Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 117177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“I am sorry about Derek, but I’m sure you have plenty of other choices for him.”
“None quite like my Hallie.”
Emotion clogged in my throat. “What did I do to deserve you?”
“Michelle asks me that same question every day. All I can say is you’re damn lucky.” She winked at me before standing up to strut out of my office.
I was lucky.
I’d never felt that way before, but finally I had people in my life who cared for me.
* * *
There was something about Chris’s apartment that spoke to me. It was spacious, with a tremendous amount of light spilling in from the huge corner window that made up much of two walls in the living space.
Yet there was an easiness to it, a lack of pretension. While the furnishings were stylish, they were also comfortable and welcoming. The leather corner sofa looked expensive but also worn in, like you just wanted to curl up on it with a blanket and watch a movie. Or with a naked Chris. Now and then I’d get flashbacks to that moment of voyeurism and watching Chris’s muscular ass walk across his bedroom. It would get me so hot and bothered I’d force myself to remember tripping over Bandit and spraining my wrist during the whole thing. Embarrassment killed my lady boner.
At least my wrist had healed nicely.
Shaking those thoughts away, I took in the incredible apartment and remembered this was Chris’s last night in it. I felt terrible for him.
“This apartment is amazing,” I told him honestly as he gestured for me to sit on a stool at the island. The aromas were also amazing. Chris could cook. Another very large tick on his pro column.
“It was my mom’s. She left it to me and Miguel.”
Wow. “I can only imagine how important this place is to you.”
“It is.”
“You’ll be back here someday, Captain.”
His expression softened. “Thank you for saying so.” Then he seemed to shake himself and leaned toward me with a wooden spoon. It had a dollop of sauce on it. “Taste it and tell me if it’s too spicy for you.”
Feeling suddenly bold, I held his gaze as I wrapped my lips around the spoon. He swallowed hard, his gaze on my mouth, and I felt like wiggling triumphantly in my seat. A layered heat hit my tongue in waves as I sat back to focus on the taste. It was spicy but not overly so.
“Perfect,” I replied.
Chris gazed at me a little too long before turning away. “Great.”
I smiled to myself. “Where did you learn to cook? When did you have time?”
“My aunt taught me a lot growing up, but I really got into it while I was training for my mission. Any downtime I had, I screwed around in the kitchen, trying different things. It’s relaxing.”
“I can’t cook, so I’m always impressed by anyone who can.”
“I’m sure you could if you tried.”
“Oh, I’ve tried. The last time was for my ex-boyfriend, George. I burned the pasta sauce, and I also put too much sugar in it instead of salt, but I didn’t want to tell him because he’d lecture me, so I pretended like I thought the sauce was the greatest thing in the world. I’m pretty sure he must have thought I was crazy.”
Chris kept his eyes on the food as he worked but asked, “Was that a while ago?”
“A few months ago. He dumped me.” I felt my cheeks turn hot as the actual dumping event came back to me in full-color surround sound. “He said I was ridiculous, not serious enough for someone like him, that my job was a joke, that I was a joke, and the only reason he’d stayed with me so long was because the sex was great. Maybe for him, not for me.” The latter I blurted out before I could stop myself. I groaned into my hands. “Why do I have no filter around you?”
“Hey.” His large hand wrapped around my wrist and tugged. I reluctantly revealed my face again, only to find Chris leaning across the island with an outraged expression. “He’s an asshole. You know that, right?”
I nodded, somewhat taken aback by his vehemence. “I know. I told him as much.”
“Good.” He released me to stand back, his expression still thunderous. “That’s all about him and has nothing to do with you. He didn’t deserve you.”
Flutters of desire made themselves known in my belly. “I know. But thank you.”
His dark gaze met mine, cutting right through me with his intensity. “Hallie, I hate that someone would say that to you. I think you’re amazing. I’ve only known you a few weeks . . . but I can’t believe we’ve become such good friends in so little time. You’re one of my closest friends now.”
Those flutters died dramatically in my stomach, gasping for a last breath like they’d just been shot.