Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Not mysterious.
Not erratic, the way it has been for the last forty-eight hours.
I don’t know if I like it or if I’m scared or excited.
I only know that when I feel heat on my back and all my co-workers turn to stare at me, I know Theo is standing behind me. My hand trembles around my drink, my tummy muscles tensing.
“Is that him?” Dierdre says out of the corner of her mouth. “Because, whoa. Fine. I get the impulse to make poor decisions, but still—”
“July,” Theo says, right beside my ear, his hand settling on my waist with a definite grip of possession. Every single one of my male co-corkers takes a giant step back, making me wonder about the expression on Theo’s face. “I waited outside your office, but you never came out. If I hadn’t seen you through the window—”
“I decided to do happy hour,” I interrupt abruptly.
A prolonged pause. “I see that. In a tight little skirt, no less.” His thumbs delve beneath the waistband, slipping side to side, before digging in slightly, my sex contracting in response, my knees turning inward to combat the spreading ache. “Can I talk to you privately?”
Gathering my courage, I turn to face him, sucking in a breath when I see the level ten violence he’s directing at the men behind me. “If you wanted to talk, you could have stayed this morning and had ample opportunity.”
That brings his gaze swinging sharply in my direction, eyes narrowing. “You’re…upset with me.”
I’m not a rock-the-boat type of lady. I’m a people pleaser. My first inclination is to minimize my feelings and be accommodating. I don’t want to be the girl who gets bent out of shape after one night, demanding to know our relationship status. Because I’ve been told all my life that to do so is crazy and unattractive and hysterical. But I don’t want to be a pushover, either. That’s bad too, right? Why is being a woman such a pain in the ass? “I don’t know,” I whisper, refusing to look at him.
“You are,” Theo says, scrutinizing me so closely, I can feel his breath on my eyelids. “You’re mad at me for leaving.” He takes hold of my upper arms now, pulling me in close. “Come with me so I can explain.”
“Classic abuser,” Dierdre says to my right, gesturing with her wine glass. “Isolating you. Cla-ssic.”
Theo flicks a dark look in her direction, and I watch his reaction to Dierdre’s willowy blonde good looks with interest, but he’s only interested in focusing back on me as soon as possible. “Who is this person?”
“I’m Dierdre. I’m the one who set her up with Kevin.” She drags out the last two words, then lowers her volume. “You remember Kevin, right? Or have you put multiple men in the hospital since yesterday? I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“Dierdre,” I sigh, my face burning hot.
“I remember Kevin,” Theo says, stiff lipped. “But not because I put him in the hospital. More because he was going on a date with a woman who doesn’t belong to him.”
“Who does she belong to?” I whisper, lifting my chin.
His forehead falls to mine, pressing there, his breath coming hard and fast against my mouth. “Me.” A beat of charged silence allows that statement to sink in—and it does. It sinks in so deep, I’m suddenly a human ocean with unplumbed depths. But not for long. He’s discovering parts of me that I didn’t know existed. “Come talk to me somewhere. Alone,” he says, voice husky, his gaze rife with meaning. Hunger. “July, I need you.”
Ignoring Dierdre’s growing concern, I discard my drink and take Theo’s hand, letting him steal me from the bar, heart thundering in my ears.
I’m not quite ready to let him off the hook for disappearing…
But there’s no sense in pretending I don’t need him, too.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Theo
My chest is crushed like an aluminum can.
It’s a wonder I’m upright and walking, July’s perfect hand inside of mine, one foot landing in front of the other as I get her as far away from the bar as fucking possible. She’s too innocent, my girl. Hasn’t a clue the way those men, her slimy coworkers, were looking at her, wondering about their chances of getting her in bed. I could see it in their eyes before they noticed my approach, how hard they struggled not to stare at her bare legs. How they watched the level of her drink, wanting to be the guy who bought her the next one. Praying she’d use a poor judgment call on one of them.
The only reason I didn’t send July’s coworkers to join Kevin in the ER is…
I hurt her feelings. Fixing my mistake is sucking up all my focus.
If you wanted to talk, you could have stayed this morning and had ample opportunity.