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)
That really was the best outcome.
Maya got into her pajamas and then brushed her teeth as Dougie stood guard at the bathroom door. Then she got into bed.
As soon as her head hit the pillow, she expected to fall immediately asleep.
But her head started to spin even more. Was she being foolish thinking that Ryan was harmless?
She’d quit working for him a few months ago and all he’d done was follow her around since.
No, Matthieu was probably just trying to scare her. As if she didn’t have enough going on with Vince and now this person who was threatening her father.
She tossed and turned for a while. Was Matthieu all right? Had he found the spare blankets and pillow?
She should have made up the sofa for him. What sort of host was she? But he wasn’t exactly a guest, was he?
Urgh. She had to stop thinking so much. She had three yoga classes to run tomorrow and she needed her sleep.
Go. To. Sleep.
Matthieu ended his call to Ink.
The other man had promised to set up a security system and cameras tomorrow. Which also meant that someone would be here to watch over Maya’s pets while they were out.
He knew she was working tomorrow.
He’d made it clear to Ink that no one could go into the spare bedroom where the nervous dog and pig were.
Matthieu shook his head as he did another walk through the house before grabbing some blankets and a pillow from the hall closet. He couldn’t believe that he was sleeping on a sofa because of a dog and a pig.
But he’d slept in worse places and he likely wouldn’t sleep much tonight, anyway.
17
Something smelled so bad!
Like garbage mixed with rotting cabbage.
And it made it hard to breathe. Especially since there was also something heavy on her chest.
Letting out a gasp, she opened her eyes and stared straight into Dougie’s face. He let out a quiet woof and that stench grew.
God.
So bad.
“Dougie,” she moaned. “Your breath reeks and you’re way too heavy to sleep on me.”
He must have climbed onto her chest some time in the night. It was surprising that he hadn’t woken her up.
Especially since his face was like three inches away from hers.
“You’re a nutter, you know that?”
He started wiggling his bottom and let out another excited woof.
“Seriously, you have a bed. This is my bed.”
Dougie wiggled his butt again. Dougie thought everything was great. That the entire world loved him. She wished she had that sort of optimism.
Slowly sitting up, she set him down next to her. Then she glanced at her phone.
Oh fuck!
She was late.
“Eek! We gotta get up! Why didn’t you guys wake me earlier?”
Dougie barked again and then there was a knock on the door.
She froze as she was climbing out of bed. Her heart started racing.
Matthieu! How had she forgotten Matthieu?
“Maya? Are you all right?” he called through the door.
“Yes,” she said.
“I heard barking.”
“That was just Dougie. He, um, needs to go out.”
She climbed fully out of bed and grabbed her robe, wrapping it around herself as she rushed to the door. As soon as she opened it, she saw him.
Shoot! She hadn’t thought he would be still there.
“I was just coming to check you were awake. You have a class at ten, right?”
“Yes! I slept in. I need to get the animals sorted and shower and then we have to go. And coffee, I need coffee.”
She snuck a look at him. She’d been hoping that he would look different now that she’d had some sleep. That she might have exaggerated how gorgeous and sexy he was.
Surely after sleeping on the sofa for the night he should look at least tired, right? Maybe have some dark rings under his eyes or a tired slump to his shoulders.
But her prayers weren’t answered because if anything he looked even sexier. His five o’clock shadow had grown even more.
It really was unfair.
“Maya? Are you all right? Don’t we have to leave soon?”
“I . . . um . . . uh-huh.”
“Why don’t you go shower and I’ll let the dogs out. And the pig. What about the chickens?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Okay, I see I have zombie Maya. Shower. Get ready. I’ll make coffee.”
“Uh-huh.”
She was never like this in the mornings. She usually bounced out of bed, ready for the day. So it was him.
It had to be him.
Matthieu placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her, which really didn’t help her brain function. But he gently nudged her toward the bedroom door.
What was she meant to be doing?
She stood in the bedroom and shook her head.
Work, brain!
Without him around to interfere with her brain function, she managed to think.
Shower!
“Shit. Shit. Got to go.” She poured some coffee into a travel mug. She’d showered and dressed. Matthieu had let all of the animals out, and organized their food. So now she was getting herself sorted. She turned, screaming as she saw a strange man standing there. He was enormous with shoulders that had to be twice as wide as she was. His dark hair was cut short and there was a wicked scar on his cheek. “Who are you? Matthieu!”