Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 249(@200wpm)___ 199(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 249(@200wpm)___ 199(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Well, crap.
"Huh. Pregnancy brain must be playing tricks on her," I lie like the wind. "Maybe she needs glasses."
"Oh my god!" Haven's mouth falls open in shock. "You did spend the night with him!"
I groan, burying my face in my hands. I need to learn to lie better.
"You're sleeping with Bastian!" she practically shouts.
"Keep your voice down," I hiss, sending a frantic glance toward the door. The last thing I need is for every single one of his cousins to find out. They'll never leave me the hell alone if they know.
"Constance Maverick," she says, leaning back in her chair with a smirk. "Are you embarrassed that you got caught doing the walk of shame?"
"What?" I scrunch up my face at her. "No. It wasn't a walk of shame because I'm not in the least ashamed. I'm just having nightmares about the vineyard turning into a warzone." I gulp at the possibility. "Especially since he wouldn't let me quit."
"You tried to quit?" Haven squeaks in outrage. "What the fuck?"
"We slept together," I whisper-hiss. "I can't keep working for him. What if it doesn't work out? It'll be all kinds of awkward for everyone."
"Pfft. In case you haven't noticed, most of the people here are sleeping with other people also employed here. You and Bastian are not that different."
"They're all married, Haven. Of course they're sleeping together."
"My parents weren't married when they started sleeping together," she says…and she may have me there.
"That's different."
"How is that different? It's literally the same thing."
"Is not," I mumble.
Haven eyes me silently for a moment. "You really like him, don't you?"
I shrug, avoiding her gaze.
"I know you aren't actually afraid of turning this place into a warzone. It's basically one of those all-day, every-day anyway. You've met my idiot cousins. They argue all the time, usually about the dumbest stuff on the planet. So what are you so worried about?"
I bite my lip, hesitant to tell her…but who the hell else am I going to talk to about this if not her? All of my friends in town are related to him, either by blood or marriage. Damn. I need more friends.
"He was a virgin too," I whisper.
"And he didn't do it right? Virgin sex is supposed to be awkward."
"No, it's not that." I frown at her, which makes her giggle. I doubt awkward is even in Bastian's vocabulary. Nothing about him is uncomfortable or unsure. He was probably born good at everything. He's definitely not bad at sex, that's for sure. I still can't feel my toes. "It wasn't awkward at all. It was amazing. It's just…I don't know!"
"You're freaking out," she guesses.
I nod. "Big time. I was convinced he hated me. And then he kissed me, and I figured, okay, he wants to sleep with me. But then he dropped the V-card bomb, and it threw me for a loop." I stare at her with wide eyes. "He literally told me I was worth the wait."
"Wow," she whispers. "Bastian actually has game. Who knew?”
My lips pull down into a frown. "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Talk about him like…like he's a foreign species or something," I grumble, offended on his behalf. "All of you guys treat him like he's not normal, but there's nothing wrong with him. He's a good guy, and he works his ass off for all of you."
Haven stares at me for a long moment, just grinning. "You have it so bad."
"I'm serious!"
Her expression softens. "We don't treat him like a foreign species, Constance. We all love Bastian, and we're all grateful as hell for everything he does around here. None of us could do what he does. But we also know that he works too hard, and he forgot how to have fun a long time ago. Maybe we tease him because we're worried that he'll forget what it's like to relax once in a while if we don't." She shrugs. "We worry about him. No one should work as hard as he does."
"Sorry," I sigh, guilt whispering through me. I know they all love Bastian. I’m pretty sure they’d take a bullet for him without hesitation. I’m just spiraling.
We had sex. Multiple times.
"What if we end up hating each other?" I ask, my voice whisper quiet. What if I'm just something he wants to conquer and control?
"You're spiraling."
"Clearly." I scrub my hands down my face. "He's so closed off and…bossy. I guess I just figured he probably had all kinds of experience. But he doesn't. He waited this long, then gave it up to me." I stare at her like she has any answers for me. "I get on his damn nerves every day. Why me?"
I know why I said yes to him. I've been wild about him for months. I guess I'm having a hard time believing he's felt the same way when he's had a stick up his butt and a permanent glower the whole damn time I've worked here.