Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
“I’m okay.”
“Cool. Come on in.” Street picked up her duffle and carried the light bag to the door. He held it open for her, noticing that Rosa hugged Inky, who still lurked inside her shirt.
The door from the garage connected into the kitchen. From there, you could see out the back to a screened-in porch and an average-sized lawn. He led the way out of the kitchen to the family room. “Let me show you where you can sleep.”
She followed him down the hall and into the guest bedroom. Inside, a princess bed with a canopy of purple netting cascading to the four corner posts filled the space. He set her duffel bag on the purple comforter.
“Wow. That’s quite a bed. Did you pick that out yourself?” she asked sarcastically.
“No. I’m staying here while I build my own cabin. I like it, though. My Little girl will have her choice of bed. I’d prefer she enjoy snoozing safely in a crib for naps, but this is sweet,” Street said.
“You’re not kidding, are you?”
“No. I’ve always known how I was wired differently. Meeting the Devil Daddies MC was a really great day. A group of men whose interests match mine and who live every moment to the fullest.”
Her face didn’t reveal her thoughts this time. She was good at guarding her emotions from others. He hated that—hated that she’d had to learn how to close herself down. Street hoped she’d open up sometime.
“Would you like to take a shower?”
“Are you saying I stink?”
“No. I’m offering you a chance to get clean. The guest bathroom is off the hallway. You should find what you need in there. I’m going to throw a load of clothes in the washer. Anything you’d like to add?”
There. A hint of relief on her face. Street hated that a simple offer of cleanliness chipped away at her reserve. “I could get you a T-shirt to wear like a dress while your things are in the machine.” Anything of his would be knee-length on her.
After a brief pause, she nodded. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”
Street walked diagonally across the hall to the main bedroom. She trailed after him. He opened a partially filled drawer and rifled through his T-shirts until he found a black Devil Daddies shirt. The thick, soft material erased any possibility of the makeshift outfit being see-through. “How about this?” he said, holding the garment out for her.
“That will be a dress,” she said, smirking.
“Perfect. Use anything you want in the bathroom. Whatever you need, Rosa. You’ll find toothbrushes and toothpaste in the drawers, shampoo, conditioner, and soap in the shower. Hell, there’s probably those ear-cleaner swabs stashed away somewhere. If you find an item stocked in my house, feel free to use it. Towels are under the sink and on the rack.”
She glanced around his bedroom. He wasn’t a slob but not a neat freak either. His closet door was open, displaying a pair of boots by his jeans that he’d kicked off after work last night. The bed was made, but the comforter was carelessly tossed into place. A stack of clean clothes sat on his dresser, waiting to be put away.
“I’ll go throw together some lunch for us. Are there any foods you can’t eat?”
“I don’t like green things,” she answered, wrinkling her nose.
“Allergic?”
“Only to the taste.”
“We’ll work on that. Take your time, Rosa,” Street said as he returned to the kitchen. “Bring your dirty clothes to the kitchen when you’re ready.”
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
“My pleasure, Little girl.” Small luxuries like clean clothes, personal supplies, and a hot shower had cracked the protective shell around her slightly. He found himself wanting to meet the woman inside who could focus on living, instead of merely surviving. Street made a vow to help Rosa bloom in his care.
Chapter 4
Rosa stood under the warm spray in the shower. How long could she stay in here before Street came to demand she stop wasting water? Her previous bathing option had consisted of a small bathroom sink in the corner of her room. She’d had to scrub that until her hands bled to feel safe using the basin for splash baths and to wash her clothes. The previous resident hadn’t been averse to living in squalor.
The landlord would at least have a much cleaner place to rent after she left—even if the Ravagers had ripped up the furniture searching for something valuable, or maybe they thought destroying her things would harm her. Either way, her deposit was gone, and she needed to move. Rosa shook the thoughts of where she would head next out of her head. That decision was for another day.
Finally, she forced herself to turn off the shower. To her dismay, a grimy ring circled the bottom of the tub. She couldn’t leave the previously spotless porcelain like that. She was horrified that despite her best efforts to stay clean so much filth had rolled off her, but Rosa didn’t want to cause Street any problems. She’d follow his rules for as long as she could to let the heat die down.