Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“He lives in San Diego and I live here,” I pointed out.
“Maybe you’ve heard of airplanes?”
I elbowed her as we approached my car. “I can’t call him and suggest he get on a plane. We only spent a few hours together. I barely know anything about him.” Just that he was never off my mind.
“Plan a trip to San Diego,” Winnie suggested.
“I can’t do that! I’ll look like a crazy stalker.” I pulled my keys from my pocket and unlocked my car.
“Maybe you could pretend like you need private security for something.” Winnie’s wheels were still spinning, her head tilted, her devious eyes looking off into space.
“Why on earth would I need private security?”
“Because there’s a . . .” She snapped her fingers as she thought. “A serial killer prowling around Cloverleigh Farms!”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Face it, Win. It was a fun night, and I’m really glad I took your advice, but I’ll probably never see Zachary Barrett again.”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “You’re no fun. If I were you, I wouldn’t just give up.”
“There’s nothing to give up on! We had a hot one-night stand, not a serious relationship.” Two women gave me strange looks as they passed us by, and I lowered my voice. “Look, if he lived even remotely close to here, I might reach out. Chicago, or New York even. But San Diego is ridiculously far.”
“But what if—”
“No what ifs. I’ll talk to you later,” I said, ending the conversation.
“Okay. Hey, Felicity and I are meeting downtown around five o’clock for drinks and dinner tonight. Want to come?”
“That sounds good.” I opened the driver’s side door of my car. “I’ll check my work schedule and get back to you.”
Ten minutes later, I let myself into my house and made myself a quick cup of coffee. While it brewed, I pulled one of my mason jars of overnight oats from the fridge and topped it with some maple syrup and cinnamon. Grabbing a spoon, I ate breakfast while scrolling through my inbox on my laptop. I checked my calendar for the day and saw nothing on it after a two o’clock appointment with a potential bride, so I sent a quick text to Win and Felicity that I could meet up with them.
After giving my cats, Molasses and Muffin, some attention, I took my coffee upstairs to get ready for work. My house wasn’t big—just a kitchen with a dining area, tiny half bath, and living room downstairs, plus two bedrooms and a full bathroom up—but I’d fallen in love with it at first sight and cried happy tears the day I was handed the keys. Maybe it was the white picket fence or the pink and yellow tulips blooming in the front yard. Maybe it was the front porch swing or the arched front door. Maybe it was the cozy warmth of the interior woodwork, stained a deep brown.
Sure, I’d had to rip up awful carpeting and tear off hideous wallpaper and repaint all the walls in soft, neutral shades, but I hadn’t minded the work. It had kept me busy the last couple years, and I’d had help—my dad and Frannie had not only helped me secure the loan but had also helped me renovate. Felicity had been living in Chicago when I bought the house, but she’d come up for a long weekend to help me move in. Winnie had a fantastic eye for good finds at estate sales and antique shops, and she helped me reupholster dining chairs, shop for rugs, and find the perfect sapphire blue velvet sofa for my living room. Even Mason pitched in, helping me stain the wood floors last summer.
He and Lori were redoing their own home now.
And Brendan, the guy I’d dated before Mason, had just moved to Denver with his new wife, Sasha. I’d introduced them too—she used to cut my hair. Daniel, the boyfriend before that, was expecting twins with his wife, Amy. An invitation to the baby shower was on my fridge.
Reaching the top of the stairs, I took a sip of my coffee and sighed. I was happy for them all, I really was. They were good people and deserved to find love. My sisters too. I had a feeling Dex was going to pop the question to Winnie over the holidays, and then there would be another wedding to plan. The thought of it made me smile.
Moving into my bedroom, I set the mug on my dresser and started pulling off my workout clothes, tossing them in a laundry basket. I glanced at the bed, and for a moment, I imagined Zach sleeping there, just like he had been in the hotel room when I’d tried to sneak out.
After my shower, as I combed through my wet hair, I fantasized what it might be like if he saw me standing there at the mirror. He might give me one of those low, growly sounds and reach for the towel wrapped around me, yanking it off. I’d laugh and say no, I have to go to work, but he wouldn’t let me refuse him. He’d grab my arm and pull me back into bed with him. His body would be warm and firm as he stretched out above me, his hips and chest heavy and masculine over my curves. He’d bury his face in my neck and tell me how good I smelled—I remembered how he’d liked the scent of my perfume—and his mouth would travel down from there, over my breasts and stomach and hips. He’d push my thighs apart with enough force to tell me he’d brook no resistance, and his tongue would sweep up my center with those long, languid strokes that made me arch and moan and beg for more.