Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
"I don't want someone to take care of me," she snaps. "I don't need that."
Of course, she would internalize this in some way that she imagines I'm trying to rescue her. Her demand for fierce independence is in direct contradiction to what I just said. I really should've thought this through more than barging in here the way I did.
"That's not—"
"I'd like it if you just left my room."
I blink at her, feeling helpless and incapable of figuring out what the right thing to say would be.
"Please," she whispers, her hand once again tightening to hold the towel at the center of her chest.
Knowing what I do know about her, standing here and backpedaling or trying to explain further where I'm coming from, will only make things worse, so I turn and head out the door, closing it quietly behind me.
I figure I have to count it as a win that she didn't demand that I pack my things and leave, but I also know that the request could easily be waiting for me first thing in the morning.
In order to save a little face, I pack what little belongings I brought to her house before crawling into the bed, feeling lonelier than I can ever remember feeling before in my entire life.
I know I jumped the gun. It's ridiculous, now that I think about it, to claim her as mine after spending such little time together, but it's just what felt right at the moment. I'm normally pretty good at determining what my gut feelings mean, but her reaction to my words has me second-guessing all of it.
Great sex in no way means a happily ever after, especially when we can't seem to get along for very long when we're dressed. Building a life together based on what happens in the bedroom is impossible, especially when we probably couldn't handle it when real-life shit hits us that can't be solved with a few orgasms and a good night's sleep.
Chapter 27
Riley
I shouldn't have been surprised that Mac had already left the house by the time I made it out of my bedroom this morning.
I can't count the number of times I growled in frustration, trying to go to sleep last night only to pop my eyes open with the urgency to go down the hall and demand that he explain himself further.
I'm sure asking him to leave my room was a kick to his ego that will have him treating me poorly or ignoring me altogether, but with the day I have planned, worrying about what Mac Hammer meant last night will just have to take a back burner.
Today is Claire's wedding shower, and Madison was gracious enough to host it at her massive mansion of a house.
The air out here on this end of town even smells more expensive, despite the fact that all the flowering trees have gone dormant for the winter.
It took me more than half a dozen trips to carry all the things I needed to prepare a meal for the day into the house. But I felt nothing but calm in her massive kitchen, knowing that if I forgot anything, she'd have just about anything I needed stocked in her pantry.
As much as I want to expand the townsfolk palates with different food, Madison spent the better part of a decade in the city. She's the last person who would turn her nose up at a concoction that most people in town would've never heard of. I know for a fact she spent a lot of time at catered parties and has probably eaten everything under the sun.
"It looks like you're moving in," Madison says with a wide grin when she enters the kitchen and finds me unpacking all my reusable bags.
"I promise I'll clean any mess I make before I leave."
She waves her hand dismissively as if she isn't worried about me making a mess.
"It's only clean right now because I threatened the twins with cream corn and steamed broccoli for dinner if they made a mess in here before the party was over."
I laugh at her threat, wondering just how serious the boys' faces were when the words came from her mouth.
The doorbell echoes through the house, and Madison leaves me to work as she goes to answer it.
Instead of this feeling like a job, I feel elated when she returns to the kitchen with both Sage and Adalynn.
Sage looks from me to the other women, a question in her eyes, and I dip my head when I realize she's asking me without words if it's okay for her to ask me about last night.
Before she can open her mouth to get the words out, Adalynn speaks up.
"What in the world is going on between you and Mac Hammer?"
Sage chuckles, and Madison sits on a barstool in the breakfast area, fully invested in what my response is going to be.