Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
“You are a better alarm clock than him.” My dad usually bursts into my room, flipping on the lights. Since Ronan has been here, he hasn’t done that once. It’s not as though my dad is going to catch us doing anything. All Ronan ever does is give me kisses that leave me breathless and needy.
The showers we have together are torture. He really does have a gift for that. I bet he’s the best in his business.
I’m all hot and bothered for hours after. Then the cuddling. Yeah, the giant man is a cuddler. I suppose there isn’t much of a choice. My bed is only a full-size.
I sit up, stretching while Ronan stands. He’s in black workout shorts and a shirt. The material conforms to his chest like a second skin. My eyes drop to the hard outline of his cock. He’s turned on. Not that he ever does anything about it. Does he not want me? That must be it. But he touches me as though he does. This is all very confusing.
“Don’t get in your head.” Crap. I forgot how good he is at reading people. I need to remind myself that he does it for a living. I have to learn to school my expressions, maybe monitor my breathing or get control of whatever else it is that gives me away.
“I’m not,” I lie even though I know he knows I’m full of crap.
“You’re not doubting yourself in some way?” How does he do that? He gets right into my head. It drives me crazy at times, but it also makes me feel seen. He understands me without using words.
“Maybe a little.” I admit it. I’m doubting what he feels for me because he doesn’t act on it. Not sexually, at least. At every other turn, the man is there, taking care of me.
“You want to ask me anything?” His brows lift; he’s giving me an opening. That’s Ronan. While he might be up my ass, he also leaves me room to figure things out.
“Nope.” I pop the P as I bounce up from the bed. I see he already set out workout clothes for me. They are folded on the corner of my desk.
I grab them and head toward the bathroom. I don’t even try to close the door. Why does that have me fighting a smile and not rebelling and slamming it shut? I’m not really sure.
I wash my face to help wake me up and brush my teeth. When I’m done, I change and pull my hair up in a tight knot to keep it from slipping free.
Ronan isn’t in the bedroom when I exit. My stomach drops. I hurry out of my bedroom and stop when I enter the kitchen to see Ronan standing there with my dad.
“You okay?” my dad asks.
“She got it in her head I left.” Ronan answers before I can.
“I’m just hungry.”
Ronan hands me an open protein bar. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“You can if you want.” I roll my eyes, taking a bite of the stupid protein bar. When the sweet taste hits my tongue, my eyes shoot back to Ronan, who winks at me. It’s not a protein bar. It’s a freaking Snickers.
“Not going anywhere until you do.” My dad’s eyes bounce between the two of us.
“You hear him?” I nod toward Ronan. “He’s weirdly obsessed with me.” And I’m finding that I really freaking like it, I think to myself. Then I glance over to Ronan to gauge whether he read my mind or not.
“If you’re going to have a man, I would want him to be obsessed with you. How I was with your mom.” Dad smiles at the thought of her. He always does.
“You’re supposed to be kicking him out. Not letting him sleep in my bed,” I point out. Dads are supposed to be breaking out the shotgun. Not encouraging this sort of crazy obsessed behavior Ronan is portraying.
“This is your home too, Ellie. And I’m not that old school.” Dad sets his coffee cup in the sink. “I got shit to do. You two sticking around?”
“Do you want us to leave?” Why is he asking that after he said this is my home too?
“I always want you here; you typically don’t stick around long, and you haven’t even left since Ronan got here.” I haven’t; there hasn’t been a need. Before, I was only leaving to go to check in on Ronan. He was the only thing that was bringing me out of hiding.
“I’m going to be around.” I shift on my feet, not loving the sensation of being trapped that is closing in each day.
I made a promise to myself after my mom died that I would never be stuck in one place for too long. I’ve become accustomed to a life that doesn’t include me putting roots down.