Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
“I don’t think I’m hungry anymore.” She wraps an arm around her stomach, but I reach out and take her hand.
“You’ll need something, then you can sleep.”
She doesn’t protest as I take her out of the sleep car and through the train. It’s not made for people my size, and I’m constantly having to duck between doorways and where the trains connect. Once we get to the front, there is an empty table next to a window.
“Sit here.” I point and hold her steady through the rocking path until she’s seated.
There’s an attendant that comes by and gives us a menu with a few items on it. There are hot sandwiches and snacks, so I order everything. Iris looks at me with wide eyes, and I shrug as the attendant leaves.
“I’m hungry.”
“Yeah, I gathered that.” She straightens her silverware in front of her and moves the fork to the other side. Then she adjusts her waterglass and places the napkin in her lap.
“It’s a train, not a formal dinner.”
Her cheeks heat as she rolls her eyes. “Just because it’s not fancy doesn’t mean we can’t be civilized.” She reaches over and does the same to my place setting.
I find myself grinning as I watch her little hands move around the table, making it into a production. It’s cute. Fuck, when was the last time I used that word even inside my head?
“Do you like to be civilized?” I tease as I take a drink of my water.
“I don’t know, it was the way I was brought up.” She lets out a quick breath and looks at me like she’s making a confession. “I never understood all the pomp and circumstance of all those etiquette classes I was forced to take. If I’m honest with myself it was always more for my mother than anything. I wanted her to be proud of me, and it seemed that one way to do it was to excel at it.”
“Let’s pretend you can do whatever the fuck you want,” I say, and her eyes snap to mine. Leaning forward, I push her fork so that it’s crooked. “Let’s say that right now you can make the choice. What would that choice look like?”
The corner of her mouth turns up, and I see the hint of a dimple that is so like her birth mother’s. There’s also a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that has the hair on the back of my neck standing up. Why do I enjoy her defiance when all I want her to do is obey?
The food comes, and it takes three of the kitchen staff to deliver it all to our small table. We’re overflowing with plates, so the idea that she was trying to remain proper is laughable. I might actually laugh if I remembered how.
“Screw it,” she says to herself as she digs into one of the sandwiches.
I watch as she eats like she’s never been allowed treats before. It makes me wonder what life was like for her with the Adairs. Did they never allow a casual meal or for their daughter to get messy? It takes three napkins for her to wipe the sauce from the poutine off of her mouth, and somehow it’s adorable. I push another plate towards her, one that’s filled with chocolate cake and cream. She hesitates for only a second before she takes the spoon I used, and then scoops up a bite with it. Watching Iris close her eyes and moan at the taste of the cake shouldn't make me hard. But somehow seeing her mouth where mine was, and the pleasure she’s experiencing is enough to make me lose focus.
Looking out the window, I see beyond the trees in the distance and remind myself that this is a job. One that is paying me to deliver this woman to Bronson and Freida Dian in Germany. It should take me two more days to get her there, but already I’m wondering if I can delay it any longer. Maybe I could take a longer course for safety, just to be sure.
There’s a part of me that whispers that the excuse is complete bullshit, but I ignore it.
“Did you get enough to eat?” I ask when she leans back and places her hand over her stomach.
“Yeah, I’m stuffed. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“Let’s go back to the room.” I pull out some bills and leave a stack of cash for the staff. It’s not only for their service but for their silence as well.
Most of the people working the train have been paid under the table, so they turn the other way when questioned. This ensures that no one saw us eating here together.
I take Iris’s hand in mine to help steady her, and also because I like holding on to her. She’s so small it would be easy for her to trip and fall over, and I’m strong and steady. She can use me to anchor her, and I like the way that feels.