Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“Shit,” I grumbled, rubbing the back of my head before wrestling with the overturned chair to find my feet again. Why was I acting like a twelve-year-old with a crush?
Just as my heart rate returned to normal, she knocked on my door, sending it into a frenzy again. I scrubbed my hands over my face. “Get it together,” I said before stepping out of my office to open the door.
“Nice haircut.” She winked.
My dick stirred unnecessarily. It was confused. We (my dick and I) weren’t used to girls winking at us. Flirty smiles, lip biting, blushing … sure. But a wink felt like a bold move. Only confident people winked. We (my dick and I) wondered if Alice was confident that the three of us would have sex again.
“Thanks.” I dragged a hand through my hair.
“What are you doing today?” She sipped her coffee while keeping her eyes trained on me.
“Working. Why?”
“So not riding your bike?”
“Uh …”
“I assume the bike hanging in the garage is yours.”
I nodded.
“Mind if I borrow it?”
“I … uh … yeah.” I nodded again like a bobblehead doll. “I’ll have to lower the seat for you.”
“Is that too much trouble?”
“Nope. Just give me a minute.”
“No hurry. I’m going to make a smoothie and get dressed. Have you had breakfast?”
“I have.”
“Cool. Just let me know when it’s ready.”
Like a child playing hide and seek, I closed the door and counted to one hundred to give her time to go inside before I headed to the garage to lower the bike seat and check the tires. Then I knocked on her door twice and stepped inside.
“It’s ready,” I called.
“Oh, that was fast,” she hollered.
I slipped off my shoes and poked my head around the other side of the galley kitchen. Alice was brushing her teeth. She spat and dabbed her mouth with the towel.
“I thought it might be a good idea to get it ready now so I can focus on work the rest of the day.”
She frowned, shutting off the bathroom light. “I’m a distraction. I’m sorry.”
“No. Don’t apologize. I’m happy to do it.”
Alice stepped into the bedroom and returned a few seconds later with a pair of socks. “Well, thank you.” She sat at the dining room table to put them on.
“What is your job? Something with wood, I’m guessing, since you don’t keep your car in the garage, just some interesting tools and lots of wood.”
“I like woodturning. My dad taught me. But I have a day job as a freelance technical writer.”
“What does that entail?” She glanced up and squinted while pulling on her socks.
“Technical writing or woodturning?”
Alice chuckled. “Both.”
“I write support documents for technical and complex information like instruction manuals. As for the woodturning, that’s just cutting and shaping wood using a lathe and different tools. A lathe is a machine that spins the wood so the shapes I create are symmetrical.”
“Huh. That’s interesting. You’re interesting.”
I pinned back my shoulders, chest out because I enjoyed being interesting in her eyes.
Alice curled her hair behind her ears then rested her hands on her legs. “We had sex.”
I tried to control my grin while rubbing the back of my neck. “Yeah.”
She bit her bottom lip for a second. “It was fun. Thanks.”
My shit-eating grin took on a life of its own because this woman never disappointed. “Happy to do it,” I said.
Her cheeks pinked. “I checked the listing, and it wasn’t under the amenities, so I may have overstepped.”
“You think I should add it under amenities?”
Alice stood. “Nah. I like to feel special.” She sauntered to the back door, but I didn’t move because I just wanted to watch her. Alice Yates was the epitome of special.
Her gait was smooth, as if she were floating. Mesmerizing in every way.
“Coming?” she asked, eyeing me while squatting to put on her tennis shoes.
I nodded. “Was it just a one-afternoon stand, or is kissing allowed, like an amenity, of course?”
She grinned, keeping her head bowed while tying her shoes.
“I’m letting you borrow my bike. I’ll let you borrow my lips too. It’s just something to consider.”
“Would that complicate things?” she asked, standing straight.
I twisted my lips. “Not on my end. I’m not needy or an addict. I’ve fostered dogs. When it’s time for them to go, I’m good.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Are you comparing me to a dog?”
“No. Well, it depends. How do you feel about dogs?”
Alice brought a finger to her lips. “I don’t want to say. Palmer might hear us.” She opened the door and led the way to the garage.
“I don’t want to be predictable and ask what you do for a living, but—”
“Good,” she opened the garage door. “Because I don’t do anything.”
“Independently wealthy?”
She turned after I stepped into the garage. “Filthy rich. Old money, of course. In fact, I think my great-great grandmother was a queen. Never worked a day in my life.”