Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
“Nah, just the way he approached me about tutoring you, and how he looked when he mentioned you had some gaps in high school … I thought something more was going on.”
Staring at her test, Faith couldn’t really see the words, and that in itself was … irritating. For a long time, she didn’t give Caleb much thought, and now over the weeks, and past few months, he’d become a comfort.
“What’s it like being with an older man?” The moment she asked the question, she slapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head. “Completely ignore what I just said. I don’t know what the hell has come over me. I’m clearly losing it.”
Hope chuckled. “Have you ever had a girlfriend to talk to?”
“Didn’t stay long enough in one place to have one of those.” She rolled the pencil around in her fingers and felt like an utter fool.
“It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Faith looked up and saw Hope’s cheeks were red.
“Are you a virgin?” Hope asked.
“No.”
“Oh, I was. I mean, and he was so careful and gentle, and sweet. There’s … he took his time, and he made me orgasm. I’m sorry. I’m not really good at this either. I’ve been seen as a bit of weirdo for a long time.”
“It’s more than fine. I really shouldn’t ask. I don’t even know why I did.”
“Do you have a crush on Caleb?”
Faith paused for a second thinking about him. Dinner times were her favorite out of the entire day. When she was in the garden, her heart would speed up just thinking about him. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever really had a crush on someone.”
Hope laughed. “Really?”
“Again, my life hasn’t always been so easy. Guys just … don’t do it for me.”
“How do you feel when Caleb is near?”
“My heart speeds up, and I sometimes think what it would be like if he kissed me. Is that weird?”
“It’s not weird. I think this is the first time I’ve ever had a girly conversation about boys,” Hope said. “And I’m married, expecting our first baby.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Beast is very protective. He wanted me to have a bodyguard just coming here.” She chuckled. “I know to some women his protective attitude is, like, serious overkill, but I love it. I love that he worries so much about me, and he doesn’t want to see me hurt. I love that he holds me close at night, and when his arms are around me it feels like he never wants to let me go.”
Faith saw the love shining in Hope’s eyes, and she wanted that.
“I don’t think Caleb would ever feel that for me.”
Even as she thought it, she felt a little saddened by it.
“What about you?”
“What do you mean?” Faith asked.
“Don’t you feel anything for him? Sometimes it doesn’t have to be the man to start something, Faith. It could be you.”
She didn’t answer, and finished the test. Once that one was done, Hope gave her another, then another. For most of the day all she did was take tests.
Caleb came to the library to let them both know that Beast was here to take Hope home. Just the look on Hope’s face had Faith wishing for something like that for herself. Following Hope out of the library, she watched as she ran toward a man whom she assumed was Beast.
“You ready to go?” Beast asked.
“Yep.”
Hope turned toward her. “I’ll go over these, grade them, and see where we can go on from there. If you want to talk about anything at all, anything, just give me a call. Caleb knows my number.”
Before she could stop her, Hope had pulled her in for a hug. She saw Beast watching her, and she quickly closed her eyes.
“You better know what you’re doing,” Beast said.
In the next second they were both gone, and Faith stood at the door.
“My brother is very protective of his wife.”
“I can see that. Hope told me he was.” She held onto the pencil like a lifeline. Glancing over at Caleb, she wondered if he could have any feelings for her at all, or if he felt more obliged to help her, which made her cringe. She didn’t want to be a problem that needed solving.
“How did things go with Hope?”
“They went well. She’s really nice. Erm, I can’t talk to her. I don’t have a cell phone.”
Caleb nodded and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. “Been meaning to give you this, and this.” He opened one of the drawers in the hallway that held an e-reader. “I’ve set you up an account. Anne has everything ready.”
She stared at the device, shocked and touched.
“Thank you.”
“It’s no trouble at all. I want you to be happy.”
Looking up at him, she thought about what Hope had said, and once again there was a stirring deep inside of her that she couldn’t control. Caleb reached out, stroking her cheek. “Enjoy.”