Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“I have to go, but I’ll call you when I get some free time.”
“Okay, my love,” Naomi sighed. “Keep me posted. And don’t freak out on him. Just play it cool and pretend like it never happened. Get a good read on him first before saying anything.”
“I’ll try.”
When the call ended, I collected the container and grabbed my tote bag. Slipping my phone into my back pocket, I left the guesthouse and made my way to Javier’s back door.
I was relieved to see the kitchen was vacant; however, I heard heavy footsteps above, which meant Javier was awake. I placed the container on the countertop while wishing I wasn’t such a neat freak.
Because of my good habits, the kitchen was spotless, the living room was organized, and not a single toy was on the floor. If it were a little messy, I could’ve cleaned to make myself look busy. Aleesa, I’m sure, was out cold and wouldn’t be awake for at least another hour or so.
I removed one of the wrapped biscuits, grabbed my romance novel, which was on one of the shelves, and sat on the sofa. As I bit into my sandwich, that’s when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
I chewed quickly and swallowed the bite as Javier rounded the corner. My breath nearly hitched at the sight of him.
Good Lord. The man looked like a snack.
Normally, he wore basketball shorts and solid tees. But right now, he was wearing jeans and a black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was combed back, with a few loose strands dangling on his forehead. A silver Versace watch was strapped around his wrist. From where I sat, I could smell his cologne drifting toward me, warm and spiced. Like sandalwood and dark musk.
When he spotted me, his eyes widened a bit and his lips parted. He’d shaved as well. He normally had stubble along his jawline and around his mouth, which gave him a rugged look. But today he was sharp. Clean.
My mind went to the calendar. I hadn’t even checked today’s events because I was too busy worrying about our reckless acts. What did he have planned?
“Hi,” I said, swiping crumbs off my lap.
“Hey,” he said back. He wore a pair of white Nikes, which seemed spot on for him. I couldn’t picture him wearing designer dress shoes. Did they even make dress shoes in his size? Well . . . I was sure he could order a custom pair.
“I made breakfast sandwiches.” I pushed to a stand to go to the kitchen. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want one.”
“Uh, sure. I can take it with me.”
Damn it. Where was he going?
As if he could read my thoughts, Javier huffed a laugh and said, “You have no idea what is happening today, do you?”
Ashamed, I said, “Sorry. No. But I can check my phone.” I started to dig into my hoodie pocket, but he shook his head and approached the bar counter. When he rounded it and came closer, my breathing shallowed.
He peered down at me, eyes soft. “There is a charity event at Element today. We reached one million dollars in donations, outside of my and Deke’s contributions, and are celebrating.”
“Oh!” I snapped my fingers. Right. Element was the recreational center and gym Javier and Deke owned in Atlanta. A lot of their money came in the form of memberships, and those dollars were used to help kids in need and to support the community. “Yes! You told me about this. Should I bring Aleesa?”
“Yes. I would love for her to come. There will be lots for the kids to do. I have to be there early, but you can bring her a bit later. It starts at twelve and ends at three.”
“Okay.”
He reached forward. For a second, I thought he was about to grab my waist, but instead, he aimed for the container and picked it up.
“I can never resist your food.” He didn’t smile, but he was still staring into my eyes.
“I’m glad you like it so much.” I waited for him to back away, to settle this tension by just leaving the house and going to his recreation center.
The aluminum crinkled in his large hands, and a pained expression struck him. “Will things be odd between us?” he asked.
I looked at him from beneath my lashes. “Only if you make them weird.”
“I do not want them to be weird.”
“Do you plan on firing me?”
“What?” He frowned. “No. Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know.” I gave a half shrug. “It seems likely to happen after what we did last night. Especially if you regret it.”
He studied my whole face, from my forehead to my chin. “Do you regret it?”
“I don’t know.” I paused, and I swear his face was coming closer to mine. “Do you?”