Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22788 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22788 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Caleb closed the book and looked at Emily. “And? Natalie was a girl from high school.”
“Yeah, well, she just told Mae that you’re using her for a pity fuck and as soon as you’re done with her, she is going to be exactly like everyone else in this town,” Emily said. “You should have seen her, Caleb. I mean, Mae doesn’t listen to that kind of stuff, and we all know your reputation.”
“Natalie is a bitch. She needs to ignore her.”
“Fine. You don’t want to take my warning seriously, that’s on you. I know my girl, and that was like a bucket of freezing cold water thrown on her today. And trust me, that’s not good for you.”
He groaned. Glancing back toward Pete, he then looked to Emily. “You good to watch the shop?”
“Yeah, of course.” Emily rolled up her sleeves and stepped behind the counter. “Does this mean I get to ink someone?”
Caleb was at the door and then stopped and turned to look at Emily.
She held her hands up in the air. “I’m just kidding ... or am I?”
“Emily!”
“I won’t touch anyone, I promise.” She rolled her eyes.
He didn’t want to leave Emily to watch the shop, but he also didn’t want to let Mae think the worst. This was the wrong idea, but he forced himself to leave the shop and make his way across town, straight to Mae’s bookstore. The OPEN sign was already out, and he saw the little billboard outside, advertising the latest bestsellers, along with coffee and a sweet treat.
He stepped inside, and the scent of coffee, books, and cinnamon assailed every one of his senses. It all smelled so good. But he wasn’t interested in anything on offer.
The woman behind the counter had just put down the phone. Her hair was pinned back, and she wore an autumnal dress complete with pumpkins all over. She wore a belt around the middle that cinched at the waist.
“Caleb?” she asked.
“Natalie is nothing,” he said.
She looked past his shoulder. “Emily told you.”
“You’re not a pity fuck.”
She cringed and he quickly checked her shop. “I mean it.” He stepped up to the counter, but he knew that wasn’t close enough, so he lifted himself right over the counter.
Mae let out a gasp and quickly backed away. “What are you doing?” she asked.
He closed the distance between them, and he was thankful for the main desk being a square, which meant she was trapped between him and the counter. Putting his hands on the counter either side of her, he looked into her green eyes, and they seemed to go a little wider, as she realized what he was doing.
“Caleb?”
“Natalie was a girl I fucked around with in high school,” Caleb said. “I ... was an asshole, but she means nothing. The other women mean nothing.”
She winced. “They were all me at one point.”
“No, they weren’t. You’re different, Mae. You always have been and you always will be. This is not out of pity. This is ... us, okay?” He wanted to tell her he’d not used a condom with her, because he was hoping they were going to have so much more. He was not used to feeling like a coward.
She took a deep breath. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not fine. Ignore Natalie and the shit that comes from her mouth. She has been trying to get me to go with her for years now, and it’s not happening. I don’t want her. It’s you I want. No one else.”
Mae put her hands on his chest. “So, Emily told you what happened, and you came over here to reassure me?”
“Yeah, I did, and I wasn’t going to wait until tonight. I’m cooking dinner for you, and we’re going to my place.”
He loved that smile on her lips.
“That’s kind of sweet.”
“Only kind of?” he asked.
“Okay, that is, like, real sweet.” She tilted her head to the side. “Thank you. You know, I don’t have to do this for you.”
He groaned. “I know. There’s no other guy I need to worry about.” He moved from the counter, to wrapping his arm around her waist, going to her voluptuous ass. “Here’s the thing, Mae, you may not have had any boyfriends, and come to me a virgin, but that doesn’t mean other men don’t want to stake their claim. I’ve seen the way other men look at you, and no, I’m not going to tell you who they are.” He took possession of her lips. “You’re just going to have to deal with me being your only knowing admirer.”
He’d seen a lot of men watching Mae throughout the years. There had been quite a few times he expected to hear the news of her dating someone else. He didn’t know if he would have been able to handle that news. Either way, that didn’t matter now, because Mae was his, and he intended to keep her that way.