Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
“Why am I not surprised?”
Seeing my stare, Tilly glances down and reads the shirt she’s chosen before her eyes shift around with uncertainty. “I kinda got you a shirt too.”
My brows fly straight up, not having expected that at all. “You got me a shirt?”
Tilly nods and searches through her room. “I know you’re not exactly the slogan T-shirt kind of guy. You prefer a more sophisticated, polished look, but when I saw it, I couldn’t resist.”
I watch her as she searches for this mystery shirt, and when she eventually finds it hidden beneath her blanket, she grabs it with enthusiasm and starts unfolding it. Then she holds it up against her chest to show me what she chose for me.
I start reading out loud. “I’m not a gynecologist, but I’ll take a look.” My brow arches, a smirk tearing across my lips. “What happened? My son’s girlfriend screams louder than yours, was already taken?”
Tilly’s face twists with a cringe. “Yeah, sorry. Sold out, so I got the next best thing.”
I shake my head and step into her bedroom, a softness sweeping through me, realizing that in her day-to-day routine, she thinks about me, and while that’s sweet, it’s also not how this was supposed to go.
I move into her, my hand lifting to the base of her throat and pulling her in. “Thank you, hellcat,” I murmur, her soft eyes captivated by mine. “I’ll wear it every day until the fabric physically tears to pieces, and even then, I’ll hang the shredded pieces of its remains above my bed so I’ll never have to be far from its magnificence.”
“Ha. Ha,” she says. “Daddy Di Rozé has jokes.”
I lean in and close the gap, dropping my lips to hers in a swift kiss and feeling her body melt into mine. This is dangerous territory. I shouldn’t kiss her like this. I shouldn’t have even kissed her at Vixen, but I couldn’t help it. It’s as though my body takes over, giving in to its most basic desires.
When I pull back, I meet her eyes, my hand dropping from the base of her throat and skimming down the length of her body. “Did you get everything you were needing at Vixen?”
Tilly nods, her cheeks flushing the brightest shade of red. “And more,” she admits. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but what you gave me far exceeded that.”
“Good, I’m glad,” I tell her. “Now grab your things. I’m taking you out to eat.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “But I just got comfy.”
“So? Wear that. I just need to feed you.”
She shrugs her shoulders, and I don’t doubt she knows how this could easily complicate things. The same thoughts are going through my head, yet I can’t bring myself to admit that it’s a bad idea.
“I’m sure there’s something here I could eat.”
“You have ramen and vodka,” I tell her. “Not exactly the kind of sustenance your body requires after what you’ve just been through at Vixen.”
“What were you expecting? I’m in college. This is what we eat. Ramen is the one and only food group required for college graduates all across the globe. It’s basically brain food.”
“And the vodka?”
“Well, that’s just for girls who like to fuck their friends’ daddies and are trying not to lose their mind in the process.”
I shake my head, rolling my eyes. “Grab your things, hellcat. Let’s go.”
“Shit,” she mutters. “Can I sleep on the way?”
“You can sleep at the goddamn table as long as you’re putting food into your mouth.”
Her gaze settles on mine for just a moment too long, a strange curiosity in her eye that makes me wonder what’s roaming around inside that head of hers, but knowing it couldn’t be good, I don’t allow it the chance to turn into anything more. “Come on,” I say, turning on my heel and stalking out of her room. “Lock up behind you.”
Fifteen minutes later, Tilly’s head is lolled against the window of my car, barely able to keep her eyes open, and while I’d give anything to put this girl in her bed and let her rest, I can’t fathom the idea of not feeding her first.
As I pull into the first parking space I see in the near-empty parking lot outside the restaurant, Tilly lifts her head off the window, her sleepy gaze glancing across the lot as she lifts her fingers and points to a different space. “Shouldn’t you be parking over there?”
My brows furrow, and I follow her stare to the handicapped parking space. “The fuck?”
“You know, ’cause you’re like, almost a hundred,” she tells me, stifling a yawn. “I can help you with your walker if you need, though I picture you more of a mobility scooter kinda guy.”
My car rolls to a stop, and the moment I can, I fix my stare on Tilly. “Watch it, hellcat. I don’t care that you’ve just had an exhausting night or that your sweet little cunt is still feeling exactly where we’ve been, I will bend you over my lap and spank that attitude out of you.”