Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 53516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
I had to make this right.
No, fuck that. I would make this right.
I had to make her see that nothing about the way I was starting to feel about her was convenient. Not at fucking all.
Chapter 22
Rosalee
When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I noticed was the smell of bacon permeating the air. I inhaled deeply and smiled, and the smile slowly turned into a frown. Why does the house smell like bacon? I jackknifed up to a sitting position before I jumped out of bed and rushed to the kitchen, where I found Xavier at the stove—shirtless—talking with his daughter, who was fenced into a small part of the kitchen far away from the stove, babbling as if they were carrying on a real conversation.
"Yeah, I know it smells done, but it's not crispy, which means it's not done. You'll learn," he told her.
My gaze was glued to the wide golden expanse of his back, perfectly smooth other than the bunch and flex of the muscles when he flipped the bacon or stirred the scrambled eggs. He was absolutely beautiful, and a shallow breath escaped. He's not yours, I reminded myself and took a step back from the adorable scene.
Nope, not adorable. It was a regular kitchen scene with a father and daughter. Nothing special about it. That was my story, and I stuck to it as I crept back to my room and then to the bathroom for a quick shower. Xavier had taken responsibility for Violet this morning, but he wouldn't be able to stand much longer on that ankle, so I moved quickly and dressed in jeans and a sweater.
Dressed and with my emotional walls erected high and fortified, I walked into the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffee pot, ignoring the still not adorable father-daughter scene before me. Xavier was still shirtless as he faced Violet in her highchair, gnawing on a handful of scrambled eggs with a satisfied hum. His smile was wide and proud. "Pretty good, right?"
She babbled at him, and I looked away because despite his flaws, Xavier was going to be a great father to Violet.
"Good morning, Rosalee." His voice was rich and deep, and I felt the weight of his gaze on me while I filled a coffee mug.
"Morning." I kept my answers short and my words clipped because he didn't deserve nice. Not today.
"Sleep okay?"
I shrugged, finding the courage to turn around and face him. "Decent, thanks."
"Sit. Have some breakfast." He smiled, and my knees wobbled, but only a little before I willed them to be strong. I will not succumb to that smile. Or breakfast. I wouldn't succumb, but I would indulge in the delicious-smelling spread.
"Okay. Thanks for making breakfast." I sat as far from him as I could and piled scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast with butter and jam on my plate. I probably should've left the butter and jam off the bread, but I wasn't thinking about my curves or those extra fifteen pounds. I just wanted to indulge in something I shouldn't, and since Xavier was no longer an option, blackberry jam was. "It's good."
"I can cook," he offered with a shy smile. "I just didn't have a reason to do it often. Bagels and cream cheese are fine when it's just me."
"Still no reason," I answered. "Violet can eat oatmeal or toast for breakfast."
"I wanted to make it. For you."
I shook my head, ignoring that emotional landmine. "You should stay off that ankle as much as possible right now."
"Not my first sprained ankle." His lips curled into a lopsided smile that made my core clench and my pussy pulse hard. And fast. "I want you to take the day off. Me and Violet will be fine."
"Your ankle," I began, but he cut me off.
"My ankle means I'm not going anywhere today, and I'm sure I can still outrun Violet if I need to. Take the day off and meet with friends."
"The few friends I have are too far away for a day trip." It wasn't meant to make him guilty; it was just the truth.
"Fine," he bit out on a frustrated groan. "Head down the mountain, do some shopping, and enjoy having a few hours to yourself. You deserve it."
I did deserve it, dammit. "I will, thanks."
Xavier volunteered to clean up the kitchen, so I said goodbye to Violet, jumped in my car, and headed down the mountain. The roads had been cleared of the recent snowfall, and it was an easy drive, which gave me far too much time to think.
About Xavier.
Was he giving me time off because he realized he needed to get rid of me and therefore needed to get used to being a single father? Was he interviewing my replacement today? Did he have a day date set up, and he just wanted me out of the house to assuage his guilt?