Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Let me get my ass dressed then.” Harry waved me into his apartment. “Come on in.”
He disappeared into another room before I could shut the door behind me, and yelled from wherever he must’ve been getting dressed. “There’s coffee in the pot, if you want some. Help yourself.”
“I’m good. Thanks. I had a cup at the hotel and have a to-go cup in the car waiting. Got one for you, too, in case you want it.”
He popped his head out from a doorway down the hall. “This is already the best date I’ve had in years.”
I laughed. “Hey, uh, does Sloane live here, too?”
“Yep. Fourth floor. My son bought this place a few years back. He lives on two, and I’m down here. Got one real tenant on the third.”
I nodded. “I think I accidentally pressed her bell at first. Hope I didn’t wake her…”
“Takes more than a little bell to wake that girl on the weekends. She likes to sleep in. She has a lot of energy when she’s awake, but she can knock out until two in the afternoon.” Harry paused. “Damn it, that reminds me. I gotta return her key to the bar before we go. I borrowed it because my son borrowed mine, and I never gave hers back. She goes into the bar before it opens on Saturdays to do the books.”
I noticed a key sitting on the kitchen counter, one with a CARRICK’S PUB key chain. “You want me to return it while you get dressed?”
“If you don’t mind, that would be great. But I gotta warn you, it’s a four-story walk-up, and she’s cranky in the morning.”
I smiled. “No problem.”
“Key should be on the counter. You might need to pound on the door to get her to wake up.”
“Got it. I’ll be back in a few.”
“I’ll be ready by the time you’re done.”
I took the stairs two at a time, blood back to pumping excitedly though my veins. I told myself my heart was racing because I was running, not because I was a giant wuss-bag excited to see a girl. But when I reached the top floor, I might’ve fixed my hair a little. Whatever. Fuck it.
I brought my knuckles to the door and gave it a good, strong knock. There was only her apartment up here, so any sound I heard would mean she was awake. But there wasn’t a peep. Damn, Harry wasn’t joking. She was a solid sleeper.
I knocked again, this time putting some muscle behind it. The door shook, and after a couple of seconds, I heard grumbling. “Alright! Alright! I’m coming.”
The door swung open with the same anger I’d heard in her voice. She probably had a scowl to match, too, but I was too busy looking other places to notice—like at her creamy thighs and the piercing nipples saluting the morning. Sloane had on a threadbare Backstreet Boys T-shirt, sans pants, with a hem that barely brushed the top of her thighs. Also, definitely no bra.
Her eyes widened. “Wilder? What are you doing here?”
I smiled and looked her up and down. “Improving my morning, apparently.”
“But, but … how do you know where I live?”
“I didn’t until a few minutes ago. I came to pick up your dad and saw all the names on the buzzers.”
Her nose scrunched up. “Why are you picking up my dad?”
“He didn’t mention that he was going to the game today?”
“He did. Well, he said you had given him a ticket to a rugby scrimmage or something. But I guess he failed to mention you were his date.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the hem of her shirt. I just wanted to glimpse what kind of underwear she had on. Fuck. Maybe she’s got nothing on under there. I should toss the key in the air and make her lift her arms to catch it.
Sloane looked down. “Oh God. I’m not dressed.”
“I think you look fucking great.”
She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her lip twitched upward. “So you’re dating my dad because I won’t go out with you?”
I leaned in. “Yet. You won’t go out with me yet.”
She might’ve been saying one thing, but I didn’t miss the goose bumps that prickled up her arms when I got close. Her body wasn’t in denial like the rest of her. I would’ve loved to see how far I could push, but I didn’t want her dad to think I was doing anything shady up here. Plus, I did need to hit the road.
I held out the bar key. “I came to give you this for your dad.”
She took it, but I didn’t let go.
“Have dinner with me tonight?” I asked.
“Wilder…”
“Lunch?”
She smiled. “I’m working at the bar.”
“If you weren’t?”
She chuckled and swiped the key from my hand. “Then I probably would be sleeping through lunch, if you weren’t up here waking me.”