Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 73311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
They’d dated once, before my mother met my father, and Stone had been there when they’d met. Stone had a daughter Sunny’s age, and they had gone to the same school along with Big Papa’s son, Sean.
“Does this look all right?” Davis came out in his little black tux, and I wanted to squeeze his cheeks at how cute he looked.
“You’re going to die of heat exhaustion in that,” I pointed out.
Davis shrugged. “I don’t care.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Just be forewarned that you might get hot,” I told him. “And take a bottle of water.”
Instead of arguing, Davis went to the fridge and collected his water, causing my mother to look at me with raised eyebrows.
I shrugged.
I don’t know, I mouthed.
But I did kind of know. He’d been acting differently since the day Aaron had told him to stop throwing a fit. It’d been like night and day. Now he was just acting like a normal nine-year-old instead of a spoiled brat who threw a fit when he didn’t get his way.
“All right, Gen.” My mother picked up her purse. “We’re going to go. Let me know if I need to pick something up for dinner or not.”
I opened the door to the apartment and followed them into the hallway.
“I will,” I told her. “I’m feeling Chinese.”
“Love Chinese,” came the rumbled announcement from directly beside me.
I blinked and turned to find Aaron standing there, his chest nearly touching my elbow.
How I’d not seen him was beyond me, but now that I did see him…wow.
“You look spiffy,” I told him.
Spiffy?
What are you, Imogen? Twelve?
Aaron’s lips twitched as he closed his apartment door with one hand.
“Bye, dear,” my mother called as she topped the stairway. “Let me know if I need to pick up Chinese.”
My face heated.
“Don’t forget to keep an ear out for him,” Aaron instructed as he pulled out keys from his pocket. “I’m leaving the apartment unlocked. Just in case you need to go in, which I don’t think you’ll need to do, but still.”
I nodded my head. “I’ll watch out for him. Should I let him outside? Are you going to be back any time soon?”
He pursed his lips. “I don’t know, but he should be just fine. He’s five years old. He should be able to go hours.”
“Okay,” I murmured.
Aaron curled his hand around my head, ran his work-roughened finger over my cheekbone, and backed away before retreating down the hallway.
My body was still stunned into stillness. I could still feel his touch on my cheek. Could still smell his cool breath. Could still feel his body’s closeness to my own.
And, sweet baby Jesus, did I want that man.
I’d wanted him for a long time, but now that he was older. Now that he was a man instead of a teenager…it nearly set me on fire with want.
“Calm your tits, Imogen,” I murmured to myself. “Control yourself and your urges.”
Licking my lips, I walked back into my apartment and closed the door, immediately walking to the window and looking for him in the parking lot.
I found him mounting his bike, his dark washed blue jeans hugging that delectable ass perfectly.
And the black t-shirt was just as amazing as the pants.
Then he had to go and pull out his cut, the leather vest that denoted him as a Dixie Warden, and I nearly moaned.
I wasn’t normally attracted to bad boys. In fact, I was all about the safe ones. The ones I knew wouldn’t hurt me.
But there was just something about that man that screamed trouble, and I was ready to dive headlong into it. Into him.
I was just about to pull away from the window when he did something strange.
It started with him placing his hand across his face. Across the side with the scars.
Then he tugged lightly on his beard.
A beard that surprisingly grew over his entire face, despite him likely having damage over that part of his face as well.
His shoulders hunched, and his head dropped, causing my heart to lurch.
He looked defeated.
Almost as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and he didn’t want to be.
He looked like that a lot. More than a man that beautiful and funny should.
My mother’s car pulled out of the lot, momentarily catching my attention, and when I looked back it was to find Aaron staring directly at me.
Thank God he didn’t find me staring at him. I knew he could see me clearly. Just as clearly as I could see him.
Luckily, my eyes had been diverted.
I waved, and a smile kicked up the right side of his mouth.
Forcing myself to back away, I turned and studied the apartment.
I really didn’t want to be here.
I’d intended to go to the shop and work for a little bit, but then he’d ask me to keep an eye on the dog, and I’d inadvertently benched myself for the rest of the afternoon and evening.