Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 90009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
As soon as I make contact, a sizzle of electricity zips through my fingers. How doesn’t she feel the energy we always seem to generate?
There’s no damn way this is one-sided.
“You won’t. Look around. There’s plenty of space. Didn’t you tell me when I bought the place that it was roomy enough for a family of six?”
Her lips twitch as I sling her words back at her. “It is.”
“And you love the views of the lake,” I add, trying to throw in any perk I can think of to secure her agreement. “Not to mention the gym on the fifth floor. Did I tell you they added a sauna?”
“Hmm. That does sound nice.”
“I used it the other day. It’s heaven. Especially after a workout.”
“All right. You’ve convinced me. I’ll stay.” She points a finger at me. “But only because of the sauna.”
And just like that, the tension inside me eases. Instead of giving her time to think—or worse, change her mind—I steer her toward the guest room situated directly across from mine.
Would I prefer for Lilah to share my bed?
Hell yeah.
But that’s not going to happen.
What she needs right now is time.
Time to realize that Devon was never the right guy for her.
Time to realize that maybe the right one has been standing in front of her all along.
I nudge open the guest room door and gesture for her to move inside. “Here you are.”
She takes a step in, then beelines to the king-sized bed. Her fingers trail along the pillowcase. “I love these sheets.”
I lift a shoulder in a half-shrug. “You should. You’re the one who picked them out. You told me they were the best. Something like a bazillion thread count.”
“One thousand. And they’re Egyptian cotton,” she corrects before turning toward the dresser where there’s a basket of neatly arranged products.
She picks up a small bottle and stares at it as her brows tug together. “Funny. This is the same brand of shampoo and conditioner I use.”
I rub a hand along my jaw, embarrassed that she noticed. How can someone be so oblivious in some areas of her life and so detail oriented in others?
It’s a real fucking mystery.
“Yeah, I’ve always liked the scent.”
“Huh.” She pops open the top and takes a whiff. “Me too. There’s just something so comforting about tea tree and mint.”
I glance away and try to play it off. “Guess I figured you might need it at some point.”
With an exhale, she cocks her head and stares at me, as if only now realizing that I’m a puzzle she might not have all the pieces to.
Her throat works as she swallows. And for a moment, the air turns charged between us.
I look away first, not wanting her to read too much in my expression. “You can use them while relaxing in a hot bath. Sound good?”
It’s exactly what she needs to decompress.
Without waiting for a response, I walk into the adjoining bathroom and twist the knobs, running warm water into the deep soaking tub. It doesn’t take long before steam rises in the air, thick with the scent of the orange and ginger bath salts I dumped in.
Another one of her favorites.
“Steele, I can do—”
“You’ve had a rough day, lucky charm. Just let me take care of you for once.” I grab a fluffy towel from the closet and set it on the marble counter.
Lilah leans against the doorframe, watching me in silence. When she finally speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper. “My favorite bath salts too? You’re better than a five-star hotel. Maybe I’ll never move out.”
She has no damn idea how much I’d love that.
I shrug. It takes effort to keep my tone light. “Like the shampoo and conditioner, they smell good.”
She blinks before looking down at the swirling water.
I take a step back and jerk my chin toward the tub. “Go have a nice soak. Did you eat dinner?”
“No, the plan was to grab something at the game.” Her brows pinch as sadness flickers in her eyes. “But I never made it to the arena.”
It feels like someone has wrapped their hand around my heart and is squeezing the life out of it.
I fucking hate seeing her this upset.
Especially over that asshole.
He’s not worth it.
The fact that he cheated on Lilah blows my mind.
How could any man even look in another woman’s direction if Lilah Monroe belonged to him?
It just proves my point that he was never worthy of her in the first place. He never treated her the way he should have. This girl deserves to be pampered and adored. Before I can think better of it, I swallow up the space between us and reach out, tugging her into my arms. As soon as they’re banded around her, she melts against me.
I rest my chin on the top of her head. “Everything will be all right. I promise.”