Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
I don’t have a chance to process it because a call comes through. “I have to go.” I toss my fork down. “Thank you.” I grab my water bottle and head inside, knowing that now he’s seen me with Theo, he’ll be showing up again before long.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THEO
I roll out of bed wanting nothing more than to continue sleeping, but I know it’s the only time I can see her. She has to see I’m going to be all in for this.
I don’t even turn on the lights as I use the bathroom and then wash my hands and face. I brush my teeth with my eyes closed. I turn on the light in my walk-in closet for a second, then shut it off when one eye barely opens. I grab the first pair of jeans my hands land on from the shelf they’re folded on, and a T-shirt. Once dressed, I rush out of the house. I want to make sure I’m there by the time she gets home so I can make her something to eat while she showers.
When I arrive at her place, I shut the door to my truck softly to not wake the whole neighborhood, and sit on the top of the porch steps to wait. I’m about to pick up my phone and call her when headlights come down the street. I get up when the car slows down in front of her house and open her door when she turns the engine off. “Hi,” I say softly as she looks up at me. I can tell from her face that she’s tired. I hold out my hand to help her out of the car, even though she doesn’t need the help.
“Hey,” she says, putting her hand in mine. “What are you doing here?” I get a whiff of her, making my mouth water. I put one hand on the top of her car door. I have the most intense need to bend my head and kiss her. The way it rips through me makes my whole body feel like it’s on alert. I’ve never felt this before. “You okay?” she asks me when I say nothing and just stare at her.
“Yeah.” She lets go of my hand, and it falls to my side. “I thought I would come here early so I can make you something to eat while you take a shower.”
Her breath hitches. “Theo.”
“Yeah?” My hand moves from the top of the car door to her face. My thumb sweeps the softness of her cheek. “You tired?”
“Yeah,” she admits. She takes a deep breath, and then her head falls and lands in the middle of my chest. I pet her head and let her rest like that for as long as she wants. “I need a long shower, some food, and ten hours of sleep.” What I would like to do is take her inside and have her sit with me on the couch.
My hand moves to the side of her face before I put my finger under her chin to lift it to look at me. “Then let’s get you inside.” I move her away from her car, closing the door and grabbing her bag. “You have your keys?” She holds the keys up in her hand as we walk up the steps.
She turns on the soft entrance light as I close the door behind her. “I’m going to make you something to eat,” I tell her as she reaches for the bag in my hand. “What do you want?”
“I don’t really have anything in mind.” She tries to grab the bag from me, and I move it out of her reach.
“You can sort the bag later. Shower.” I motion with my chin toward her room. “If you fight me on this, I have no problem carrying you there and undressing you to put you in the shower.” Her gray eyes go dark blue. “Your choice,” I smirk.
“I’m going to get in the shower,” she mumbles.
“Really wanted you to go with door number two,” I tell her, retreating back.
I put the bag on the table and open the fridge. I scan a couple of things before taking out a pack of chicken breasts and some peppers. I find an onion and slice the vegetables first, then put them in the frying pan. I cook a chicken breast in strips once the veggies are tender, seasoning it with the few spices she has.
I heat some oil in a fresh pan, open two tortillas, put chicken in them, and then add the veggie mixture before topping them off with cheddar cheese and some salsa. I fold them over and lay them in the frying pan.
“It smells good in here.” She comes back into the room wearing a pair of lounge pants and a tank top, her hair now out of the ponytail but piled on top of her head. “What are you making?”