Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
I’m on the couch, arms wrapped around myself. I know the tears are going to hit in a few minutes. Right now, I’m numb, still processing everything that happened tonight.
Bobby takes a seat beside me, leaving a cushion of space between us. “Did someone hurt you?”
I shake my head and give him what I’m sure is a wobbly smile. “I had the best night of my life.”
He frowns. “I’ve seen you happy, and this isn’t it. Do I need to go kick some motherfucker’s ass?”
“Bobby,” I exclaim, “I didn’t know you knew those words.”
He shrugs and doesn’t let it derail the conversation. “All I need is a name. Hunter and I will go kick his ass together.”
I chuckle even as a sob builds in my throat. “Hunter doesn’t even like you.”
“Hunter would help me kick some ass on your behalf,” Bobby is quick to reassure me.
I shake my head, unwilling to talk about tonight. I want to hold the memories to be just mine. But even if I didn’t, I couldn’t reveal Ford’s real identity. As it is, future holidays spent together are going to be awkward.
I’ll always remember what it felt like to be near Ford, to have him hold me in his arms and whisper filthy things as he made me come.
“You know we could figure out who it is. It wouldn’t take much for me and Hunter to get his identity and beat him to a pulp.”
I will myself not to fall apart. Later, after a hot shower, I’ll crawl under my blankets and sob my heart out. But not just yet, not with an audience still present. “Please don’t do that. Give me my privacy. You know what it’s like when your whole life is available to the public.”
Something flickers across his expression, and he finally nods. “I’m staying over tonight.”
“Thank you for being a good friend,” I say softly. I didn’t expect that I would grow to like him so much.
There’s a terrible banging sound. Someone is pounding on my front door. Whoever it is, they managed to get past the doorman.
I exchange a look with him because it’s almost midnight. There’s no one that should be at my door, let alone pounding like a maniac.
Bobby’s jaw tightens. He gets to his feet and sends me a firm look. “Stay there.”
He grabs an umbrella from my foyer and swings open the door. From my seat on the couch, I can’t tell who’s there.
“Who is it, Bobby?” I call as I step around the wall. I can’t stand the idea that he might get hurt on my behalf. He’s been so kind and sweet to me through this whole thing.
Ford is there, and it completely scrambles my brain. I don’t know why he’s here. He’s never once been to my apartment. How did he figure out I was with him tonight?
He takes in my tear-stained face, his expression becoming thunderous. He snarls Bobby’s name and shoves him against the wall. “You made her cry. You don’t deserve the air she breathes.”
Bobby holds up his hands. “Hunter, I wasn’t anywhere near your girl.”
“Ford, put him down,” I call.
“He made you cry. That’s unacceptable,” Ford roars and pulls back his fist like he’s going to punch Bobby.
“You’ve got this wrong, Hunter, Ford, whoever you are,” Bobby insists. He met Hunter recently when Hunter threatened to kick his ass if he proposed to my sister. He doesn’t know that Hunter has two brothers that look just like him. That must be why he keeps calling Ford by Hunter’s name.
“It was you,” I shout at Ford before he can do any damage to Bobby’s face. I don’t even know Bobby’s filming schedule right now, and I already know it will cost our studios thousands of dollars to take time away from production for Bobby’s healing.
“You’re the one who made me cry,” I tell Ford, an angry note in my own voice. See, I don’t even know why I’m angry. It’s not like Ford knew who I was.
Ford’s fury melts, and he drops Bobby who sags back onto the floor. He turns to me incredulously. “I hurt you?”
Bobby’s face turns a mottled red. I expect him to be angry with Ford because he’s been threatened. He shoves to his feet and glares at my boss. “You’re the jerk who made her sad tonight.”
He looks like he’s about to take a swing at Ford on my behalf, and I love how fiercely protective Bobby is. But I can’t let them fight. This night has already been confusing enough.
I step between the two of them and push at Bobby. “Can you give us a few minutes?”
He pins Ford with another hard glare. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
Ford crosses his arms. His sleeves are rolled up, revealing corded forearms that are enough to make a girl drool. Not what I should be thinking about right now. But there’s something about this man’s body. Every part of him is a work of art that I’d love to spend hours sketching.