Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Today, I was showing Beau around my favorite places. We’d gone to the park I’d loved as a kid, driven by my high school where Mr. Miranda still taught, thrown rocks in the river, and finally stopped for some lunch at the greatest taco truck in the world.
“Careful, it’s hot,” Beau warned as he set my food down in front of me.
“Thank you.”
“The owner knows you,” he said with a small smile.
“I come here a lot.”
“Clearly.”
“He told me that I better treat you right.”
“And you still tipped him again?” I asked, picking up my fork.
“That’s why I tipped him again,” he replied easily.
I looked at him in surprise.
“I’m not going to complain that you have people looking out for you,” he said, digging into his food. “That’s a good thing.”
“Your mom wants to have dinner at six, right?” I asked for probably the seventh time.
“Yes,” he replied patiently, looking up at me. “Why are you so wound up about it?”
“I want your parents to like us.”
“They already like you.”
“Well, I want them to like my people.”
“They will.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Are they rude?”
“Rena is—sometimes.”
“They can handle Rena.”
“Mr. Miranda and Noah can get along with anyone,” I added. “But I told them to show up at five forty-five because Mr. Miranda isn’t the most punctual person on the planet.”
“It’ll be fine,” Beau assured me.
“He’s going to be a lot,” I muttered. “You should’ve heard him on the phone.”
“We’ll handle it.”
“He bitched me out for not introducing you to him already,” I continued like he hadn’t spoken. “It’s been, like, five days. You’d think I was twelve.”
“He loves you.”
“He’s a pain in the neck.”
“He loves you,” Beau repeated.
“Yeah, he does,” I murmured.
“You’re right,” he said, taking a huge bite. “This place is excellent.”
“Told you.”
“I don’t know how I’ve never been here.”
“It’s a hidden gem.”
“Next time, we’ll get it to go,” he announced, looking me over. “It’s cold out here.”
“I’m fine.” I was bundled up in a sweater, winter coat, and the hat I’d been searching for the morning we met when I was late for work. Between the clothes and the mating heat, I was practically toasty.
“Your nose is red,” he countered.
“We need to head back to the apartment after this anyway,” I replied. “I need to get ready for dinner.”
“You’ve got hours.”
“Maybe it takes me hours to get ready.”
Beau just looked at me.
“You know I’m going to be flat on my back or on my knees or against the wall the moment I take my clothes off,” I reminded him, lowering my voice as I leaned toward him. “I’m just working that into the schedule.”
He grinned and butterflies took flight in my belly as he reached out and ran his fingers down my cheek.
“Eat fast,” I ordered, making him laugh under his breath.
Less than ten minutes later, I was glaring at him as he pulled into the parking lot of a beauty supply store a few blocks from my house.
“Seriously?” I griped as he parked. “I thought we were hurrying home?”
“You need a hair dryer,” he reminded me as he swung out of the car.
I was still sitting there with my mouth hanging open when he opened my door.
“How the hell did you remember that?” I asked as he pulled me out of the car.
“You only told me a few days ago.”
“Still,” I sputtered. Why in the world was that something he’d remembered? I hadn’t brought it up again. Since I wasn’t someone who washed their hair every day, it hadn’t been that big of an issue. The one time I’d washed it, I’d just let it dry on its own. It was kind of wild that way, but Beau didn’t seem to mind it. If anything, he’d seemed kind of obsessed with it.
The memory of him wrapping it around his fist as I kneeled in front of him had my face heating as we walked into the store.
“I’d really like to know what you’re thinking about,” he said in amusement as we headed for the hair supplies.
“Zip it,” I ordered.
He didn’t say anything else, but the hand on my back slid upward until it reached my hair, giving a little tug.
“We’re in public,” I scolded, unable to keep the smile out of my voice.
“Pick a good one,” he ordered as I checked prices.
“It’s a hair dryer.”
“Better to buy one that’s going to last and costs a little more.”
“You’re such an old man,” I retorted, squeaking when he pinched my ass.
His hand roamed as I picked out a middle-of-line hair dryer and carried it up to the front of the store. It smoothed over my ass as I walked, slid beneath my jacket as we waited in line, and tangled in my hair again for just a moment as I got to the counter.
I didn’t bother trying to argue when he pulled out his wallet. I’d tried that during the first day we were out, and I hadn’t won once. Beau was adamant. I wasn’t sure if it was because I no longer had a job or if it was just the way he’d been raised, but he hadn’t let me pay for a single thing.