Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
He stares down at me, and I swear he’s about to kiss me. Then he takes the plates and steps away, leaving me aching. My pulse roars like a train on an endless track, and I try to breathe, to think, to stay grounded.
I’m so screwed.
As soon as the kitchen’s clean, I lie and say I’m dead on my feet before hauling ass to my room. Running isn’t my usual style, but nothing is going normal right now, and I need to get away before I jump Atlas’ bones.
I close the door behind me, leaning against it, heart pounding as I acknowledge to myself that I’m falling hard and fast for Atlas Hot and there might be no stopping this runaway train.
I groan as a thought suddenly occurs to me. Now that I don’t have to work every day, I’m going to be stuck in this tiny apartment with him and my growing feelings. Yep. Screwed.
I don't waste the first morning that Eloise has off. The thought of spending the entire day with her makes my head spin with possibilities. It's a busy fucking morning, and my pulse runs wild as I head for the kitchen, determined to do more than blow her mind. I text my mother to get her chocolate chip pancake recipe, and she immediately calls me.
“Are you making pancakes for your new roommate?” she asks after I say hello.
“Yep.” I clang around in the cabinet, looking for a griddle.
“I’ll text it to you if you promise to stop by next week and tell me all about her.” It seems my mother isn’t above bribery.
“I promise,” I tell her, immediately pulling up my calendar to put it on the schedule so I don’t forget.
“You’d better.” Her tone leaves no room for argument. “Or I’ll have to turn your dad loose on you.” Now, that’s a threat. My dad’s a pro at making sure his sons do what they’re supposed to.
“I will, Mom,” I promise again before hanging up. Her text comes through a few minutes later, and I’m relieved to see I have all the ingredients.
It takes a couple of tries, but I finally end up with edible-looking pancakes. While the bacon fries, I make another pot of coffee and set the table.
I’m a goddamn mess, but I somehow manage to focus on what’s in front of me, moving between the stove and the kitchen table. I'm counting the seconds until everything is ready and I have an excuse to wake her up.
It feels like hours before the door finally creaks open, and my eyes shoot straight to her. I stare at her as my heart pounds away like a runaway train. Seeing her wild curls and sleepy eyes nearly brings me to my knees. She has no idea what she does to me. I’m so fucking gone over her.
She looks from the table to me, and I have to mentally tell my cock to stand down. Her cheeks are warm and flushed from sleep. Seeing her like this sends every thought ping-ponging around in my head.
"Good morning," I mumble, realizing I want to be here when she wakes up every goddamn morning from now on.
Eloise gives me a curious smile and wipes the sleep from her eyes. “Good morning. Sorry I slept so late. It’s been forever since I got to sleep past six am.”
“No biggie.” I smile at her, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms. “I like to sleep in on my days off, too.” My brothers love to give me hell about how late I sleep, but I don’t fucking care. “I got up early to make us breakfast.”
“It smells great in here.” She smiles at me, and I forget the subject of our conversation.
"I made us breakfast." I sound like a broken record. Fuck. Her sleepy beauty does something to me, something I can't get enough of. I’m worse than Ian. More lost than I thought possible. I try to keep my voice steady. "Figured you’d like a treat on your first day off." I clench my fingers to keep from throwing her curvy ass over my shoulder and heading straight for the bedroom.
Eloise’s mouth quirks up in a way that causes fantasies to blast through my mind. Fuck. Her bare legs seem impossibly long, and I can’t wait to feel them wrapped around my waist.
"You didn’t have to do that." Her eyes shine with amusement, and I feel like I’ve won the fucking lottery. “But thank you.”
We sit, and I’m amazed at how right this all seems. It’s more than I can ask for. It’s fucking perfect.
As we eat our breakfast, I barely taste a bite. Eloise’s scent and her nearness undo me. She has a speck of powdered sugar on her lip, and I want to taste it more than I want my next breath. I search for some safe topic, but my mind isn’t cooperating. "Do you miss Sage?" I finally ask, aiming for casual, landing at desperate.