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)
She rolls her eyes and laughs, and the sound shoots straight through my bloodstream. “Absolute chaos,” she says. “Truly next-level disaster. I confiscated three packets of slime, a pair of vampire fangs, and had to break up a fight over the last “great job” sticker. I’m honestly lucky I made it out alive.”
God, the way her mouth moves around the words. Every time she smiles, I want to devour her.
I lean in, closer than I really should, just breathing her in. She’s magic. My obsession. I could listen to her talk all night and never get tired of the sound.
Salty chooses that moment to wiggle his little potato ass between us.
I listen to her talk about her students, and it’s obvious she adores them even when she’s at her wits’ end. Her eyes go soft and glowy when she talks about them, and even though she claims to be exhausted, she never stops smiling.
Every single minute, I fall a little harder. She must catch me staring, because she suddenly grins and points a pizza crust at me.
“Enough about my feral third graders. I want to hear about you.”
I set my wine glass down and lean back, letting my thigh brush hers. God, the way she’s looking at me causes my cock to twitch against my zipper.
“Okay. Well, I run my own security company. Vale Security Solutions,” I tell her proudly. “I’m mostly in tech stuff now. Home security, smart systems, surveillance.” I pause, then add, “But it means I get to work from home a lot.”
“I’m so jealous of that,” she tells me as she reaches for another slice of pizza. I can’t take my eyes off her. Not for a second. She’s so fucking gorgeous it’s like a punch to the chest.
She licks a smear of cheese off her thumb, blue eyes fixed on me, and asks, “So, do you have family in Worthington Hills? Is it just you and Salty?”
My pulse skips as I swallow hard. “I have a brother,” I admit. “Jack. He’s my identical twin, actually.” I can’t help the smile that creeps in. “He’s a pain in my ass. But he’s my best friend.” I pause, grinning like an idiot, because I know I sound like a total sap, but whatever. "He's a homicide detective here in Worthington Hills. Just so you know, I'm the good-looking twin," I deadpan. "And he's the one with the badge." Nadia chuckles, and damn, I want to hear that sound on a continuous loop. "Also, he's got Salty's sister. Her name is Pepper, and she’s got a serious personality disorder. The little shit used to run his entire life until he met his wife, Poppy."
Nadia places her empty plate on the coffee table and sits back. “How long have they been married?”
“Just a few weeks.” Fuck. It’s hard to believe Jack met Poppy right here in this building. The odds are insane. Out of everyone in Worthington Hills, my brother walks into the lobby and finds his soulmate waiting for him on the fucking elevator.
I used to think that stuff was bullshit, but now I get it.
Every time Nadia laughs, the sound hits something deep inside me. I want to bottle it. Hoard it. Never let anyone else have it.
It’s like the universe is running some kind of two-for-one deal on soulmates. Jack found his girl, and now I’m sitting here, watching the woman of my dreams charm my ornery Frenchie—and my whole world tilts on its axis.
Lightning doesn’t strike twice? Yeah, right. It just did—and I am so goddamn happy I could burst. It’s like static is still arcing under my skin, electrifying every inch of me.
Nadia strokes Salty, slow and soothing, and I feel this weird, fizzy lightness in my chest as I reach for the remote.
“What kind of movie do you feel like watching?” My voice comes out low and a little rough.
She tips her head, side-eyeing me. “Horror. Always horror,” she says, like it’s a challenge. “But only if you and Salty can handle it.”
I glance at Salty, who is currently attempting to stretch his little body far enough to reach the tiny bit of crust left on my plate while maintaining intense eye contact with me. “Salty’s a tough little shit,” I deadpan. “But you might need to sit close so I can handle it.”
Nadia snorts hard, and I watch as her eyes squeeze shut and her nose crinkles, and I realize I’ve turned into a pussy-whipped sap just like my brother.
Halfway through the first movie, she starts to nod off. I pretend not to notice, because the last thing I want is to send her home. But when her head drops onto my shoulder, I freeze. She jerks upright, embarrassed.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” she says, voice thick with mortification. “I swear, I’m not usually this—” She trails off, blinking hard. Her face flushes. “Long day.”