Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
The crazy part? It was exactly the kind I would have chosen for myself.
“And, as always, I am available for my photography services. Clothed. Or naked,” he told me with a smirk.
I shook my head at him.
“So, what do we do about food? I didn’t see any staff.”
“There is no staff. I mean, I’m sure they’ll be around, and they do housekeeping. But this is more of a glorified guest house.”
That was why he’d had a code to open the front door.
“You called it a hotel.”
“An… embellishment.”
“And said we had to go to Joshua Tree to delay check-in.”
“A fib.”
“Have you told me anything true today?” I asked, smiling.
“You are the prettiest thing in this whole fucking place. Now I’m gonna go check out my room, then we’ll talk ordering food.”
“Wait,” I called, rushing out into the hall. “Are there other guests?”
“Two rooms. Just the two of us for the night.”
There was no good reason that sent a thrill through me.
While Raff was gone, I went ahead and freshened up, slipping into the bathing suit but putting my clothes back on over it.
“Alright, small snag on the food plans,” Raff said when I met him in the common area. “No one will deliver out here. So I’m gonna venture out to pick it up. Can you think of anything else we’re gonna need?”
“Drinks.”
“Diet soda, water, and cran-apple-raspberry.”
“How do you even know that?”
“I notice things.”
“Maybe too many things.”
“About you? No such thing. Okay. I’ll be back in… half an hour. I hope. I did a sweep of the place, so you’re alone.”
With that, he gave me the code in case I wanted to wander around and get back inside, then was gone.
Alone, I took a leisurely tour of the facilities, including Raff’s room. He clearly gave me the good one because he didn’t have the bathtub or stargazing bed.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a one-off thing, or if everywhere we had to stay was going to be fun and unique.
I knew it was wrong since I wasn’t contributing financially, but I really hoped that was the case—that this little mission could, in fact, feel like the vacation I told my boss I was taking. The vacation I’d more than earned. The one I would never take in any other circumstance.
I circled back to my room eventually, heading outside and stripping down to my bathing suit, ready to fill the bath with some lukewarm water to cool down.
Then something skittered around the ground right by my feet.
I jumped up into the tub, a squeal escaping me.
“Raff!” I shrieked when I heard the front door close.
He didn’t answer, but I heard his footsteps on the stone floor. Then he flew through the patio door with a gun drawn, his posture stiff, ready to throw down for me.
There was that lower belly pressure again.
“Lu?” he asked after scanning around and seeing no obvious threat.
I pointed toward the corner of the patio and watched as his gaze followed.
His arm fell and a deep laugh escaped him.
“Really? You’re afraid of a lizard?”
“That is not a lizard. It looks like a dragon.”
He tucked his gun away and moved over toward the corner, crouching down to grab the lizard before it could scamper away.
“Don’t let it bite you.”
“Do you think it’s going to turn me into a giant lizard or something?” he asked, smiling.
“Thanks for the nightmare fuel. No! No. Why are you bringing it to me?”
“This is a chuckwalla,” he explained, showing me the baggy-skinned black and orange lizard that took up his whole hand. “They call them ‘pot-bellied potatoes.’ They’re calm and docile. He doesn’t want to hurt you. He probably fell in here and couldn’t get back out. And before you ask, he’s a plant eater. Your limbs are safe. Go on. Pet him.”
“Pet the scaly lizard?”
“Why not? One good way to try to overcome the fear.” The water was still running, overflowing the tub and soaking his feet, but he didn’t react at all.
“If I touch it, will you take it away?”
“Yep.”
“Okay.”
I sucked in a deep breath, stuck out the tip of my finger, and rubbed it down the lizard’s back. “Oh, that feels different than I thought. Papery but hard, if that makes sense. Do you do this?” I asked, running my hand up toward the chuckwalla’s head.
“Do what?”
“Just grab random wildlife and pet it?”
“Most wildlife wouldn’t let me catch it. But on occasion.” He watched me run my finger down the lizard’s tail. “Proud of you,” he said, making my heart flutter. “Now I’ll go set him back in the desert. Wanna meet me on the patio for dinner?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, watching him turn and head back toward my room.
“Hey, Lula.”
“Yeah?”
He half-turned back, eyes hooded.
“Bathing suit looks great.”
It was a throwaway compliment, but I felt a warm feeling move across my chest as I finally turned off the water and climbed out, saving the water for a cool bath later.