Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“Do you want me to hang it all up for you?”
“No. I got it.” I stand up and start hobbling over to him. He comes towards me and steadies me with an arm. It was easy to get around the boat. There are railings everywhere just for that purpose. And in the water, it didn’t matter. But the foot still hurts, so this is how I justify the fact that I’m clinging to him.
His closet is something out of a movie. It’s massive. There’s even a bench in the center, a square gray bench upholstered in soft, tufted leather. There are about a thousand drawers and lots of places to hang things. In fact, it’s like a mirror. Each side of the closet is identical.
For a guy who made a big deal about me getting new clothes, he doesn’t have much in here. Mostly t-shirts and shorts and a few long pants and jeans. But his hangers—my God. I had no idea that rich-people closets came with fancy satin clothes hangers.
He must notice me noticing them, because he intercepts my question. “Those came with the place.”
“Sure, they did.” I side-eye him. He just shakes his head at me, but I keep going. “I’m starting to get the feeling that you take this overindulgence stuff seriously.”
“As you should too.” He grins, then grabs the glossy bag and sets it down on the bench next to me. “It’s nearly six now. I should start dinner.”
“Hey.” I say this as he’s turning away, which makes him pause and turn back. “Thank you. For the whole day. And last night. And…”
He comes over to me, bends down, put his hands on my face, looks me straight in the eyes, and kisses me.
My whole body suddenly goes soft. And then, when he pulls away, a chill runs down my arms.
He’s still staring at me, close enough that I can see the thin circles of light green that surround his pupils. “Thank you, Irina. I cannot remember the last time I just… had such a nice time.”
Then he stands back up, turns away, and walks out.
I just sit there on that bench, listening as he does things in the kitchen.
I’m dating a man. I’m living with a man. And we’re having someone over for dinner.
I just laugh. Right out loud. Because I have no idea how this happened.
The only thing I do know is that I don’t want it to end.
CHAPTER 22
At ten minutes to eight the doorman buzzes my phone, letting me know that Nandy is here. I text him permission to let her up, and then turn back to the kitchen, only to stop again.
Irina is standing in the open doorway of my bedroom glowing like the sun, smiling self-consciously—which turns me on a little, not gonna lie—and shrugging. Like her beauty can’t be helped.
The first time I saw her in that photograph she stood out because she was striking. The black eye had something to do with that. But she was such a contrast to the beauty of the other girls—and even the boy—that it was hard to look away.
That’s how I feel right now too. Like I can’t look away.
Except she’s not just striking, she’s gorgeous.
Her hair has been chaotically plaited into two braids on either side of her head. They fall down her front, straight and golden, and end in pale-green satin ribbons that I’m a hundred-percent sure came off the glossy bag from the boutique.
Her skin in that photo was pale and her cheekbones sharp. But everything about her now looks soft. The dress is short and flirty, ruffles at the shoulders and on the hem, a color that is something between orange and pink. She’s bracing herself against the doorjamb because of her foot, but it comes off as alluring.
She lifts a hand, fingers up. “Hi.”
“Hello.”
She looks down and sighs, then back up at me. “Do you like it?”
I nod. Very slowly. Unable to take my eyes off her. “I do, Irina. Very, very much.” And my God, that shy smile she gives me makes me want to attack her. “So much that right now all I want to do is—”
But there’s a hard knock at the door behind me and I remember that Nandy is here. I point at Irina. “We will discuss this further after the pesky dinner guest is gone.” Which makes her giggle.
I turn, open the door, and then take a step back because there is a giant man staring me in the face. “Hello, Eason.”
I look down to find Nandy smirking up at me. “I just assumed the invitation included a plus-one? This is my brother, Alvaro.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Threatening me with the big brother? Come on. I want to laugh, that’s how fuckin’ stupid this is. But I take a deep breath and shove my hand at him while maintaining eye contact. “Nice to meet you, Alvaro. I’m Eason.”