Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 53516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
I put Violet down and grabbed the monitor before I headed to the kitchen. It was gloomy outside, and the snow hadn't let up all day, which made it perfect weather for soup. Again. I lost myself in a romance book while I chopped veggies and meat and put everything into a giant pot, simmering it until the house was full of delicious smells and comforting heat.
I was vaguely aware of Xavier when he stepped inside the house, stomping the snow from his boots before he took them off along with his outer layer of clothing. He didn't stop to speak or get my attention as he left the kitchen, so I didn't either. He was such a mercurial guy, and I didn't always have the mental energy to deal with it, so today I let him be and decided that nothing went better with beef and veggie stew than biscuits. Fresh-from-the-oven homemade biscuits.
The kitchen filled with even more delicious scents, and my stomach growled loudly, making me laugh. The oven timer on my phone alerted me that the biscuits were done, and I pulled them from the oven to let them cool while I went to wash my face. The kitchen was warmer than the rest of the house, and I felt flushed, certain it had nothing to do with the steamy scene playing out on my audiobook. Almost certain, anyway.
I twisted the knob on the bathroom door just as it flew open, and I was face-to-chest with a broad chest and rippled abs sprinkled with dark hair that covered a layer of impressive muscles. My mouth watered and then it went dry. I knew Xavier was built; he was a big man, and the fabric of his clothes clung to him like a jealous lover, but seeing him in the flesh took me by surprise. My gaze crawled up his abs, over two perfectly round, pale brown nipples, his collarbone, and impressive neck muscles, all the way up to a scowling face and moving lips.
Moving lips. Shit. I tapped the button on one of my earbuds to pause the story and frowned. "What?"
"I said, watch where you're going. What were you doing anyway? I was in the shower."
I shrugged in the face of his anger. "I needed to wash my face, and I didn't know you were in here."
"The shower was running for the past fifteen minutes."
I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and pointed at the hot pink bud. "I was listening to a book."
His scowl intensified as if listening to an audiobook was an offensive act. "And what if Violet was crying? What if she needed you?"
"The monitor has a screen on it, which I've been watching since I put her down for a nap. If you have a problem with how I do my job, then just say so, but don't you dare question my care for Violet." I folded my arms, suddenly no longer hot and bothered by his bare chest. And abs. Okay, still a little hot and bothered.
"Just do your damn job!"
"I do my damn job," I shot back, my anger rising. "I do things that aren't even my job, so maybe you should show a little damn gratitude, Mr. Holloway." I poked at his chest and took a step back to mark away angrily, but he grabbed my wrist, a move that effectively stopped any effort to escape.
"Don't call me Mr. Holloway." His voice was dark and low, more seductive than menacing.
"That's your name, isn't it?" Dammit, my own voice was husky too. Thick with desire.
"Rosalee," he growled.
"Let me go." There, my voice sounded strong and even, letting him know I meant business.
There was a brief flash of disappointment that I would think about later, but before I could tell myself that it was for the best, he pulled me flush against his blessedly hard chest and speared both hands through my thick hair, angling my head perfectly to accept his kiss when it crashed down on me. His lips were soft yet firm, his grip on me commanding while his thumbs gently brushed along the line of my jaw.
I had never been kissed like this before. I wasn't sure anyone in the world had ever been kissed the way Xavier kissed me. He teased my lips for at least one full eternity, sliding his tongue along the length of my top lip, my bottom lip, and then back and forth across the seam until I released a breathless gasp.
Then he slipped past my lips, and when our tongues collided, it was like an explosion of sensation ricocheted throughout my body, bouncing against my chest, coursing through my veins, and even shaking my bones before it settled low in my belly. Between my thighs.
My hands went to his chest, the hard, short hairs slightly abrasive on my palms, but his racing heart was what I focused on, stunned to realize he was as into the kiss as I was. Xavier pulled me closer until I was slightly bent backward. His chest covered mine as he deepened the kiss, forcing me to cling to his shoulders, which I didn't mind one bit. My skin was hot all over, and I felt moisture gather between my legs, dampening my panties.