Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 46943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 235(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 235(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
And that’s what I love about the sassy female. Laurie’s not afraid to hold back, she tells me what’s real, calls me on my shit and that’s what a partner’s for, right? Someone to tell you when you’re off, earning your respect without putting you down. Okay, it hadn’t been the most tactful way of pointing out my weaknesses, but we could work on that, there were years ahead together, wrapped around each other, fighting, loving, laughing, while nurturing our mutual love. I knew now for certain that she was right for me, my missing other half, and I couldn’t wait to get the ring on her finger.
And I wasn’t too worried. Sure, Laurie had disappeared, some of her stuff was gone, a suitcase missing from the shelf, but she’d be back. Because she’d forgotten something important – the key to her old apartment. Oh yeah, I’d started paying the rent on that place over her insistent refusals. If the brunette wanted to keep an empty apartment as a back-up, fine, but I drew the line at her paying rent. I wasn’t going to let her keep forking over eight hundred dollars a month on a government employee’s salary, so I’d taken over the lease, my name at the top, and I had the key now.
And sure enough, come ten p.m., the front door creaked open, revealing my best girl looking a little bedraggled, dragging her suitcase behind her.
“Hey,” I drawled, eyeing her up and down. “How’s it goin’? About to attack me again?”
The brunette’s eyes immediately shot sparks, and I laughed aloud, loving the fire within.
“Very funny, Tucker,” she said, giving me the stink-eye.
“Very funny what?” I asked innocently, my hands up in the air.
“You know,” she replied huffily. “I don’t have the key to my old apartment anymore. You do,” she accused.
And I held my hands up again in a take-no-prisoners style.
“Of course I do, honey, I pay the rent on that place, or have you forgotten?” I asked smarmily.
My clown act really annoyed her and she frowned, a hot flush running over her cheeks and down her chest, disappearing into her blouse. Fuck, just the thought of those nipples turning rosy, becoming luscious red cherries made my dick pop out, my boner start singing.
But Laurie just shook her head, eyes closed, as if really tired. And suddenly a wave of concern came over me. My little girl had been walking around the city for hours now, dragging this suitcase behind her, probably seeking shelter in coffee shops, park benches, and the local McDonald’s. My heart twisted and I jumped up.
“Here baby,” I said, my tone rough, vacating my stool at the kitchen counter. “Sit down and I’ll get you something to eat.”
Because I stand by my previous assessment that Laurie would look better heavier, and I’d been working on that the past couple months, ordering trays full of food, high calorie options like mashed potatoes and chocolate cake whenever I could. I love my girl curvy and with just a little more, a little more heft, more swing, she’d be a fifteen on a scale of ten, her boobs, ass and hips the stars of the show.
And Laurie gave in, heaving herself onto my vacant stool with a sigh, but not before pinning me with a stare.
“But we have to talk,” she demanded. “And I mean seriously, Tucker, no clowning around.”
“Absolutely not,” I said with a wry smile. “My lips are sealed, you do the talking, I’ll cook,” I mimed, zipping up my mouth and tossing the key before turning to the fridge and digging out a carton of eggs. Oh yeah, Tucker McGrath’s Famous Four Egg omelet was coming right up, with a load of bacon and ham, topped off with gooey cheddar and a dollop of sour cream. Fuck yeah, that’s what my baby needed to keep her curves luscious.
And Laurie just sighed again.
“Tucker,” she said slowly. “I need to know why you didn’t trust me. Why you felt like you had to hide your real identity.”
I turned to her.
“What do you mean?” I feigned innocence, “I didn’t hide anything, you could have googled me any time. There’s a ton of shit about me on the web. Most of it false,” I added, my brow knotting.
And she glared at me again.
“Yeah, but I didn’t,” she snorted. “I was the dumbest girl on earth and I trusted you. I thought you were who you said you were, Tucker McGrath, delivery man and nothing more.”
I sighed. Laurie deserved a real answer, she was so precious to me, so amazing, and I owed it to her.
“Hon, I trusted you, I’m just more of a ‘see how the land lies’ type of guy,” I explained slowly.
A pause.
“What does that mean?” she asked, tipping her head.
I sighed again.
“I guess it means seeing how the land lies before making a decision,” I replied, beating the eggs, the rhythmic tinkle of the fork in the bowl strangely soothing. “I’ve had a lot of bad experiences baby, and I want to see what a woman’s like before I commit, really put myself on the line.”