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)
“Hey, I totally agree. You’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. I just figured that since you’re in between employment opportunities and I’m looking for someone to help me out, it would be a win-win for both of us. Plus, you’re friends with Rina. It would be a seamless transition for all involved. When you think about it like that, it kind of seems like kismet, doesn’t it?”
“Or maybe you’re just looking for an excuse to keep me around,” she mutters.
I clutch my chest in mock offense. “Ouch. I didn’t think I needed an excuse to keep you close, lucky charm.”
Her fingers toy with the hem of her shirt. “Sorry, that came out wrong. You know I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I do. Plus, you love bossing me around. What could be better than getting paid for it?”
Even though she rolls her eyes, a small smile simmers around the corners of her lips. “Aren’t you going to get sick of having me underfoot all the time? We’ll be working and living together. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.”
The real problem is that I’m not sure if spending 24/7 with Lilah would be enough to feed the insatiable need I have for her.
Although, it’s probably best to keep that thought to myself.
No need to freak her out.
“Nah, not possible.” When she stares down at her plate with a furrowed brow, I say, “So, any interest in filling the position? I hear it pays well, and if you do a good job, you’ll probably get a fat raise in no time. Also, the boss is a real softie. Sounds like a pretty sweet arrangement, if you ask me.”
A sigh slips free from her as she shakes her head. “Steele…”
“Don’t even say it.”
There’s a moment of silence. “Okay.”
I lift a brow as my pulse leaps. “Really?”
“Yeah, I’ll do it. But, like you said, it’s only temporary until I figure out a new plan.”
“Sure, sure. Not a problem.”
At this point, I’d say just about anything to secure her agreement.
By the time we finish eating, the tension has drained from her body. For the first time since I found her at the bar, Lilah doesn’t look afraid of what comes next.
And damn, if that doesn’t feel like the first real win of the night.
5
LILAH
Iwake up wrapped in the most luxurious sheets imaginable, cocooned in warmth. My body sinks into the mattress like it was made just for me. For one blissful second, I forget about everything that happened yesterday.
The betrayal.
The heartbreak.
The fact that I’m not in the apartment I shared with Devon but alone in Steele’s guest room.
The moment I crack open my eyes, it all comes rushing back like a tsunami.
The image of Devon bending Marissa over his desk, fucking her from behind, slapping her ass and yanking her hair while he whispered filthy things that he never once said to me.
Who the hell was that man?
Because it sure wasn’t the one I thought I knew.
To top it off, Marissa’s expecting Devon’s baby, and I was asked to vacate my position so as not to upset the newly pregnant mama. It’s tempting to pull the pillow over my face and scream until all the oxygen has been depleted from my body.
How has this shitshow become my reality?
The idea of telling my parents I’m now jobless, homeless, and single, makes my stomach turn. I’m a grown woman. What they think shouldn’t matter.
And yet, it does.
They adore Devon and his family. They used to call us a power couple, convinced we were destined to take over Chicago.
That’s a conversation I’m going to put off for as long as humanly possible.
Just thinking of looking for another position as a corporate lawyer depresses the hell out of me. It just feels so soulless.
And, yeah, boring.
For the first time in my life, my path isn’t clearly marked. I’m not operating on autopilot.
Instead of panicking, I’m just tired.
Tired of chasing something I’m not even sure I want.
Tired of pretending I don’t feel like I’ve been living someone else’s version of success.
Maybe I want something different.
Something my parents or Devon didn’t shove me into.
This breakup didn’t just crack my relationship.
It shook the entire foundation of everything I thought I wanted.
Now I’m standing in the rubble, trying to figure out if I built any of it for me.
With a groan, I flop onto my side and bury my face in the pillow. Even though this isn’t Steele’s room, the sheets smell faintly like him. Clean and woodsy, with a hint of cedar. It’s a scent so familiar it tugs at something buried within me. I inhale deeply before I can stop myself as my fingers clutch the edge of the pillow like it will somehow anchor me in this moment.
That’s when I register that I’m still wearing Steele’s old Western Wildcats T-shirt from last night. Maybe that’s why his scent surrounds me like a warm blanket. Back in the day, I used to steal it from his dorm room and refuse to give it back. I’d joke that it was my lucky T-shirt, something to wear when I needed comfort.