Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
And she’d decided her best course of action was to come here to Callahan Security and get them to put in an expensive security system that she really couldn’t afford.
What else could she do? It wasn’t like her baseball bat was going to provide much protection if Vince came back armed with more than just spray paint.
Fear slid up her spine at the thought.
Her babies relied on her to protect them. Vince could basically do anything and what could she do in retaliation?
Nothing.
But maybe he’d hesitate if she had a camera and an alarm.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she drew it out with a groan.
Great. Her dad. Again.
She groaned. She knew there were worse fathers out there than hers.
He’d never raised a hand to her. Sure, he could get angry. Really angry. Another shudder ran through her. But she’d never gone hungry. Never gone without anything.
Except a father who put her first.
Or believed in her.
So now all you have to do is go inside and ask to speak to someone.
Right.
Only her legs didn’t seem to want to move.
Just go in there. It’s for your babies.
She managed to walk up the stairs to the door. Then she stopped.
Shoot.
“Are you going inside?”
Maya jumped and turned to look at the man standing behind her.
Wow.
He was gorgeous. Dark hair, tanned skin, and tall. Although everyone was tall to her since she was only five foot one.
He wore a dark shirt and jeans. But on him they appeared almost elegant.
“Are you all right? Are you lost or something?” A concerned look filled his face.
She shook her head and opened her mouth.
Then she closed it.
Open. Close. Open. Close.
Great. He probably thought she was an idiot. First, she’d been standing there, staring at the door, and now she was completely speechless.
“Can I call someone for you?” he asked.
Get it together, Maya.
She tried to reach for her shield. But it refused to form. There was something about this man that made her forget her mind.
Finally, she managed to make her brain work. “No.”
“No?” He raised an eyebrow.
There was something slightly off about his accent. Almost like he didn’t have one. It was odd and made her wonder if he wasn’t from here.
Get out of here, Maya!
“Gotta go. Bye.” She ran past him, almost tripping over her own feet. He reached out and grasped hold of her arm, steadying her. Unfortunately, he managed to grab where Vince had and she let out a hiss of pain, flinching away.
“Whoa, there.” He let her go and held up his hands. “My apologies for touching you, I just didn’t want you to fall.”
Great. Now he thought she was upset because he’d touched her, when he could touch her whenever and however he wanted.
Easy, Maya.
Don’t get carried away. You just saw this man, you cannot jump him like you’re Jack and he’s a beanstalk.
Hmm. She wondered what his beanstalk might look like.
Oh. God.
Stop.
Naughty Maya was out in full force.
“It . . . it’s . . . o-okay.” She took another step, but her foot only partially landed on solid ground and she started to fall.
Again.
She had never been this clumsy in her life!
Panic filled her. She was going to land on her ass. In front of this beautiful, sexy man.
Why? Why her?
But he suddenly grasped her around the waist, steadying her.
“I’m sorry again,” he apologized.
Why did he keep apologizing to her? She was the one who kept making an absolute idiot of herself.
“Maybe I should escort you down the stairs,” he said in a soft voice.
What would it be like to wake up to that voice? To have him wrap his arms around her? To have him smile at her?
A girl could only dream of that kind of life. It wasn’t a life for Maya, unfortunately.
She knew her limitations all too well. Maya wasn’t the sort of girl that got a guy like this.
Anyway, she didn’t care. She had her babies and they were more than enough for her.
To her embarrassment, he walked down the stairs with her. As though he thought she wasn’t capable of doing that on her own.
Well, she couldn’t blame him for that.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked.
She nodded. “Th-thanks.” Turning around, she fled on foot. As she turned the corner, she leaned back against the building.
Idiot.
What had she been thinking?
Not only had she just made a complete fool of herself in front of the sexiest, most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life, but she hadn’t even made it through the door of Callahan Security.
Idiot.
Why was that guy there?
Oh God. He didn’t work there, did he?
She slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead. Knowing her luck he did.
Deep breath in. Then out.
She had to go talk to someone at Callahan Security.
But not right now. Not while he was in there. She’d wait until tomorrow.