Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 34934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
“You can’t—”
I cut him off. “Goodnight, Kane.”
He just grunts, and I disconnect the call. I have plans to make, and I’m going to start now.
CHAPTER 14
SAMANTHA
“What are we doing here?”
I look around the store and see the people staring at Elijah. I’m sure they’re all wondering what he’s doing in here with me.
“We’re shopping,” he says, as if this is something we do every day.
I whisper to him, “I know the concept, but I mean, what are we doing here, Eli? People are staring.”
With that, he raises his head and looks around the store. And sure enough, every woman in the boutique has their eyes on him.
He ignores them and looks at me. “I’m getting you some pregnancy clothes, and we should probably get some things for the baby.”
I stop dead in my tracks. “You are not buying me clothes. And I’m not buying anything for the baby, not yet.”
He just smiles at me. “You look pretty in blue. I mean, you look pretty in everything you wear, but I’m thinking something blue. What do you think?”
He pulls up a pair of maternity jeans. “What size do you need?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Can we talk, please?”
With clothes in each hand, he nods. “Yes, talk.”
I lift my chin because I refuse to be embarrassed about this. There’s no shame in my situation. “I plan on buying some things when I get my first paycheck.”
“Why wait? I want to get them for you now.”
I fist my hands at my sides and shake my head. “Eli, I can’t do this. I can’t. I’ve already let you give me a job—”
He cuts me off. “I need you.”
“And the company car,” I continue.
He shrugs. “It’s just a car, Sassy.”
I cross my arms over my chest, feeling vulnerable. “And now you want to buy me clothes?” I look down at myself. “What is it? Do I embarrass you?”
He tosses the clothes back on the rod, grabs my hand, and then walks with me out of the boutique. He pulls me around the side of the building and glares down at me. “Don’t say that to me, Sassy. You know me better than probably anyone, and you know that I’m not embarrassed by you or your clothes or anything else.”
I glare up at him. “Then what is it? Why are you insisting on getting me clothes?”
I woke up this morning to breakfast. Somehow, almost miraculously, I had my toiletry bag and a change of clothes at Elijah’s house, and he insisted he needed my help shopping today. He failed to mention what we were shopping for.
He puts a hand at my waist. “Because last night when I undid your pants, I saw the mark they left on your skin. I asked Kane to bring over some maternity clothes, and after I explained to him what that was, he said you didn’t have any.”
I can feel heat rush to my cheeks. “Like I said, I was going to buy some after I got a few paychecks. I’ve been buying necessities for the baby and—”
He leans down, and I can feel his breath on my cheek. “Can I kiss you, Sassy?”
I look around. “You want our first kiss to be in an alley behind the boutique?”
He plays with my hair, twirling it around his fingers. “Technically, it’s our second kiss.”
“You can kiss me, but I’m not going to let you buy me clothes.”
He doesn’t hesitate. His lips touch mine, and I’m a goner. Kissing Elijah Wolfe is both intense and unreal. He tilts my head to the side and wraps his hand around my neck. He deepens the kiss, and when his tongue slides against mine, I gasp at the feeling.
The moan escapes me before I can stop it, and Eli pulls away, smiling.
He rests his forehead against mine. “Listen, honey. I’m not buying you clothes because I think you can take care of yourself.”
I smirk. “It sure feels like it.”
“I’m buying them because when I see those red marks on your body, I feel like I failed at something I didn’t even know I was responsible for yet.”
“That’s not—” I start.
But he doesn’t let me finish. He intervenes. “I know, but that’s how it feels, Sassy.” His hands go to my waist. “You’re carrying a baby. You’re doing the hard work. Let me just try to make it a little easier for you.”
I feel like I’m losing control again, and I don’t like it. “This doesn’t mean anything.”
He holds his hands up. “I know. No expectations. No promises.”
I sigh. “If we go back in there, people are going to talk, Elijah.”
He opens his mouth, but it’s my turn to stop him. “And I know that you don’t care what people think, but you should care on this. People are going to make assumptions about us…”
He smiles big and wide, and I shake my head because I know I’m losing this fight. I stop and shrug. “One pair of pants.”