Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Stop it, she reprimanded herself. He’s your boss, and you have goals. None of them involve getting into any relationship with a man. How old was he anyway? Forty? Probably not that old. Maybe early thirties.
“I don’t usually eat breakfast,” she argued. She absolutely could not sit down at a table with this intense man. Out of the question.
Another gasp. “Ever? Not even for dinner?”
And this time, she giggled, causing herself to slap her palm over her mouth at the sound. When was the last time she’d laughed? Or even felt joy?
He held out a hand. “Come, Little one. Please.”
Her breath hitched. Little one? It was such an odd endearment, especially coming from a man she presumed to be her boss’s boss. She’d never heard anyone use that sort of endearment. Not in real life. Only in books. And only in the kind of books that secretly filled her eReader. No one knew about the type of books she liked to read when she was alone.
Surely, he hadn’t meant it that way. She’d never met anyone who actually practiced some kind of age play. She must have misunderstood or misheard him.
His hand was still extended, palm up. He was patiently waiting. “You don’t need to work this morning, Zara. Come to the dining room with me. I promise I’m a good guy. The dining room is a public place. We’ll eat, and you can tell me why you don’t like breakfast.” His teasing voice was back.
“I never said I don’t like breakfast. I just meant I don’t eat this early in the morning.”
“Do you drink juice, milk, coffee, or tea at this hour?”
She sighed and lifted her gaze again to face this persistent man. “I could use some coffee,” she admitted, kicking herself immediately. Why was she consenting to this? Sitting at a table with this man would mean she’d have to look him in the eye, and that wasn’t something she did.
The only people she ever held eye contact with were her parents and a few close friends. Except she didn’t really have any of those, and certainly not anymore. The few women she’d been friendly with at school had graduated, gotten jobs, and moved on. Chances were she wouldn’t remain in contact with any of them.
A deep, penetrating loneliness suddenly overwhelmed her, and she pursed her lips to keep from crying. Zara was not a crier. She was strong. Determined.
Except when you’re weak and pitiful.
Kestrel wiggled his fingers again—such a bossy man.
Feeling like she was inexplicably drawn to him, she set her smaller hand in his. A strange zing traveled up her body, making her shiver.
“Thank you, Zara,” he whispered as he turned to lead her out of the laundry room.
She tugged her hand free before they reached the entrance, partly because the connection made her feel lightheaded and partly because she couldn’t walk through the resort holding her boss’s hand. People would talk. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself.
Suddenly, she stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. This was a terrible idea. Zara didn’t like public places. Even though it was early, some guests would already be eating in the dining room. More would join them soon. People tended to stare at her in crowds. In addition, she was always paranoid. What if one or more of the guests was an imposter sent to grab her at just the right, opportune moment?
“I can’t,” she murmured. How was she going to get out of this?
Kestrel turned to face her. He reached out to gently cup her face with both hands, tipping her head back. “What can’t you do, Little one?”
She swallowed.
“Which part makes you nervous? Having coffee with me? Or is it the dining room?”
She sucked in a breath. He was perceptive. “Both.”
“You don’t like public spaces, do you, Zara?”
“No, Sir.” She winced inside. What made her call him Sir?
He gave her a slow smile. “So, it’s not me you’re opposed to. It’s the dining room.”
“Uhh.” She certainly wasn’t opposed to him. But she didn’t want him to know that. “I’m sorry. I promise not to work so many hours. I’ll just go back to my room. There’s a coffee pot in there. You don’t have to waste your time having a get-to-know-the-new-girl breakfast. It’s fine. Really.”
His hands slid back so that his thumbs were on her pulse points. He also took a step closer, invading her space in a way that made her breathe heavily. “Zara, I don’t want to discuss your work schedule this morning. We can deal with that later. And I told you I have never taken another employee to breakfast. My reasons are complicated. I’d like to explain them to you over coffee or whatever else you’d like to consume. I thought perhaps you’d be more comfortable meeting with me the first time in a public spot, but I realize now that was foolish. You don’t like crowds. Understandable. Can you trust me enough to go somewhere alone? We could stop by the front desk first and let Sadie or whoever is working at reception this morning know where we’re going if it would give you some peace of mind. We could go to your room or mine if you’d prefer.”