Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 137131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
I don’t let myself stare at his face for too long.
“I see,” he says again, this strangely gentle tone that says maybe he really does understand.
“I’m so sorry, Archer. I never meant for any of this to happen. The last thing I wanted was to make myself your problem.” My whole body is shaking now. Get it together, Winnie. “I know this is dumb and you must be furious. I know—”
“Winnie, stop. Just look at me and breathe,” he rumbles.
He’s even closer now.
I can feel his wonderful body heat, this invisible aura comforting me, stroking me like a kitten right down to my bones.
He’s so tall. I have to look up to meet his gaze and those ice-blue eyes that aren’t so icy after all.
In fact, they’re more like a wide, welcoming sky.
I blink so fast it hurts.
Sad, scalding tears fall down my face.
The shame just keeps piling up. This is the third time I’ve cried in front of him.
“Breathe,” he says again.
I hadn’t thought this bear of a man could sound so gentle. He runs a hand up my arm to my shoulders and the gesture is so reassuring, I have to fight to keep my eyes up. If I’m not careful, I’m going to melt right into him.
“I’m really sorry to come here like this, crying all over you. To even ask for something I don’t deserve.”
“Enough. Stop apologizing.” The corner of his mouth twitches like he wants to smile, but he holds back, his eyes speaking with warmth and seriousness. “It’s going to be okay. Whatever else happens, I need you to know that.”
“Easy for you to say,” I whisper.
“We’ll work something out. It’s a premier property and this involves the company, so I’ll have to talk to my brothers, but they’re not unreasonable. No one’s throwing you out on the street, Winnie.”
I frown, trying to hash out what he’s telling me.
“You mean you’re… not kicking me out?” My knees feel like they’ll crumble under me.
“Nah.” The other side of his mouth twitches and he loses his grimness. “You’ve just tapped into a honey gold mine on our property, right? Why the fuck would I fire my top bee expert?”
Holy hell.
Only Archer flipping Rory could leave my heart in shambles with a single question.
I sniff back the ugliness, wiping under my eyes. “That’s crazy generous, but I’m no expert. I don’t have a degree in entomology or anything. I just love bees.”
“False modesty. You’re a bee nerd and you ought to be proud of it.”
“No, really, I…” I finally figure out what he’s doing. “Oh. Well, I mean, I guess I’m not not an expert.”
“There we go.” Just like that, he slides an arm around my shoulders and tucks me against him.
I look up to find his eyes fixed on my face. Such warmth, such fire, it curls my toes and sends heat flooding my veins.
Twisting to get a better look at him, I balance myself with a hand on his arm. It feels way too natural, too easy, too close to a real attraction.
If we’re not careful, this could get very weird. Especially if I can’t make myself care whether or not it’s right and—
“Dad! Hey, Dad!” Colt comes pounding through the kitchen to where we’re standing.
Archer springs back, releasing me like I just burned him. His cheeks are heated and mine are definitely torched.
Why do they always say karma’s a bitch?
Because I think déjà vu might be worse.
Colt stops and looks between us, but his eyes are wide with whatever news he’s brought, demanding his dad’s attention.
“Um, just thought I’d let you know Mom’s here,” he says urgently.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh, flaming crap. The wife.
How could I forget?
Just thinking a man like this would be alone with a kid, that’s the height of insanity.
About as crazy as almost kissing a married man and then blubbering all over him.
Archer takes another step away from me and clears his throat as I stare numbly at the cake, feeling like I’ve had a bucket of cold water tossed in my face.
Archer has a wife. Colt’s mom.
Of course, of course.
And while he was comforting me, all soft and sexy and tender, I let my idiot brain fly off into fantasyland, where men built like oak trees and richer than sin magically fall in love with girls who have nothing but honey to their names.
I willingly forgot there must be a woman in his life.
It all makes perfect sense, though.
But for some reason I don’t dare focus on, the thought of a wife stings. It’s becoming a huge effort to breathe for a different reason now.
Congratulations, Winnie Emberly.
You just won the Too Stupid To Live award.
8
BEE IN YOUR EAR (ARCHER)
Sonofafuck.
Shit.
Rina? Rina here, right now?
Her timing couldn’t be worse.
Colt keeps looking at me, waiting for some answer, but the wires in my brain are too crossed to process this bullshit.