Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“Just having some dinner,” Cara says. “And you? Eating for two?”
He chuckles. “Natalie is in the bathroom. She felt so bad about my face that she made me Belgian waffles with whipped cream this morning and now she’s taking me out for dinner. I hope those guys come back every week.”
Cara laughs, but I don’t.
“Hello,” Henry’s wife Natalie says when she gets back from the bathroom. “Wow, you two make a striking couple. I love this dress.”
The women fawn over each other’s outfits while I stare Henry down. He’s got a big plate of fried chicken tenders and French fries in front of him.
“Where’s the bathroom?” Cara asks Natalie as she looks around the busy restaurant.
“Why don’t you go show her,” I suggest.
“Sure,” Natalie says, chatting as they walk away.
Henry straightens up as I sit down in front of him, glaring at him from across the table.
“You okay, Graham?”
“No,” I say, gritting my teeth as I stare him down. “You ever leave Cara alone in a dangerous situation like that again and I’ll make you pay.”
“Are you threatening a cop?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. “What are you going to do? Kick my ass?”
He’s laughing, but I’m not. I just stare him down to let him know how serious I am. I want Cara’s partner to be watching her back. Always.
He left her alone last night in the middle of a vicious brawl. Cara would have been choked unconscious surrounded by those deadly men if I hadn’t arrived at the exact right second. I’m not about to let that slide. Not a chance.
“If she gets hurt,” I say in a low, cold-blooded tone. “I’m going to blame you. And trust me, you don’t want that.”
His laughter dries up quickly and he swallows hard as he lowers his head. “Understood.”
“Do better,” I say as I stand up with my chest puffed out. “And stop eating all this fried shit and get into shape. I want you to be able to cover my girl’s back.”
He nods submissively as I stare him down, making sure it’s crystal fucking clear. When I’m certain he’s got the message, I leave the table and head to my booth, trying to shake these violent thoughts out of my head.
My heart is pounding and I’m still feeling all edgy inside until I spot Cara walking back, winding through the busy tables.
The aggression melts into euphoria when I see her flawless face smiling at me from across the room. God, I’m in deep. I’m already obsessed with this girl. I don’t know how I lived my life without her. How did I manage to get through fifty-two years without this woman? It’s hard to get through five minutes without her now.
“I like this place,” she says as she slides into the booth and takes the drink menu. “I love fun cocktails.”
The waitress comes over and says hi. She’s small and dainty, wearing a tight black dress. I love that Cara could literally throw her over her shoulder in an emergency and run out of the building to save her life. I find that so sexy.
Cara orders a fruity cocktail with a silly name that I would never be caught dead saying and I order a beer.
She leans back in the booth once we’re alone, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Are you still mad?”
“About what?” I ask, worried she saw me straightening her partner out.
“That I kicked your team’s ass in the softball game.”
“You didn’t kick our ass,” I say with a laugh. “You single-handedly destroyed us. I don’t think we can ever play softball again.”
She laughs, the sound soft and light. It fills my chest with a warm tingling feeling. “It’s for charity, so you have to play. I was just doing my job. You know, being a team player.”
“Team player?” I give her a mock incredulous look. “You were basically a one-woman wrecking crew. At one point, I swear I saw James praying for rain. I think Doug was doing a rain dance at one point.”
“Is that what that was?” Cara says, chuckling as she plays with her silky brown hair. “What can I say? When I do something, I like to give it my all. Plus, it’s not every day I get to humiliate the chief of the fire station.”
“You didn’t just humiliate me,” I reply, leaning forward with a grin. “You crushed the collective spirit of an entire department.”
She smiles, and I can see the faintest hint of pride in her eyes. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I was surprised you hit my fastball even if you did send it flying into the crowd.”
I groan, dragging a hand down my beard. “You just had to bring that up.”
“There aren’t many people who can handle my heater. I was impressed. You get an A for effort.”