Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 144571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
She settled back against the log they’d dragged over to form a sitting area. “I was thinking about trying this meatball recipe, but I’m not sure how well it’ll dry out. I was also wondering if it might not be fun to try a couple of recipes and have a dehydrated dinner party, but then Lucas would get all chef douche on me and stuff.”
“We could have a sub dinner,” Cooper offered. “You know they would love to see you in a more relaxed setting.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I want to hate that idea.”
But she didn’t, and it gave him an excellent way to bring some domesticity to their new paradigm. “We can have it at my place since it appears I’m living alone again. Nate was supposed to take over Aidan’s room. I thought Zach might move in for a while.”
“It must be nice to be alone,” she said.
“I hate it. I never wanted to live by myself, though I am considering talking to Tris’s parents about buying the place.” When they’d all gotten out of college, Tristan’s parents had bought the four-bedroom ranch house he and Tris and Aidan had lived in for years while they’d built their careers. It had been a way station for him and Tris as they’d been in the military and then the Agency, but he was giving up his commission. He only wanted to work with his team, and honestly, only until she wanted out.
His plan was to follow her. If that meant he became a commercial pilot because they could use the money, he was up for it. If he only ever flew for the Agency…or hopefully for McKay-Taggart someday, he was okay with that, too.
“Really? You don’t think it’s too big? Or are you planning to get some more roommates?”
The thought made him shudder. The only one he would have considered was Zach. He loved his friends, but he was over the whole woman-a-night thing, party-all-the-time phase of his life. Not that he’d actually had the woman-a-night thing. He’d been more of a serial monogamist, and even then there hadn’t been many girlfriends. But he’d liked a party. Now he wanted to sit down at night with her and watch TV and pet the dog and have her fall asleep on his lap. “No. I just think it’s time, and I have some money to invest. A house is almost always a good investment. Besides, maybe someday someone will want to move in with me.”
“That’s what I’m saying,” she replied with a nod. “You can charge rent if you own the house. I do think there are a couple of guys looking for a new place. James doesn’t want to stay with his parents anymore now that he’s done with grad school. I’m pretty sure I heard one of the line chefs at Top is looking for a new place. His apartment got flooded, and it’ll take weeks to get it back in shape.”
She could be very literal at times. “Baby, I wasn’t talking about one of the guys. Don’t get me wrong. I was planning on letting Zach stay with me but only because I thought he was settling down with Devi. I don’t want a roommate who brings home women every night.”
“Well, he was probably going to bring home Devi,” she pointed out.
“No, he was probably going to drop his stuff off and then spend every moment he could at Devi’s.” At least that had been the plan when they’d talked about it. It was hard to believe Zach hadn’t meant every word, but then there was a lot he didn’t know about the guy. “I was talking about you. I was hoping maybe you would move in.”
“Why would I… Is this because I make the bed and you don’t like to make the bed?” Kala asked, her eyes narrowing.
It’s because I fucking love you and want to spend every moment with you and want us to build something beautiful together. It’s what he wanted to say, but he had to be patient. “Yes. I hate making the bed.”
She sobered and sighed. “No, you don’t. I know it seems ridiculous…”
“It’s not.” She had boundaries she thought she had to defend, but she was allowing him to gradually remove some bricks. Soon he would have a whole door, and he would be on the other side of all her walls. “We move as fast or slow as you want.”
She chuckled. “Sure, babe. This is all on my time.”
She wasn’t wrong, and it felt like an opening since she wasn’t shutting him down. “How honest can I be?”
“And not scare me off?” She seemed to think about the question for a moment. “Hit me. I can handle it.”
He wasn’t sure, but this was a good opening. “If you would have talked to me, I would have been your boyfriend after that night. I knew I had screwed up so royally and it made me ache inside, but I would have done anything to have changed that night.”