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)
“I really should cut that finger off,” she muttered as she stood and moved toward him.
For some reason, her feet couldn’t seem to ignore the finger. It was infuriating.
“Rather bloodthirsty,” he commented before he drew her into his chest.
Oh. Man.
He was like her own personal catnip. As soon as he touched her, her outsides melted while her insides started to dance around.
“Now, stand just outside the room. Give me the lead.”
She handed it to him. But she really didn’t think he’d manage to get Tank up and moving.
“Tank. Come here, boy.”
His voice wasn’t mean, but it was firm. Leaving no room for disobedience.
And to her shock, he stepped out of the room soon after, leading Tank.
“He came for you?” she asked.
“I think your way was making him a bit nervous,” he explained.
Right. Her way was shit in other words.
“Oh,” she said.
“He needed some confidence. But it doesn’t matter now. What matters is that we can get on our way if you grab Berry.”
“Okay.”
She already had the harness on Big B, so all she had to do was attach her lead. Then she followed Matthieu out and waited while he set the alarm and locked up the house.
“Captain will be driving past a couple of times and Brody is watching the cameras until I tell him we’re back.”
“Okay. Good. Tell them thank you.” She knew it was their job but it still meant a lot to her.
“You don’t have to thank them. No one wants you to get hurt, Maya. Or your animals.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to that. She’d never had this before. Normally, this sort of thing would make her feel defensive, because she didn’t know how to react.
And because she didn’t like relying on people. Letting them close. But Maya knew she needed the help. That she had to accept it for her babies.
Plus, there was part of her that was so damn lonely. She just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“That’s all we need, Spitfire. Come on, now. Let’s take these guys out for a fun day.”
They had to take her car because Berry wouldn’t fit in his. Which she was relieved about. She’d hate to think of the mess that her animals could make of his fancy leather upholstery. Maya didn’t need that kind of bill.
That didn’t mean she got to drive, though, apparently.
She tapped her foot as she stared at Matthieu. He was holding open the passenger door and had just told her to get in.
“Are you forgetting that this is my car?”
“Nope.”
“My car, I drive.”
“Not happening, Spitfire,” he told her. “Unless I’m impaired in some way, if my ass is in a car, I’m driving.”
“Why? Because you’re a man?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“That’s . . . that’s so sexist!”
“Call it what you like, but my parents raised me this way.”
“Well, maybe I should take this up with them.”
“Good luck, they’re dead.”
Shit.
That took the wind completely out of her sails. She gaped at him. Maya had no idea what to say to that.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“No,” he sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that the way I did. My parents died seven years ago in a car accident. We were close and it did hit me hard. I shouldn’t have been so flippant. However, I wasn’t joking before. If I’m in a car, I’m driving. No matter whose car it is.”
Well, she could hardly argue after he’d revealed that, could she?
Maya climbed into the passenger seat and did up her belt. She realized that was the first piece of real information he’d given her about himself.
As he backed out of the driveway, she snuck looks at him.
“What is it?” he asked.
“How old are you?”
His lips quirked. It was getting easier to look at him as long as she didn’t overload her brain.
“Thirty-nine.”
“Wow, that’s a lot older than I thought.”
‘Thanks,” he said dryly.
“Um, sorry. I just meant that you don’t look that old. Do you want to know how old I am?”
“Twenty-six.”
“Uh, right. Guess you had that information.” How much information did he have on her?
She turned back to look at the animals. Berry and Tank were in the very back, but Matthieu had opened all of the windows slightly so that they could experience all of the scents.
Tank actually looked happier. That tight knot in her stomach eased slightly.
Although she was still worried that she wasn’t the best person to look after him.
Turning back, she glanced at Matthieu again. Maybe she should ask more questions about him.
“Have you always done this?” she asked as she wondered where they were going. She’d noticed that he’d brought a picnic basket. It had been her mom’s picnic basket and she’d never brought herself to use it.
“Driven around a woman, three dogs, and an overweight pig? Nope. Can’t say that I have.”
“Hey, Big B isn’t overweight. She’s a pig. She’s meant to be a little bit . . . chunky.”