Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 36367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
There’s no way I can lose her as my assistant. I don’t know how I’ll function without her by my side.
“These are your pants. They’re waterproof, so it’ll be helpful with all the snow on the ground.” She tosses them on top of the thermals and picks up a shirt. “This is your top layer shirt. It’ll keep you warm in the cold.”
She hasn’t looked at me, she’s too busy pulling the clothing out of the bag and laying it all on the bed.
“I also had a pair of rubber boots delivered. You definitely don’t want your feet getting wet out there.”
I run a hand through my wet hair before shoving both hands into the pockets of my jeans. I’m afraid I’ll grab her, holding her close to thank her. Instead, I stand next to her and she finally lifts her blue eyes to mine.
“Thank you, January.”
Our eyes lock and bounce between each other. Her eyes soften as she stares at me. My heart pounds in my chest, and I squeeze my hands into fists to prevent them from grabbing hold of her as I take her in. She looks stunning. Her brown hair cascades down around her shoulders in soft waves. The blue sweater she’s wearing hangs off one shoulder and I’ve never in my life been so turned on by an exposed shoulder. Her full pink lips are wet, begging for me to steal a taste. Her slender body shakes with a small shiver, and I wonder if it’s me or the chill in the air. I want to wrap my arms around her, sharing my body heat with her, but I remind myself she’s not really mine.
She clears her throat and we both snap out of whatever bubble we were in. A slight blush creeps onto her cheeks as she looks back down at the clothing on the bed.
“You’re welcome.”
There’s an uncertainty in the air around us and she must feel it too because she excuses herself to the bathroom.
I blow out a breath, scrubbing my face as I try to collect whatever it is that I’m feeling. I glance down at the clothes on the bed and shake my head. This is far from my usual attire. Camouflage is not exactly my style—I’m more inclined toward the polished look of expensive suits and ties. As I pick up the pants, January comes out of the bathroom.
I glance at her, lifting an eyebrow. “So, this is really what I need to wear?”
She laughs lightly, shaking her head. “I know it’s not what you’re used to, but believe me you’ll be glad you did.”
My eyes drift back to the clothing and I nod. “This won’t be so bad.”
I don’t know if I’m trying to convince myself or her.
“You don’t really need to do this. I can call my dad and tell him that we’ve decided to do something on our own today.”
She’s tried convincing me that I should sit this excursion out. She’s worried that I won’t be able to keep up since I’ve never been hunting. It only makes me want to do it more. I never back down from a challenge. This is no different.
“I’ll be fine, January. Go enjoy your day with the girls.”
She bites her bottom lip, glancing from me to the door. The uncertainty from before is back, but this time it seems she’s nervous about leaving me.
It does something to me, causing a warmth inside me I’ve never experienced. I grin and step toward her. This time I don’t keep my hands hidden, I reach out and gently touch her bare shoulder. She sucks in a breath as her eyes widen, but I don’t remove my hand. The heat of her skin on mine sends a shock through me, straight down to my dick.
I squeeze her shoulder and grin. “You don’t need to worry. I’m good with people.”
She backs away quickly, grabbing her purse. “Right, don’t forget, no mention of work. They can’t find out you’re my boss.”
Like a bucket of cold water dumped on me, I straighten. “Yep.”
After she leaves, I change into all the camo and look at myself in the mirror. Definitely not something I’ll be wearing again.
It’s time to meet the guys in the lobby, so I make my way down, feeling ridiculous in this expensive resort camo, but once I see the rest of January’s family dressed the same, I feel better.
“Nicholas,” January’s father greets me.
“Charles, how are you?”
“Ready for a day in the woods,” he replies with a smile.
“We’re all here now. Everyone have everything? Hats and gloves?” Frank asks, looking around.
I reach into my pockets and realize I don’t have gloves. January mentioned there was a hat, but I must’ve missed.
“I’ll meet you guys outside. I need to go buy some gloves and grab my hat,” I announce.