Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
"Your drink, sir," the waitress says as she appears with a glass of whiskey.
"Thank you," I tell her, wishing she'd step out of the way so I could keep my eyes on Caitlyn.
"Sir? Ma'am? Anything to drink?"
Zeus declines, whereas Caitlyn requests a bottle of water with the cap on.
Smart woman.
I can do nothing more than stare at her, and although it makes me feel like a complete fool, I find it impossible to do anything else.
"What brings you here?" Zeus asks, leaning forward and propping his elbows on his knees.
Her fake smile fades, making me wonder how hard it was for her to smile in the first place.
Her throat works on a swallow before she manages a response. "Nice weather we're having."
Zeus tilts his head slightly, but the guy isn't an idiot, and he catches on quickly.
"The sunshine makes it great for long rides on the bike," Zeus says, quickly shifting gears. "Have you ever been on a motorcycle, Dr. Rudd?"
"Caitlyn, please," she says. "No, I have never been on a motorcycle, and I can't see myself ever doing so."
"Caitlyn," he says, his tone having a hint of awe as if she just gave him an unexpected gift.
I'm no stranger to rage, but it's hardly ever a teammate I want to pound into the ground. Instead of looking over at him, which would no doubt lead me to connect my fist to his nose, I chance a look around the room.
Unfortunately, it's the exact moment the waitress is coming back with Caitlyn's water, and it leaves me looking like I'm staring directly at the collared naked woman.
I lift my glass, hoping she didn't catch me watching the naked woman. I see the exact moment she notices my wedding ring.
Her eyes dart away a second later.
I lean forward an inch, an explanation on my lips, but I think better of it.
Jericho warned me away from the woman, and I bet the man would consider this simple conversation a violation of that demand. Maybe it's better for her to believe the conclusion she just came to.
What changes if she knows?
Why do I care either way?
I glare at her, feeling a little uneasy for even worrying one way or the other because it's not something I usually struggle with.
"Umm," she says, putting her unopened bottle of water on the table between us as she stands. "Have a nice evening."
Zeus and I begin to stand out of respect, but she's gone before we can fully get our asses off the sofa.
"I never would've guessed you were someone who struggled to talk to women," Zeus says with a chuckle. "You made that shit awkward as fuck."
"I don't struggle with talking to women," I mutter, draining my second glass and considering asking Zeus if he has had his two-drink limit yet.
"What the hell was that then?" he asks, pointing in the direction Caitlyn left.
I fight the urge to follow her and make sure she makes it to her car safely. Instead, I grip the right arm of the sofa I'm sitting on to keep myself locked in place.
"She's Eli's therapist," I remind him.
"And a little kinky," he says. When I turn my head to glare at him, I find him comically raising and lowering his eyebrows rapidly like a fucking clown.
"You don't know that."
His head tilts before he pulls it back a few inches. "Did you forget where we are? Forget this is a previous patron invite-only event, which means it's not her first time here?"
"You need to forget you even saw her here in the first place."
"I'd never tell anyone she was here," he snaps, sounding offended.
It makes the guilt I have for blurting it to Jericho triple.
"It's no one's business," he adds, making it ten times worse for me.
"We have a fucking job to do," I grunt.
"Oh, I'm thinking of a job, alright. Did you see her lips?"
I slam my empty whiskey glass down on the table in front of me and slide closer to him.
"Do you want to be found in a ravine on the side of a mountain?"
His smile grows wider, his bright green eyes sparkling with mischief.
"So, you only have a hard time talking to women you have the hots for, huh?"
He stands, slapping me on my shoulder before walking away.
Chapter 7
Caitlyn
I wonder if people realize they're losing their minds or if it typically hits just out of the blue. Like one day, you're normal, and then the next, your head is all messed up with no recollection of what normal might actually be.
I feel like my world should be different.
Less than two months ago, it was my normal.
Now, I find myself second-guessing nearly everything I do. I've never struggled to get out of a car and visit a client. Other than nerves about wondering if I'm going to be a good fit for someone right before an initial meeting, I never falter.