Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Oh, dear Lord.
What was she thinking?
Short answer was that she hadn’t been thinking. She couldn’t seem to think when she was around him.
Could this get any more mortifying?
“And thank you for the compliment. It’s gratifying to know that you think my body looks good.”
Next level of mortification achieved.
5
“You need something to eat and to go to bed.” Regent threw the lettuce in the garbage before putting the grapes in the fridge.
Staring into the fridge, he sighed.
“Jillian?”
“Yes?”
He was the only person who called her Jillian, and when he did, he made it sound like she was in trouble.
Well, he has threatened to spank you several times tonight.
“Why is there no food in here?”
“There’s food.”
“Really? Where is it? Is it hiding? Invisible?”
“No. It’s there.” She pointed at the fridge. “I can see cheese. And hummus. And grapes. And there’s pickles.”
“None of which are suitable for dinner.”
“Of course it is. Hummus, pickles, and cheese on crackers. Yum. Yum.”
“That isn’t dinner. That’s a snack.”
She felt her lower lip drop out. “I have that all the time for dinner.”
He sighed, putting his hands on his hips. “Jilly.”
“Regent.” She gave him the same look back.
She braced herself for a scolding, but all he did was shake his head. Then he grabbed those things from the fridge.
“Where are the crackers?” he asked.
“Oh, they’re in the cupboard. But I can get them.” She stood, freezing as he shot her a look.
“Stay right where you are. You weren’t given permission to move.”
Oh heck.
Why did that make her insides quiver? And her clit throb?
“I have to be given permission to move?”
He pointed a finger at her. “Yes, you do when you’re so tired I can see dark shadows under your eyes. When your boss is bullying you, and you walk home carrying groceries late at night, then drop a can of rice pudding on your foot because you don’t notice a man standing in front of your house, then, yes, you absolutely need to have permission to move.”
“You were hiding! And you gave me a fright. Besides, none of my other friends are this bossy.” She sat, crossing her arms over her chest. “And they’d let me eat pudding for dinner.”
“Well, then, it’s just as well you have someone like me. Because it sounds like they let you do whatever you like, even if it’s bad for you.”
“Isn’t that what a friend is for? You can call them up and say you have a dead body in your bedroom, and they say they’ll be there in five minutes with a shovel.”
“First of all,” he said as he placed a plate full of crackers on the table, “you better not be talking from experience.”
Huh. She hadn’t even seen him get the crackers.
She reached for one, but he lightly slapped her hand. “Wait for the toppings.”
Yikes.
“No, I wasn’t talking from experience.”
“Good. Because if you ever come across a dead body, then the first and only person you call is me.”
“Is that because you know how to take care of dead bodies?”
His gaze grew cold and she swallowed heavily.
For fuck’s sake.
When are you going to think about what you say?
Dead. She was so dead.
“It is. I want your word on this, Jillian.”
Great. Back to Jillian again.
“I very much doubt that I’ll ever have to take care of a dead body.”
His gaze narrowed.
Warning. Warning.
“But if I do, you’re the first person I’ll call,” she added hastily.
“Good. And Jilly? I won’t be pleased if you don’t call me. And you don’t want to be around me when I’m not pleased. Now, eat.”
She flinched back as he pushed the plate closer to her, the crackers now slathered in toppings.
He paused and she took a deep breath. What was she doing? Regent wouldn’t hurt her.
Jilly couldn’t seem to tell her body that, though. She was trembling. Nervous. Upset with herself.
And she was waiting for him to snap at her. To start yelling. To her shock, he slowly moved around the table and sat in a chair. Again, moving slowly, he picked up a cracker and held it out to her.
How was she supposed to eat now?
But also, how could she not eat without insulting him? He’d prepared dinner for her. She didn’t know him well, but she was guessing that he didn’t usually do things like this. He likely had a chef and a housekeeper.
Their lives were very different. Jilly had to remember that. It would save her heartache when he stopped being interested in being her ‘friend.’
“I’m guessing that living with The Crane wasn’t that easy or pleasant.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” she said dryly before slamming her hand over her mouth. “ForgetIsaidthat.”
“Jilly.” Reaching up, he tugged her hand away from her mouth.
Then he clasped her small, hot hand between his larger, cool ones.
Oh God. Her hand was getting sweaty. This was terrible. He’d touched her sweaty feet, and now he was touching her clammy hands.