Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Now, she’d be awake all night again. How was she going to manage that? She was already so exhausted; she didn’t think she could manage another night being on alert.
You can do this.
You have your babies to protect.
But Maya knew that she couldn’t keep this up forever. If Matthieu was only around part of the time, it wasn’t going to be enough.
She should move, but who would rent a house to someone with three dogs, four chickens, a cat, a pig and a farting hamster?
No one.
“I will be staying here. I will be sleeping here. But I will not be taking your bedroom,” he clarified.
Oh. Relief flooded her.
“But there’s nowhere else for you to sleep,” she told him. “I think it would upset Tank too much to have someone in his room with him. My other bedroom doesn’t have a bed, but I thought I could put some of the couch cushions in there along with some bedding. I could sleep in there while you . . . sleep . . . in . . .” she trailed off as she spotted him moving out of the corner of her eye. He was headed her way.
She tensed as he stopped next to her. Reaching out, he touched her hand. His touch was light, but it still made her jump.
“Drop the sheet,” he told her in a low voice.
Darn it.
For some reason, she obeyed him instantly. What was with that?
“Good girl.”
A shiver ran up her spine.
Shoot. Crap. Damn it!
Irritated with herself for her reaction to his words and his tone, which was like warm honey and made her want to burrow herself into him and hold on tight, she let out a puff of air.
“Look at me.”
She was grouchy enough that she didn’t even hesitate to glare up at him.
“Hmm, I thought you were going to take more convincing than that, but that doesn’t matter.” He cupped her chin.
Do not react.
Do not react.
But she felt her mouth grow dry and she swallowed heavily.
“Listen to me,” he said firmly. “I am not taking your bed. Not. Happening. You sleep in here on your strawberry sheets. I will sleep on the sofa.”
He would?
“You can’t.”
“I can. Or I can make myself a bed in the other bedroom. I’m used to roughing it.”
“But you’re a guest. You should sleep here and I should rough it.”
“I’m not a guest,” he replied. “I’m here to take care of you. That’s my job. And I can’t do that by kicking you out of your bed.”
It was his job. He wasn’t saying this because he liked her.
But it was hard to convince her body that he wasn’t interested in her. Her body wanted to melt into him and beg him to never let her go.
He was being so . . . so nice. She wasn’t used to men like this, men who put other people’s comfort before their own, and it was confusing.
“Tell me you understand,” he said firmly.
“I understand.”
“Good,” he replied. “Now, I’m going to remind you again, what are you supposed to be doing?”
“Umm.” Drat! Her mind had gone blank. How had that happened?
“You are supposed to be resting. On the sofa. Not changing sheets on the bed.”
Oh heck.
“But I feel good now.”
A slight exaggeration. She was still tired and a bit light-headed.
“Right. That’s why you’re pale and light-headed.”
Crap! He could tell? She was going to have to remember how observant he was. It was really inconvenient for her.
“You’re going to get yourself in a lot of trouble if you do not start obeying me, little girl,” he warned.
Little girl?
Holy. Heck.
Why did she like that? It was worse than liking ‘good girl.’
And what sort of trouble was he talking about?
Do not ask.
Do. Not.
Sometimes she was just better off not knowing.
Just nod and pretend to agree. He can’t watch you all the time.
Right. Except that was literally his job.
“I don’t always have to do what you say,” she told him.
“Yes, little girl, you do.”
Then, before she could say anything more, he stepped back.
“Merde.”
Um. What? Had he just sworn in French? Or had she imagined it?
“What?” she asked.
“I said sorry.”
That wasn’t what it had sounded like.
“I shouldn’t have touched you like that. Or called you little girl. I apologize.”
Why was he apologizing?
“That was unprofessional.”
Oh. Right.
Professional. Because this was a job for him. And that was how it should be. So there was no reason for her to be upset by that.
“Sure,” she replied in a small voice.
Crap. She sounded upset. She’d wanted to keep her emotions and feelings out of her voice.
“Hey, are you all right?” he asked in a softer tone.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be? You’re the one who is probably going to ruin their back sleeping on the sofa. Are you sure you’ll be okay? Don’t you need your body to be in tip-top shape for your job?”