Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
He chews a bite of his hotdog. “I want to watch the robot movie tonight in my room. You know that new one with the big green robot who makes the boom noises?”
Lyla’s eyes light up. “Me, me. I want to see!”
“Yeah!” Leo chimes in.
“Cool. Your dad said you could hang out with me for a little while so let’s see the movie after dinner,” he says.
“Wyn comes too?” Leo asks, glancing up at me. He’s clingy, needing more support and reassurance than fearless Lyla. It’s hard to blame him. He’s been through a lot in his little life and now everything is changing with the addition of a bonus mom and new baby.
Derek glances at me and for Leo’s sake, I give him a brief nod. This isn’t about hanging out with him. It’s about helping out Lincoln and Lucy.
“No running in the halls,” Derek growls later as the four of us make our way to his room. The kids slow but only by a little. Despite the fact that we’ve been on the go all day, they still have energy to spare. It makes me wonder how Lincoln and Lucy manage to keep up with them.
He takes my elbow and pulls me close, stopping me in my tracks. His fingers have tingles racing down my spine. When he leans close, I can smell his aftershave. “About earlier, I’m sorry.”
I don’t know if he’s being sarcastic, but it doesn’t matter. He’s made it clear over and over again that he’s not interested in even trying to be friends with me. He’ll be friends with Cam and Lincoln but not me. “Yeah, sure. Don’t mention it.”
He looks like he wants to say more but I shrug away from his touch. I follow the twins to the room and watch the movie from a chair while the kids join Derek on the bed.
They look so cute snuggled up next to him. Lyla makes him pause the movie no less than ten times to ask questions or offer her opinion on various characters. Meanwhile, Leo asks Derek to hide Bunny’s eyes from the scary parts with the bad robot. He takes all of it in stride, answering Lyla’s questions and comforting Bunny.
Watching the three of them together makes my heart ache. He’d be an amazing father and I can’t help but wonder why he hasn’t settled down. Cam and Lincoln have found incredible women recently. His turn will probably be next. The thought leaves a sour taste in the back of my mouth.
Lincoln finally comes to pick up the twins just as the movie ends. I help them gather their shoes and kiss Bunny goodbye. Then finally we’re alone. I’m alone with Derek, my boss. In his room.
He’s staring at me again, frozen in place.
Neither of us move for a long moment.
I should probably go. If I had any sense of self-preservation, I’d leave now. But my brain must be on vacation because I find myself wrapping my arms around my body. I learned from my therapist that it can help relieve anxiety to hug yourself.
“Why?” My voice comes out in a scratchy whisper. “Why won’t you be my friend? You’re friends with Lincoln and Cam.”
I feel petty pointing it out but I’m tired of hurting over it. Derek isn’t some sexist jerk. He’s the reason I have my job. I know it’s not because I’m a woman. It has to be something else, something that he doesn’t like about me.
I shouldn’t even care about this. After all, I’ve always been confident and never needed to be liked by everyone. But for some reason, the rejection from him stings deeper than I’d like to admit.
Derek’s normally brown gaze darkens so much that his eyes look almost black. “You want the truth?”
He steps close, invading my space until I finally relent and step away from him. My back bumps into the wall. My heart pounds as I wait for him to explain himself.
He puts his hands on the wall and with the simple motion he cages me in. The look in his eyes is predatory which makes me prey. I don’t know why the thought of being prey to Derek turns me on so much, but it does.
I want this man to own me in a way no one else ever has. I want to belong to him and only him. I want to feel his hot cock sliding through my swollen folds, want to watch him lose control as he thrusts deep into my aching body.
When he speaks, his voice isn’t the commanding boom it normally is in the fire station. No, he’s quiet but the longing in his tone still shakes me to my core and dampens my panties. “Because I don’t think about fucking my friends. But I think about fucking you. All. The. Time.”