Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 14883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 74(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 74(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
“That’s exactly what I thought.” She splays her hand on my stomach and sighs. “Thank you, Parker, for arriving on time. It seems you have this habit of showing up exactly when I need you.”
I smile and plant a kiss on her forehead. “Me and Thor.”
“You and Thor,” she agrees and pets Thor’s head. He only grunts and closes his eyes.
God, I can still taste the fear on my tongue. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I knew Brent’s type. I could’ve bashed his head to the floor and still managed to sleep soundly tonight.
That fucker deserved it.
Thor wiggles from Piper’s lap and drops to the floor. Piper just folds her knees and snuggles closer to me, eyes closed, ignoring the cup of coffee, and breathing going steady.
It’s time to calm myself down because I’m still running the scenes in my head. I need to stop. She’s here with me. She’s safe. No one’s hurting her.
Besides, if there’s one thing I learned tonight, it’s the fact that I cannot live without her. I’d rather chop off my limb than spend another day without Piper by my side.
With that, an idea blooms in my head, casting a shadow over my worries and earlier dread.
This idea makes me smile.
I just need to make it official.
6
PIPER
“Of course, Mrs. Wells.”
Our beautiful landlady, who says she’s 75 when she looks like she’s still in her early 60s, blushes and taps Parker’s bicep. “How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Olivia.”
Parker throws her his most charming smile. “I mean Olivia. I’ll let you know when I’m headed to the farmers market.”
“You don’t have to do that, you know.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. Least I can do for the best landlady I’ve ever had.”
“Oh, hush.” Blush creeps on her face and neck, and she shyly rests both palms on her cheeks. “Go on, now. Your girlfriend is waiting for you.”
I wave at her awkwardly, and she waves back. Parker puts his ball cap back on and walks toward me, Thor at his side.
Looking behind him to check, I slide my arms through his and stand on my toes to whisper in his ear. “Parker, were you flirting with our landlady?”
He staggers back, his eyebrows almost reaching his hairline. “No! I was just being nice.”
Tapping my foot, I point an accusing finger at him and rest my other hand on my hip. “Is that why she let you keep Thor and refused my Fifi?”
Parker shoves his hands in his back pocket and gives me a smug smirk. “Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes, Piper, it helps if you ask someone nicely and not demand things from them. Also helps if you’re as irresistible as me.”
I scoff. “I can resist you.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I can.”
“Wanna bet?” He backs me to a wall and braces one palm above me. I can smell his favorite shampoo and body spray, and it makes me heady with desire.
Parker uses his other hand to cup my jaw and tilt my face up. He brushes his lips over mine, and I close my eyes, already a goner. But before he can kiss me properly, Thor, whom I’m starting to like, lets out a high-pitched squeal.
Oh, the little traitor.
It’s been a long day at work.
It was chaos because of what happened a week ago. Not only was Brent behind bars, but several other women came forward to complain about his inappropriate behavior.
Ben also kept sharing with anyone who would listen about Parker and his pet pig and how he became the designated pet sitter as Parker sprinted up the stairs. So many of my coworkers refused to believe it until they saw the video of Parker doing just that and Ben being left shocked and confused with a pig in his beefy arms. It was all everyone could talk about, and I had to answer questions about Thor—the accidental superstar in all of these.
When I finally arrive on our apartment floor, I’m surprised to find Mrs. Wells beaming at me. She hands me a bouquet of red roses, and I’m so confused I feel like I stepped into another dimension. She wordlessly pats my back and slowly walks back down to her unit.
Wait. Is she humming a tune? What is going on?
And that’s when I notice red rose petals on the floor. My heart is beating so loud I think it’s gonna burst out of my chest. My feet feel heavy, and I have to drag myself toward my apartment because that’s where the trail ends.
My hand shakes as I reach for the doorknob, and the cold metal against my skin somehow eases whatever nervousness I’m feeling. I have an idea about what I’ll find inside, but that doesn’t make me any less frightened because if I’m right, then this moment’s about to change not just my life but also Parker’s.