Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
I scoff.
“I keep clothes at the bakery in case of a baking mishap. I do not keep clothes there because I woke up late after spending the night with…” I swallow, not sure what to call him at first. “My friend.”
His cheek twitches, but before I can evaluate what it means, he gives me another one of his charming smiles.
“Shower. I have a bag of powdered donuts waiting for you to snack on during your drive to the bakery.”
I do as I’m instructed, but as much as I tried to use mind control to pull him into the shower with me, Cash stayed away, only sliding past me for his own shower after I was dried and fully dressed in last night’s clothing.
I can’t recall a single time I’ve ever felt awkward leaving his house, but my eyes are darting up and down the street, trying to see if his nosy neighbors are peeking at me from behind their sheer curtains as I climb into my car.
There’s honestly nothing I can do about it now. If someone spots me, I have no doubt either one of my parents or one of my brothers will call me before I make it to the bakery.
My phone remains silent, but I know my whereabouts will not go without explanation the second I turn onto Main Street and see Madison standing outside of her car.
Her smile is wide and knowing when I park and climb out of my car and face her.
I don’t say a word. I simply walk toward the front door of my bakery with my keys in hand and start to count in my head.
I make it to nine before she speaks up.
“You didn’t come from home.”
“I didn’t,” I tell her, giving her nothing more.
Her sigh is purposely loud, but my night was so incredibly fantastic that it doesn’t have the power to annoy me.
I don’t know how she does it, but her silence once we get inside makes me want to give her all the details. I don’t want to sit and chat quietly. I want to climb the rusty fire escape on the outside of the building and shout from the rooftop that I’m head over heels in love with Cash Tucker. After the night we spent together, I think he might possibly feel something more than friendship for me too.
“You had a good night,” she says, her tone assessing, her lips curled up into a huge smile.
“A great night,” I amend.
“Good. Maybe you’re pregnant already!”
“I think I’m falling in love with him.”
“Falling?” She scoffs. “You’ve been in love with that man since before the great sex. Hell, you were in love before the bad sex.”
I can’t do much more than smile at her with agreement.
Chapter 21
Cash
I can’t think of a time since Adalynn graduated high school that I didn’t crave her. Hell, some part of my deviant mind wanted her before I ever should’ve. I never acted on those desires, and I spent many hours criticizing myself for it. It didn’t change anything. Her smile has always had the power to bring me back to life, no matter how hard of a day I had or the level of disappointment I might’ve been feeling in my adoptive parents. It didn’t matter if I had let self-recrimination settle so deep inside of me that I alone couldn’t separate the happy parts of me from the miserable parts. Just that gleam in her eyes telling me that she had my back no matter what was enough to pull me back into the light.
I’m certain any therapist worth their salt could take one look at what we have and deem it unhealthy. I probably shouldn’t rely on her so much, but it’s not like I can change any of it. Our lives are so entwined with each other’s that my day doesn’t feel complete until I have the chance to lock eyes with her.
I got that this morning in my bedroom. I know that I’ll picture her sitting up in my bed, my covers sliding down her silky skin, a million times before I die. Despite seeing her earlier, I still crave her all day long. I spend the first half of the day at the office, trying to catch up on the never-ending paperwork and questioning why I ever thought police work was going to be fun and entertaining. The other half was spent patrolling town and waiting for a call to come in that might have me doing actual work rather than wasting the taxpayers’ money on gas.
I sweat through one uniform helping Mayor Abraham Fisher get a couple cows back in his fence, and all I can think about is Adalynn when I head back to the office to change.
The woman is an absolute goddess. I don’t hesitate to head to the bakery the second Chandler gets on shift to relieve me.