Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Harvey blinked. “Just let me know if you ever need me to help you escape his clutches.”
“You say it like he’s laid a meticulously planned trap to ensnare me and make me fall for him.”
“He might have. We don’t know that.”
“I’d like to think he’d have been a bit nicer and more respectful of my free time if he was trying to seduce me all this time.”
He nodded. “Good point.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE – CHLOE
We Need To Talk
Butterflies danced in my tummy as I stood outside Theo’s front door.
It was hardly the first time I’d been to his place, but it was the first time I was coming here for something other than work. It felt strange, almost as if I was doing something wrong.
Especially since I was clutching a bag full of things so that I could stay here overnight.
I was just thankful nobody would find it too weird if we both arrived at work together. Arriving and leaving together was something we’d done many, many times, so we didn’t have to go to too many lengths to hide it.
I hoped.
I took a deep breath and raised my hand to knock on the door. I rapped my knuckles against it a few times in quick succession and instinctively stepped back, pressing my hand to my stomach.
Ooft.
Why was I so nervous?
I was twenty-nine-years-old, for goodness’ sake.
The door swung open, and Theo appeared with a blue towel on his head. “Good timing. I was about to order dinner. Come in.”
“Did you just take a shower?” I asked, following him inside.
“Mm. I went to the gym after work since you were going home.” He pulled the towel off his head and grinned at me. His wet, dark hair fell over his face in an unfairly sexy way, and I had to resist the urge to walk over to him and mess it all up even more.
Breathe, Chloe. Breathe.
He took the bag from me and carried it inside. “Why do you look disappointed?”
“I’m not disappointed,” I muttered.
“Tell that to your face.” He pulled me against him and playfully nibbled my earlobe. “Did you want to join me?”
“Not after you’ve been to the gym.” I poked his side, making him twitch away from me. “Been there, smelt that.”
“You know just how to hit me where it hurts, don’t you?”
I laughed, leaning into him and hugging him. “I’m just keeping you on your toes.”
“Mm. You did that at lunchtime when you told me we needed to talk. I was about to report Harvey to HR for harassment.” He wrapped his arms around me again, burying his face in my hair.
“Why on Earth would you report him for harassment?”
“Harassment to my emotions. Did he tell you to end things with me?”
“No, he was surprisingly insightful. Although he did call me stupid a whole bunch.” I leant back and looked up at him. “Apparently, you’re head over heels for me.”
Theo’s lips quirked to one side. “I am.”
“You are?” I blinked. “You didn’t tell me you liked me that much!”
“I didn’t want to scare you.” He kissed the corner of my mouth. “I thought you’d run away if you knew how much I lo—”
I quickly turned my head and kissed him, stopping him before he could finish that sentence.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to hear it.
I did. I’d have to be a terrible person not to hear such a word from someone I cared about so much, but it wasn’t time. Not yet. Not until we were on the exact same page about everything in our relationship.
If we weren’t, things would go wrong, and I didn’t want anything to go wrong.
“Did you just stop me telling you that I—”
“Psht.” I covered his mouth with my hand. “Don’t keep making me stop you.”
“Ut eye are oo topping ee?”
“Say that again.” I pulled my hand back, trying not to laugh. “I don’t speak palm.”
“Why are you stopping me?” His eyes glinted with a bit of uncertainty, and his grip held the same hesitance.
“Because I know what you’re going to say.” I laid my hand against his cheek. “And we need to talk, Theo. We need to make sure we’re on the same page with everything if we’re going to make whatever this is between us work.”
“Whatever this is.” He turned into my hand, brushing his lips across my palm. “Am I the only one of us thinking this is a relationship? That you’re my girlfriend? Because I told you, Chloe. I’m yours. I have been for a very long time. I will be for the rest of my life.”
Goosebumps skittered across my skin. “How can you say that with such certainty?”
“Because nothing and nobody else has ever made me feel this way.” He grasped my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist. A water droplet trickled off his hair and landed on my arm, and he flicked his tongue against my skin, clearing it up. “It’s unfathomable to think that anyone else ever would. There’s nobody else in this world I could ever consider dying for.”