Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I open my door, and getting out of the vehicle, I wonder if I should walk home.
Callan’s eyes lock on me. “Next time, wait for me to open the door for you.”
Feeling a little confused, I just nod.
I glance up the road in the direction of my place and say, “Thank you for the day. It was fun.” I take a few steps away from him and feel awkward when I meet his eyes. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
A frown forms on his forehead, and he shakes his head at me. “You’re not going home yet.”
“Oh.” My nervous chuckle sounds like I’m a deflating balloon. “I’m not?”
The corner of his mouth curves into a sexy grin as he walks closer to me, and taking my hand, he pulls me across the road and in the direction of Central Park.
“You said you had to be back by five p.m.,” I remind him.
He shakes his head again. “I have a bit more time as I pushed my plans for the evening back by an hour.”
He did?
My heart sets off at a crazy pace because after spending the entire day with me, he’s giving me more time.
I glance away from him so he can’t see how much this means to me.
You’re just a client he enjoys spending time with. Don’t get caught up in your feelings.
My eyes lower to where his hand is wrapped around mine, and I struggle to ignore how good it feels.
Don’t misunderstand what’s going on here, Lillian. Callan is used to pretending to be a woman’s date. It’s just a habit for him.
He lets go of my hand and points toward Gapstow Bridge. “Are you okay with taking a walk?”
I nod, and as we follow a path, I forget about my worries.
Callan glances down at me, and the intensity of having his eyes on me hits me square in my chest.
“I’m actually surprised we haven’t met at an event or fundraiser before.”
I scrunch my nose. “It’s not my kind of thing. My older sister is the socialite in the family.”
The past week pops into my mind, and I wonder what my parents would say if they knew I was hiring the wealthy CEO, Callan Wright, to spend time with me. He’s been featured in news articles before and was voted New York’s most eligible bachelor.
Still, the part about me hiring him won’t go over well with my parents.
God forbid they find out. They would die of heart attacks.
“I’m not close with my family.” I instantly regret letting it slip and quickly change the subject by asking, “Do you enjoy social events?”
“Hell no,” he chuckles. “Harper forces me to attend them. We’re close friends, so she gets away with murder by making me endure boring functions.”
“She was really nice when she called me,” I mention.
“The two of you would get along. She’s also down-to-earth.”
We reach the bridge and stop to stare at the scenic nature below. After a while, I turn around and scoot my butt onto the ledge so my back faces the water.
Callan lifts his eyebrow. “Careful. Don’t fall in.” He moves closer until he’s standing in front of me, and for an intense moment, he just looks down at me.
Unable to read his expression, I ask, “Do I make you nervous by sitting on the ledge? I can get off.”
Shaking his head, he glances to our left where a couple is taking photos of each other and a group of guys are kicking a ball around.
“I don’t get to come here often.”
“Me too,” I murmur.
We had fun at the fair, but during the drive home, Callan grew quiet.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yes.” His eyes flick back to me. “Why? Don’t I look okay?”
“You’re quieter than usual.”
“I’m just enjoying the quiet after all the noise at the fair,” he explains.
Suddenly, a ball flies our way, and I duck to avoid it hitting me. “Oh crap!” I shriek as I start to tumble backward.
Callan reacts fast, and while slapping the ball away, he grabs hold of my arm and yanks me off the ledge. My body plows into his, and I grab hold of his sides so I don’t lose my balance.
Standing so close to him, I’m instantly overwhelmed by how amazing his body feels against mine.
Lifting a hand to my face, he nudges my chin up, his gaze filled with worry. “Are you okay?”
Feeling a little stunned, I whisper, “Yeah.”
“Sorry,” one of the guys calls out, but Callan doesn’t even acknowledge the apology.
His eyes keep darting over my face while his hands rub up and down my arms. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Thanks to your quick reflexes, I’m fine.” I give him a grateful smile.
He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and pulling me against his side, he steers me away from the bridge.
We must look like a couple to everyone passing us by, but Callan doesn’t seem to care.