Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
He glanced over at me as he was lifting his bottle of water to his lips and paused. The way his eyes slowly traveled down my body made me feel warm, tingly, and insecure, all at the same time. Than wasn’t the first guy I’d been attracted to, but he was the first one to cause that odd sensation.
“Come eat,” he finally said, then took a drink from the bottle and turned back to his food.
It smelled like an Italian restaurant, much like it had last night, and my stomach growled. I wanted to devour that bread, but with Than sitting beside me, I wouldn’t be doing that.
Ugh, there I went again, caring what he thought of me. I had to stop that.
“Jayda made the dairy-free lasagna first for Stevie. The kid wanted more Italian tonight so that’s what we are having. Jayda didn’t have the real cheese lasagna ready yet when I got there,” he explained when I pulled the stool out and sat down, then took my napkin and placed it in my lap.
“It smells wonderful,” I said, anxious to taste it.
“It is.”
He hadn’t said anything about the fact that I wouldn’t be gone during the day now. Did that mean he would have to stay here too? If he didn’t like me before, he was really going to start hating me now. My threat to Jericho had made me a burden on people who hadn’t done anything to deserve it.
“My, uh, having to do the virtual-school thing—I mean, I won’t have a car to go anywhere, and there isn’t anyone I’m going to tell about Jericho. There is no need for you to be here all the time. You can have a life.”
He cut his eyes at me. “You trying to get rid of me?” The teasing lilt to his tone wasn’t expected.
“Not exactly, but you have a life and friends.”
He shrugged. “I talked to Linc. Since you can’t go to school, he said taking you to the house and bringing you around my friends would be okay. Neither of us wants to stay in this cabin all the time.”
My eyes widened in surprise. He was going to bring me around his friends? Who was he going to tell him I was?
“What about my identity being a secret? I mean…you have a girlfriend, don’t you?” Who I didn’t want to meet. She was probably stunning.
He laughed. “I don’t do girlfriends. Too much commitment and drama.”
My curiosity was piqued about the girl he’d talked to on the phone. But admitting I’d heard him having phone sex was a no way in hell. I took a bite of my lasagna and momentarily got distracted by how delicious it was. I bit back a moan. I glanced at the pan he’d brought it in and saw there was more than half left. I was going to want more of this.
“It’s good, huh?” he said.
I nodded as I chewed. I wished I could cook like Jayda, but Mom hadn’t been much of an eater, so we never cooked unless it was a holiday in our house. We ate a lot of salads with low-fat salad dressing. Carbs like this was not something Momma had ever bought.
“That’s divine,” I replied after I swallowed, wanting to shove more into my mouth like a starved little kid. I refrained since I had an audience.
“Jayda can cook,” he agreed. “She’s better than Wilma, the cook at our house, but if you ever repeat that, I’ll deny it.”
Before taking another bite, I pointed out the obvious. “And who would I tell that to?”
He smirked. “You’ll be around the guys I live with regularly, starting tomorrow. I have to work, and instead of leaving you here alone all day, I’m going to take you with me to work. We always need some help at the front desk, too, so if you get done with your work in time, I can show you things to keep you busy.”
While I savored my next mouthful, I let that information sink in. He was taking me to his work. I didn’t even know where he worked.
Once I swallowed, I asked him, “Where is it you work?” since he was so sure his boss wouldn’t mind me being there. I’d thought he must work for Linc, but considering I didn’t know what Linc did, I was lost.
“Carver’s Bootleg Whiskey.” He drawled out the words with a grin.
“Like the bottle of whiskey you had last night,” I said.
He nodded. “Only whiskey a Carver will drink. Our own.”
“Your family owns it then.”
“Yep. Great-grandfather was a bootlegger. He made the best moonshine this side of the Mississippi. My grandfather started the distillery, using his father’s recipe, but made it the way whiskey was supposed to be made since it was no longer illegal. The Bootleg in the name is a nod to his father for teaching him the science of it.”