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)
That she didn’t need to see Hayes.
But she had to admit that she’d been . . . well, she wasn’t sure what she’d been since she didn’t want to examine that emotion very closely.
It might be something that she didn’t want to admit.
He raised his eyebrows as he glowered down at her. There were no other words to describe that look on his face.
“Forget I said that,” she said in a high-pitched voice, backing away.
He shot his hand out and she flinched. She couldn’t help it. It was just instinct.
Something flashed through his face. It was so quick that she kind of wondered if she’d imagined it.
But in the back of her mind she acknowledged that it had looked a lot like horror.
“You’re scared of me.” The words were said in an emotionless voice and if she hadn’t’ seen that flash of . . . something, then she’d think he didn’t care.
But it was clear that he did.
“N-no.” She shook her head and attempted to force a smile.
Calm. Happy.
Things can always be worse.
“Sorry, you just . . . I’m just a bit jumpy after he grabbed me. That’s all.”
That was part of it.
“That so?”
“Yep. I think that’s understandable, don’t you? Not every day a girl gets grabbed by a jerk while just doing her job.”
She started to reach for the glasses on the table, needing to distract herself. The way he was staring at her was unnerving. It was like he could see right inside her.
One glass slid from her hand and smashed onto the floor.
“Oh, shit!” she cried, kneeling down without thought to pick it up.
“Freeze!” he snapped.
She froze.
What the heck? How had he done that? It was like he had command of her body.
Devi had to suppress a shiver of longing that went down her body. How often had she wondered what it would be like to have someone take control?
Although not in a setting like this.
She’d much prefer someone take command of her in the bedroom.
“What do you think you are doing?” he growled.
“Picking up the glass.” She’d kind of thought that was obvious.
A squeal of shock escaped her as he reached down and grasped hold of her under the arms, lifting her onto her feet.
“Wh-what are you doing?” she asked.
She tried to sound strong, but it came off a bit breathless and panicked.
He eyed her. “You shouldn’t be kneeling on the dirty floor.”
“The floor isn’t dirty!” she protested.
Well, it kind of was after a busy night. She grimaced as she stared down at her jeans. At least they were dark and hid a lot of sins.
“Yeah, it is. And you definitely shouldn’t be picking up glass with your bare hands.”
Okay. He kind of had a point with that.
He eyed her for a long moment. “No protest, huh? Good girl.”
Do not react. Do not.
“Here, Devi. I’ll pick up the glass,” Silla said, interrupting them.
Oh, thank God.
Silla could be loud. She said exactly what she thought. But right now she was Devi’s hero.
“You go have a break. Mac’s orders.” Silla sent Hayes a slightly wary look.
Devi should try and reassure her. But she was too rattled. She was still shaking. A reaction to everything that had happened. But she also thought it was a reaction to him.
Lord.
What was going on with her?
She rushed away without a word to him, heading into the staff room. She sat at the small, rickety table for a moment. But she couldn’t stay still.
She needed something to do.
Walking into the kitchen, she glanced around for something to clean.
Then she noticed the overflowing garbage bin.
The kitchen had closed an hour ago and Sandy had gone home. It was Andy’s job to clean up and take the garbage out. But he’d left twenty minutes ago.
Without throwing the garbage out.
Devi thought about going to find Mac. But by the time she did that, she could have taken the garbage out. And she had been looking for something to do.
Should she have thanked Hayes?
She should have, right? But she didn’t want to go back in there and see him. He’d seemed almost . . . angry with her.
You didn’t do anything wrong.
Sure, kneeling down to pick up broken glass with your hands was a dumb idea.
But she hadn’t been thinking straight.
Picking up the bag, she twisted it and hauled it behind her as she headed out the back door. A shiver ran through her as she hit the cold air.
Drat.
She should have put on her coat. She wasn’t thinking very clearly tonight.
Setting the bag down, she shoved up the lid of the dumpster and swung the bag up into it.
As she was setting the lid back down, she was suddenly grabbed from behind. A meaty hand went over her mouth, smothering her scream as she was drawn against a large body. A wave of body odor hit her, making her gag.