Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 102394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
She shrugged. “No ring means I’m still in the running.”
I had to work to hide my frown. “I should get back to sleep. I have an early day tomorrow. Were you just coming to check on me, or…”
“Oh! I almost forgot. I stopped over to ask you for a favor. My brain got a little frazzled by that six-pack.”
It’s more of an eight-pack. Trust me, I’ve counted. “What’s up?”
“Would you mind swinging by Brewer’s tomorrow night? I ordered finger sandwiches for book club, but I’m going to be cutting it close on time because I have a late-day meeting. I don’t want people showing up before I get home.”
Shoot. I forgot all about book club. “Umm… Yeah, sure. I can pick up the food from Brewer’s for you.”
Pam dug into her purse and pulled out a receipt. “Great. It’s all paid for.”
“Okay.”
“One more thing. Do you think you could go over to the house and set up, too? Put out the food and paper goods? Maybe set up the circle and stuff?”
“Sure.”
Pam hugged me. “You’re a lifesaver. The spare key is still under the flowerpot.”
I nodded. “Have a good night.”
“You too, honey. And good luck with that author tomorrow. I still think you should go for it and ask the man out.” She winked. “Lord knows I would.” Pam cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled over my shoulder. “You’re invited to book club, too, hot stuff! You don’t have to read the book. Just come for the cocktails—and the cock!”
I practically shoved her back and shut the door, praying Wes had gone to the bathroom and hadn’t heard any of that. But of course, I found him standing in the living room—still with his shirt off and now with his hands on his hips.
“What the hell was that last comment about? Does your book club have strippers or something?”
“No. The book they picked to read this month is a romance novel.”
He flashed a dirty grin. “Oh yeah? Is it steamy?”
“I wouldn’t know. I didn’t read it. To be honest, I don’t read half the books they pick. My job is reading and writing all day long, so I need to be in the right mood to read for pleasure these days. I pretty much go to the meetings for the cocktails and food.”
He shrugged. “I guess we’ll both be taking a back seat and sipping a cocktail during the discussion then.”
“Ummm... No. You will not be going.”
“Why not? I was invited.”
“Because I don’t want to have to answer a million questions about you, that’s why.”
“Probably be less questions if I’m sitting with you than there would be with me outside in the car watching the house.”
“You can just stay here. It’s right next door.”
He shook his head. “It’s not a secure location.”
“You left and ran errands while I was at my meeting this afternoon.”
“Because that building has tight security, and anyone who walks in has to go through metal detectors. And I also spoke to the guards before I left—both are ex-cops.”
“You went into the building where I was for my meeting?”
“I needed to determine how secure it was. Speaking of which, it would make my job a lot easier if you could give me the addresses of the places you’re going a day ahead of time so I can look into the security beforehand.”
I felt heat crawling up my neck. “I’ve worked very hard to create a new identity out here—one not associated with my father and his business. People are going to talk if you’re following me around, asking questions every place I go.”
“I’m discreet.”
I flailed my arms in the air. “Discreet? There is nothing discreet about you!”
Wes folded his arms across his chest, and my stupid eyes followed. Damn, his forearms were veiny and sexy, too. Pissed off for even thinking that, I shook my head and marched back to my room. “You know what? I’m going back to bed. Don’t answer the door anymore. And for God’s sake, put a damn shirt on!”
Slam!
A half hour later, I was lying in bed in the dark, feeling too riled up to sleep. I decided to download the audiobook my book club would be discussing tomorrow night and listen. At least I’d know what the story was about, even if I didn’t make it through the entire thing. I popped in my AirPods and settled back, hoping the narrators were good and the story would help me relax enough to drift off.
But it only took a few chapters to realize what I was listening to was not going to help me relax. It was going to do the exact opposite because the damn book was about a celebrity who had an affair with her bodyguard. Great. Just freaking great.
***
The following morning, I woke up thinking about a steamy scene between the heroine and her bodyguard, so I hoped to avoid Wes. But of course, he was already up and making himself breakfast in the kitchen. I guess I should’ve counted myself lucky—he at least had a shirt on. The smell of bacon wafted through the air as I went to the coffeemaker.