Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 96046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
He tilted his head. “What?”
“People who don’t like dogs can’t be trusted. Cats, too.”
“And monkeys, I presume?”
“All animals, yes. It says something about you if you can’t tolerate the kind of pure, unbiased love they have to offer. It’s the purest form of love there is.”
“I didn’t say I couldn’t tolerate them. Just not interested in getting my face licked.”
“Face licked is better than balls nicked. The sooner you warm up to them, the better off you’ll be and the less chance of that happening. They’re yours now, whether you like it or not.”
He grimaced. “Clearly they’re not happy with me.”
“They will be once they can sense the good in you. If what Benjamin says is true, I know it’s in there somewhere.” I grinned.
“What’s Benjamin saying about me exactly?”
“Just that you’re not all that bad.”
He cracked a smile. I was now able to appreciate just how gorgeous Dorian Vanderbilt was, as the ugly personality that had masked his face faded a bit. Actually, stunning was probably the right word to describe him. A perfect, symmetrical nose to match his perfectly angular jaw. His eyes were a blue-gray color, like oxidized steel.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me…” I cleared my throat. “Now that I don’t have to move my crap out today, I’m gonna go make myself a late lunch.”
He gestured toward Tallulah and Tess. “Feel free to take them with you.”
I pointed to a chair in the corner of the room. “Go sit over there, Dorian.”
His forehead wrinkled. “Why?”
“That’s where your dad would sit at night and read or have a glass of scotch. Just humor me.”
Dorian moved to the corner of the room and sat in the upholstered chair.
I led the dogs over to him. “Come on, ladies. It’s okay. This is Dorian. Your brother.”
Dorian rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Great.”
“Tallulah likes to be rubbed between the ears. Tess, too. Don’t be surprised if Tess rubs her asshole on your feet, though. That’s just something she likes to do.”
“Something to look forward to.” He reluctantly rubbed between each dog’s ears until they seemed completely unaffected by him. Slowly enamored, actually.
I giggled. “I’ll leave you guys alone.”
After I left the living room for the kitchen, I ran into Benjamin.
“Dorian is letting me stay,” I announced.
He winked. “I knew he’d smarten up.”
“Smarten up, huh?” I nudged him with my elbow. “Seems to me like you talked him into it.”
“I might’ve put in a few good words for you.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t gonna let you go without a fight.”
“I appreciate it, my friend.”
“You deserve to stay here as long as you need to. Christina would’ve wanted that.”
“No one deserves a place like this. It’s a privilege. And the fact of the matter is, it’s Dorian’s decision now.”
“Well, he made the right one.” Benjamin smiled.
“You must’ve known deep down that Dorian had a heart if you even attempted to convince him to let me stay.”
“Of course. I’ve known him since he was a kid—since before his father began setting expectations so high that it burned Dorian out. He left home to put some distance between them. Dorian is good people, but it might take you a while to see it.”
“He’s lucky to have someone like you around who knows the real him.”
“Believe me, I still don’t want to piss him off. But I don’t lose sleep at night worrying about my job like Patsy.” He chuckled. “I probably know too much for him to get rid of me.”
I leaned in. “Like what?”
“Well, for one, it’s kind of hard to fire someone who used to help change your sheets when you pissed the bed as a kid.” He winked. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
I covered my mouth in laughter. “Oh shit.”
Patsy entered the kitchen and whispered, “Are we gossiping about Dorian?”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“Seems we’re safe.” She pretended to wipe sweat from her forehead.
“I’m so happy I don’t have to say goodbye to you guys.” I grinned.
I lingered in the kitchen for almost an hour, shooting the shit with them.
After I finally managed to stop chatting long enough to make a sandwich, I carried it upstairs. To get to my room at the far end of the hallway, I had to pass all the other bedrooms. It occurred to me that I had no idea where Dorian was sleeping. I assumed he wouldn’t want to take his dad’s room, as that might be a little strange, especially since the walk-in closet was still filled with Remington and Christina’s clothing. Talk about haunting. But maybe he would want to claim it, since it was the best room in the house.
Halfway down the hall was a small window that overlooked the patio below. I peeked out and noticed something moving outside.
Dorian stood at the edge of the pool. His thick, black hair was wet and slicked back. His skin glistened with water droplets, every gorgeous ripple of muscle on display. Well, damn. I’d suspected the body probably matched the face, but here was my proof. I was practically drooling, and it wasn’t anything to do with this sandwich. That was the body of someone who worked out religiously.