Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79509 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79509 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I made a pot of coffee but was eager to have a beer instead. I restrained myself and preheated the oven before I started to prepare the turkey.
Cleo walked in a moment later, her eyes heavy with sleep, her hair in a ponytail, accentuating her features. She stretched her arms over her head and yanked, her short tank top revealing her flat stomach. She was in purple silk shorts, showing off her incredible legs.
I didn’t sleep with her, but I was definitely attracted to her.
She grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee before she took a sip. “How can I help?”
“You don’t need to help, baby. You can go back to sleep.”
“Come on, I know you’re a genius, but no one can prepare a Thanksgiving feast alone.” She went to the fridge and took out ingredients, laying everything out on the kitchen island. “I’ll do the stuffing. That’s going to take a while. Good thing you have two ovens.”
Now that she was there, I didn’t send her away. It was better to have company anyway.
We were both showered and dressed for the occasion, and I pulled the turkey out to make sure it was brown on the outside and tender on the inside. The rest of the hot sides were wrapped in foil on the servingware Cleo had picked out.
Cleo set the dining table, transforming it into a formal dining experience with the tablecloth, centerpieces, and splashes of orange and brown. She placed the silverware on the cloth napkins and came back to me. “Table is ready, and the food looks good.”
“Yeah. We make a good team.”
She smiled at me.
I grabbed the knife and carved part of the turkey, so we didn’t have to waste time doing it later.
She watched me, her arms crossed over her chest.
I set down the knife and fork, picking up on her energy, knowing she wanted all of my attention.
She looked down for a moment, her olive-green sweater a stunning color with her brown hair and beautiful complexion. Her long hair was in spiral curls, and she wore black jeans with brown boots. “I know today is hard for you, given the circumstances. But I want you to know… It’s the best Thanksgiving I’ve had…in a really long time.” She couldn’t look at me as she said it, like she was embarrassed. “It’s just… It’s nice to have someone.”
I’d been so busy thinking about my painful relationship with Valerie that I didn’t really think about Cleo at all. I let it consume me completely instead of appreciating the fact that she was in my life, that I woke up to her in my condo, that we were together after all that time apart. “I’m grateful for a lot of things this year, but I’m grateful for you the most.” I couldn’t carry the guilt of losing Derek anymore, because I did everything I possibly could to be in his life. I was a good person, a selfless person, and I deserved to be happy. I deserved to feel that…especially now. I moved into her, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pressed my forehead to hers. “I’m sorry I’ve been so distant lately…”
Her hands moved to my biceps, and she stared at my lips. “It’s okay, Deacon. I understand. I don’t care how distant you are…because we’re still together.” She rose up slightly so she could kiss me on the mouth.
I kissed her back, feeling that spark ignite between our lips instantly. My hand cupped her cheek and moved her hair from her face, examining her for the first time that week, really looking at her, really appreciating her. “I love you.” Other than Derek, she was the person I loved most in this world, and I shouldn’t forget that.
“I love you too.”
The doorbell rang.
I sighed as I looked at her, wishing we had more time.
“They’ve got to leave sometime, right?” she whispered.
I kissed her on the forehead before I moved to the door. I opened it, seeing my mom on the other side.
“Happy Thanksgiving!” She stepped into my arms and hugged me tightly. “Isn’t it a beautiful day? The snow stopped, and it’s so clear.” She kissed me on the cheek before she moved to Cleo next. “Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart.” She hugged her tightly, treating her exactly the way she treated me.
Tucker came a second later, like he’d been right behind Mom in a different elevator. “Happy Thanksgiving, asshole.” He embraced me with a hug and patted me on the back. “Damn, that smells good.” He pulled away and held up a bottle of wine. “Pria made me bring this.”
I took it with a slight smirk. “Good. She’s teaching you manners.” I turned to Pria next and hugged her, even though I really didn’t know her that well. “Happy Thanksgiving. And thank you for the wine.”