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)
"Coffee is fresh also," Zeus says, his bright green eyes shining in my direction as he points to the coffee pot.
I try not to think about this man and the fact that he has seen me completely naked and strapped to a cross in the middle of a sex club while strangers ran their hands over my body. When I chance a look in his eyes, I find his locked onto mine rather than running the length of my body and imagining what he has already seen.
I make a plate and pour so much coffee into a mug that I nearly spill it on my way to the table, but I'm going to need so much caffeine today just to keep my eyes open.
As tired as I was yesterday evening, I spent the night tossing and turning, half wishing Roman would knock on my door and the other half worried that someone else might try to enter the room.
I'm halfway through my coffee and completely done with breakfast when the back door opens with a burst of frigid air.
Eli's smile is so wide it makes one form on my face. His cheeks are red from the blustery weather, and the tip of his nose is turning pink.
"She melted the snow with her pee!" the child yells, making everyone in the room chuckle. "And her poop—"
"Eli," Nolan warns, making the child freeze.
He looks at his dad, and I can see the doubt in his eyes, as if he's afraid that something bad will happen.
The child works through those thoughts, a look of relief coating his face when he realizes he's safe. It tells me there was a time when he wasn't, and that breaks my chest right open.
"We don't talk about bathroom stuff in mixed company," he tells his dad.
"That's right," Nolan tells him as he crouches down and unclips Kiva's leash. "She needs breakfast."
"I'm on it!" the little boy says, approaching me so he can grab her food and bowl. "One scoop or two for breakfast?"
"Just one," I tell him as he grabs the items.
"And another one in the evening," he says, recalling how much she got yesterday evening for dinner.
"That's right," I praise. "You're a natural dog caregiver."
Eli smiles up at his dad, and I grin when the man looks toward Aspen as if he's just proven a point.
My attention is pulled from the little family when Roman walks into the kitchen. The air leaves the room when his eyes land on mine. He glances from me to Zeus, who opted to sit right across from me, and I spot the slightest narrowing of his eyes before he moves his attention to the coffee pot.
He looks no more rested than I feel, and I find it impossible to pull my eyes from him. Once again, just like yesterday evening, the room grows silent, and I know everyone is waiting to see how we respond to each other. It feels very juvenile, as if it's something that would happen in high school. Like everyone is standing around watching so they can gossip about it when we're no longer around.
I stand as he backs away from the coffee pot, carrying my dishes to the sink. I give them a quick wash before turning back to face the room, spotting Roman's back as he leaves the kitchen.
I don't bother to meet anyone's eyes as I leave as well. He's halfway up the stairs before I can make it to the bottom of them.
I keep my eyes pinned to his back, turning down the opposite hallway of the room that was provided to me. I have no doubt I would've been the one to knock on his door last night if I knew which room was his.
Darkness coats me when I step inside his room, the blinds and blackout curtains denying the sun access to his space. I wonder if there are times he has to work late into the night, requiring him to sleep during normal waking hours, but before I can form a full thought, the bedroom door is slammed closed, and I'm pressed against it.
My heart is racing as his body aligns with mine, his breath on my neck.
"Is this okay?" he asks.
"Yes," I pant, in no position to have time to worry why his touch doesn't make me want to run for the hills like everyone else's does.
His teeth nip at my earlobe, making me moan with need and anticipation.
"So soft," he whispers as his hand cups my jaw.
I might actually die if the man kisses me. It's crazy to have experienced so much together without his lips ever meeting mine, but here we are.
His teeth scrape down my jaw, taking tiny nips at the skin of my throat.
His hands roam, gripping my arms and forcing them over my head before finding the hem of my shirt and lifting.