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)
It was nuts.
She was nuts.
“Take a deep breath, let it out slowly. You’ve got to go teach a class now and you need to be nice and relaxed. Another one. In. Out. Very good. You’re doing so well.”
Yay her! She knew how to breathe. Something other people managed to do without coaching.
Then she remembered why she’d choked in the first place.
Crap!
“You can’t come in with me,” she managed to get out as she stared out the windshield.
David would flip.
She’d get fired.
And she needed to keep this job. At least until she rescued those puppies. There was another puppy yoga class on Saturday. She couldn’t just leave them to their fate.
“I’m coming in,” he said firmly.
“My boss won’t like that.”
“He’ll just have to get over that, then, won’t he?” he replied calmly.
That was okay for him to say. He didn’t have to deal with David on a day-to-day basis. Although she guessed he would be for the foreseeable future.
With a groan, she reached for her door handle.
“Wait.” He reached over and grabbed hold of her arm. She froze.
Not again.
She really needed to get more comfortable with his touch.
Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?
Shut up, devil Maya.
“What?” she snapped, without really meaning to. But she had to get away from him. His scent filled the car. She couldn’t describe it exactly. Sandalwood with a hint of something else? Cinnamon and vanilla? Or was it caramel?
“We need to talk about some rules before we go in there.”
“Now?”
“Now,” he said firmly. “First rule, you don’t get out of the car until I come around and open the door.”
“Seriously?” She turned to gape at him.
“Yes, I am being very serious. I’m talking about your safety. Which is literally my job.”
Right. She was a job.
She shouldn’t forget that.
Just do what he says without arguing.
And now good girl Maya was here. Maya wasn’t sure which one she preferred. The angel or the demon.
“Next rule. You don’t leave a building without me. We go in there, I stick to you like glue. But, if for some reason we get separated, you do not leave. Same at your house. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“But I will be sticking to you like glue. That means that I walk close to you. I stay close to you. If you want to go somewhere, you talk to me first.”
She nodded. All of this seemed fairly straight forward. Although she had a feeling she would get tired of it quickly.
“If you get a bad feeling at any time, you tell me. If anything happens that makes you feel scared or uncomfortable, you tell me.”
“All right,” she whispered. “Is that all? I’m going to be late.”
“Yeah, and this one is important.” He reached out to grasp her chin, turning her to face him.
She closed her eyes. She couldn’t deal with any of this right now. Not on the amount of coffee that she’d had.
“Open your eyes. Look at me. You don’t have to talk. Just listen.”
Yeah, listening had never been her strong point.
Actually, that wasn’t true. Obedience had never been her strong point. After her mom died, rebelling was the only way she’d gotten her father’s attention.
She knew it was stupid, but she’d been fifteen.
She’d been lost and alone and the one person she’d thought would be there for her . . . had abandoned her.
So it took a lot for her to force her eyes open and stare up at him.
“You’re doing so well. I know this is a lot. But I need you to hear me. If there is a situation, if there is a threat to your life, I need you to promise that you will do exactly as I tell you to do. Understand?”
Maya nodded.
“No, Maya. I want you to mean this. You are to do as I say or there will be consequences.”
What the heck did that mean? Did he mean that she’d get hurt? Maybe die?
Nothing could happen to her . . . she didn’t have anyone to look after her babies. Those sorts of thoughts kept her up at night.
She’d thought about asking Livvy . . . but she seemed to have a lot on her plate with her kids.
What about Millie?
Huh. That was a thought. She didn’t know her well, but it was obvious that Millie liked animals.
Plus, Millie didn’t seem to mind the . . . unusual. Just look at Mr. Fluffy. He wasn’t a standard dog.
“I’ve lost you, haven’t I? Back to zombie Maya.”
“I’m not a zombie,” she told him. “I was just thinking about what to do with my babies if something happens to me.”
The hand on her chin tightened, making her eyes widen.
“Nothing is going to happen to you. Do you hear me? That is why I am here. To ensure your safety. And I will keep you safe.”
He’d come on too strong. He could see that now.