Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
“You better go in there, Zeke. She might be hurt,” a feminine voice said.
Zeke? Hayes’ friend Zeke? Oh no. She looked terrible. She was wearing some loose pants and a T-shirt with the arm cut out of one side. Plus, now, she’d splashed the floor and herself in water.
“What if she’s naked?” Zeke asked.
“Well, ask her,” the woman replied.
“Uh, Devi? Are you naked?” he asked.
“No,” she said in a high-pitched voice. She knew she should leave the bathroom, but she was kind of scared to walk on the wet floor.
Knowing her luck, she’d likely slip and hurt herself even more.
Shoot.
“I’m coming in then.” The door opened and an attractive, dark-haired man stepped into the bathroom. His blue gaze took her in as she held the mop while standing in the middle of a puddle of soapy water.
To her shock, he grinned. “Oh, you’re in so much trouble, pretty girl.”
What?
Stepping forward, he didn’t seem to have any problem walking on the slippery floor.
“I’m going to pick you up, okay?” he said in a firm voice.
“I can walk.”
“Not happening. Hayes told me that you’re clumsy. I don’t want you falling over and hurting yourself.”
“He told you that I’m clumsy? Sheesh. Did he tell you anything else embarrassing about me?”
“If he did, I’m not telling. I’m picking you up now.”
His voice left no room for argument.
“Um. Okay.”
“I’m Zeke, by the way.”
“Devi.”
“I know.” He lifted her into his arms. Yum, he smelled like mint.
Probably not something you should notice.
He carried her out of the bedroom to where a gorgeous woman sat in a wheelchair in the middle of the room.
Her eyebrows went up. “What happened? Why does she have a mop?”
“Spilled a bucket of water in the bathroom,” Zeke said.
“Oh and she was trying to mop it up?”
“Hmm, looked more like we startled her and she knocked it over.” Zeke set her down on the sofa. “Is that right, Devi?”
“I’m so sorry. I’m a mess.” She let the mop go and tried to fix her hair.
“Well, no one cares about that,” the woman said, waving her hand through the air. “Least of all us. I’m Eden.”
“Hi,” she said quietly. “I’m Devi.”
Zeke crouched in front of her. “Surprised that Hayes is letting you clean the bathroom when you’re barely out of the hospital and have an arm in a sling.”
“Letting me?” she repeated.
“Letting you,” Zeke said firmly. “As in gives you permission. If I know Hayes, which I do, he has not given you permission to clean the bathroom.”
“I really don’t think I need permission to clean a bathroom,” she muttered.
“It’s not the cleaning the bathroom part,” Eden told her. “It’s the fact that you did it while injured. And you waited until he left to try. These guys are hugely overprotective and I’m pretty sure Hayes might be the worst of all of them.”
“That I believe,” she said. “He doesn’t like me doing anything. I can’t even get my own coffee. I’m lucky if I’m allowed to use the toilet on my own.”
Eek. Had she really just said that?
She snuck a glimpse at both of them. Weirdly, they looked kind of relieved. That was odd. And they were smiling.
“I can’t believe I just told you guys that. Sorry. Too much information.”
Eden just smiled. “Don’t worry. If anyone knows how you feel it’s us poor women who live here on Sanctuary Ranch.”
“Poor women?” Zeke growled.
“Yep. We’re constantly bossed around by Neanderthals.” Eden winked at her. “It’s a terrible life. All these gorgeous, sexy men telling us what to do, protecting us, taking care of us.”
Zeke just shook his head at her before walking over to kiss her lightly. “I’m going to go mop up the water in the bathroom. The two of you can sit right here, understand?”
“Oh, I can’t let you do that!” Devi tried to stand but Zeke shot her a stern look and she froze.
“You just stay right where you are,” he ordered, pointing a finger at her. “Until Hayes gets back, you’re under my charge.”
“See what I mean? A total Neanderthal.” Eden shook her head. “So bossy.”
“Are they all like that? All the men who live here?” she asked. It was actually a relief to sit. Her head was swimming and she felt tired.
“Pretty much,” Eden told her. “Some are worse than others. And Hayes . . . girl, you’re in trouble once he learns what you were doing.”
“I was just trying to help. I feel like I owe him. He’s doing so much for me.”
“Well, I wouldn’t lead with that,” Eden advised. “These guys don’t like when you say that you owe them. They do stuff for us because they want to.”
“I just don’t understand why he wants to do this. Why he even wants me here. I know I’m in danger back home, but why does he care so much?”