Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
“So, it’s a date,” he says, and his voice is thick velvet. “Give me your phone.” I don’t even consider refusing.
I fumble my phone out of my bag. My hands are actually shaking. I cannot deal with how hot this man is. He takes my phone, brushes his thumb over my wrist, and adds his number. Sends himself a text, just to be sure. “Now you’re stuck with me,” he says, mouth close to my ear.
Oh my God.
“Come on.” He takes my heavy tote bag and slings it over his shoulder. “We’ll walk you to your door.” He takes my hand in his, and I feel the contact all the way to my soul. Salty trots between us like a little furry chaperone. The elevator is crowded, packed with after-work neighbors and what feels like a thousand shopping bags. Jay tugs me in close, all big, steady heat. His hand spreads across my lower back, possessive and gentle at the same time. I melt into him. Salty, who refuses to be trampled by peasants, gets scooped up and rides in Jay’s other arm like a little furry prince.
I try to act normal, but Jay’s chest is pressed to my shoulder, and his mouth is right by my hair, and I can smell his rich, earthy scent. Speaking of licking, Salty leans over and gives me a quick, snorty kiss right on the cheek, and my heart actually hiccups. Not just for Jay. For both of them.
God help me, the Frenchie is growing on me, too. By the time we make it to my door, I’m basically floating. Or possibly vibrating. Jay sets Salty down, crowding me just a little, his arm braced above my head. He looks at me like I’m the only thing in his universe.
Holy shit. I’m in so much trouble here.
He leans in, so close I could count his eyelashes, and brushes his mouth over mine. It’s barely a kiss, more a warm, dizzying tease, but my lady bits wake up and sing “Hallelujah.”
He grins, that lethal, slow-burning smile. “Couldn’t let Salty outdo me,” he murmurs, voice pure sin.
My knees are jelly. My brain? Gone. I need to get out of here before I embarrass myself even more. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” I tell Jay as he hands me my tote bag. I manage to fumble my keycard, get inside, and shut the door, but I don’t even make it two steps before I’m sagging against the wood, hands pressed over my heart as a huge smile breaks out on my face.
I can’t stop grinning. Not even for a second. My cheeks ache. I probably look deranged as I strip off my jeans and collapse on my bed, clutching a pillow to my chest like a twelve-year-old with a crush. Jay’s smile is burned onto my retinas. That kiss. The way his hand spread across my back like he owned me already. The way he looked at me like I was a thousand-dollar dessert and he’d skipped lunch and dinner.
I barely sleep. I toss, I turn, I replay every second of him, that velvet-rough voice in my ear, the way he watched my mouth when I talked. It’s a miracle I’m not late to school.
My third graders smell freedom in the air and immediately transform into sugar-fueled goblins. I spend all morning dragging people off the floor, confiscating slime, and running emergency damage control on a sparkly explosion that somehow involves two tubes of glitter gel and a glue stick. By noon, I’ve lost the will to live.
I flop into my seat in the teacher’s lounge, rip open my sad sandwich, and check my phone. My hands are shaking. There, glowing on the screen, is a new text.
Jay
I’m counting down the hours until tonight.
Holy. Shit. I’m actually swooning. I type out several replies before I finally settle on one.
Me
I can’t wait either.
Jay
What do you want on your pizza?
Me
Are you guys doing pizza two nights in a row?
Jay
We skipped last night so we could have pizza with you tonight. What do you like on your pizza?
My heart melts. Actually, it liquifies. All that’s left of me is a puddle of goo.
I type back with shaking fingers:
Me
Sausage, mushrooms, extra cheese, and a little jalapeño if you’re feeling dangerous.
Jay
Danger is my middle name. We’ll be ready at 6. Come on up.
I’m pretty sure I make an embarrassing sound. Oof. I glance around, but the only witnesses are a pair of traumatized kindergarten teachers, who are already working on a nervous breakdown, so they won’t remember my tiny display. Everything is fine. I’m totally fine.
CHAPTER FOUR
JAY
I don’t even bother pretending this is a normal night. The moment Salty finishes his pre-dinner walk, I put the little gremlin in the tub and give him a much-needed bath, and towel him off before pulling out his dress collar. He watches me the entire time with the air of a pampered nobleman forced to tolerate the indignities of common life. But when I clip his new bowtie on his collar, he snorts with satisfaction and does a parade lap around the living room.