to avoid her disarming smile. An older woman with her blond hair in a messy ponytail greets us from the porch.
“You two must be the PMU students,” the woman says, beaming. “You’ll have to excuse my grouchy husband. Gregory prides himself on scaring everyone away. I’m Paula Nordstrom.”
“Gemma Park and Tristan Sheridan,” Gemma says for both of us. “Thank you for letting us come over on such short notice. We’re both eager to get started on our project.”
Paula’s eyes twinkle. “I remember being just as excited as you two when me and Gregory purchased this place. Somewhere along the way, we got overwhelmed. Mr. Pederson assured me his students are really good at what they do. Perhaps, after this project, we’ll have a plan of action we can finally take.”
“We’ll do our best,” Gemma vows, turning her charm up to what feels like an obnoxious level to me. “We may have to come over multiple times as Mr. Pederson may or may not have mentioned. We promise not to intrude. Just tell us where we’re not allowed to go and we’ll respect that.”
“You’re welcome anywhere, darlin’,” Paula says, gesturing for us to follow her. “Gregory may give you a little grief, but you just have to ignore him. That’s what I do.”
Gemma shoots me a quick look and it’s the uneasiness in her gaze that once again has me feeling stupidly protective over her. This Gregory dude can fuck off as far as I’m concerned.
“I’d give you the grand tour, but I have a feeling you’ll do a lot better if you explore on your own.” She points toward an open doorway. “I’ll be in the main sitting room with Gregory at the end of this hallway. This place is too big to heat, so we tend to stay in the front of the building as much as we can. Just holler if you need anything.”
I give her a nod and the two of us wait until she disappears down the hallway and into the main room. I’m itching to start going into each room one by one, but Gemma stops me when she grabs onto my wrist.
“When I was here yesterday, I think I saw an office. It could have belonged to Heming or Ford. Seems like a fun place to start.” She smiles at me and then starts tugging me behind her. “This place is freaking amazing, right?”
I stiffen but don’t pull my arm away from her, allowing her to lead the way. Her hand projects warmth through my jacket that radiates up my entire arm.
“I’m shocked you also find it amazing.”