Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Just like that, relief flooded in. I hadn’t kissed someone who was taken. I was also glad that Jonathan wasn’t the kind of man to kiss one woman while he was dating another.
Maggie appeared disappointed. “Well, that’s too bad. You know how much I’ve been dying for you to find the right lady.”
Jonathan gave a dramatic sigh and grinned. “Alas, the search continues.”
There was something mesmerising about the way he picked up another slice of apple and bit into it. I found myself staring at him again before Maggie asked, “So, Ada, how old are your nieces?”
“They’re six. Triplets. They run rings around my poor sister and her husband at times.”
“Goodness, I can imagine. I bet they’re cute, though.”
“Very,” I smiled and sipped some coffee, my eyes bugging when I tasted it. Jonathan sprung for the good stuff. I was used to drinking the barely tolerable brand we stocked at work, but this was like rocket fuel. I hoped it’d keep me lively since I didn’t get much sleep last night.
“Well, why don’t you two tell me how Ada came to be living next door,” Maggie went on, clasping her hands around her mug.
Jonathan shot her a look, and I weirdly got the sense he was trying to protect me. The story painted me in a fairly pathetic light after all. “I thought you said that was none of your business.”
“I did, but my curiosity is getting the better of me. You never mentioned you stayed in touch with Ada after the funeral.”
“That’s because—”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind telling her.” I glanced Maggie. “Your brother has been a good Samaritan to me. Well, not at first,” I allowed. “At first he wanted me out of his mother’s house within a week.”
“Jonathan!” Maggie exclaimed, aghast.
“See? This is why I didn’t want to get into it.” He shook his head before taking a sip of coffee.
“But it has a good ending. Jonathan didn’t realise he was basically making me homeless because I lied and told him I had another place lined up. Call it foolish pride, whatever. Then by chance, he discovered I’d been sleeping in my car and offered for me to rent his spare apartment. And I guess that’s how I found myself living here.”
When I glanced at Maggie, I didn’t expect the sheen of emotion in her eyes. Her attention went to her brother as she reached across the counter to squeeze his hand. “This is why I always defend you when people call you a ruthless bastard.”
“Who calls me that?”
Her expression turned sheepish. “Well, sometimes I overhear people at work. And of course, there’s Rhys, though I do feel like you’ve been winning him over lately.”
“Give a few lazy, incompetent employees the sack, and suddenly, you’re a ruthless bastard,” Jonathan said, a hint of humour in his voice.
“Again, I’m glad you’re not my boss,” I put in, and Jonathan bent close, his elbow nudging mine, mouth a scant few inches from my ear.
“And again, I’ll remind you, you’re far from incompetent, so I would never have cause to fire you.” His gaze held mine, and flutters filled my chest. What on earth was going on? I honestly couldn’t tell if he’d been flirting with me since I walked in the door. I mean, turning up with no shirt on was brazenly slutty behaviour on his part.
“You don’t know me well enough yet to make that statement,” I countered.
He picked up a grape, his voice low. “Oh, I think I know you pretty well.”
Goosebumps prickled my skin at the hot look in his eyes, and I just knew he was thinking about the kiss.
“So, who wants a bacon and egg sandwich?” Maggie asked, seeming to sense that whatever tension was brewing between Jonathan and I needed a distraction. She went to unpack a box that had clearly been delivered before I’d arrived.
“Yes, please. Anything that might cure this hangover,” Jonathan replied with a long-suffering expression, and I was glad the prospect of food distracted his attention away from me. It was going to take me the rest of the weekend to recover from all the sexy, masculine energy he’d been channelling my way. I definitely wasn’t imagining it. Maybe last night’s kiss had been an impulsive move spurred on by alcohol, but it appeared to have awakened something in Jonathan. Something I wasn’t entirely equipped to handle. Mild mannered, moderately handsome men like Cathal, I could deal with. But Jonathan Oaks was on another stratosphere. He also seemed way too sure of his charisma, like he knew exactly how to seduce a woman, and I feared I wasn’t strong enough to resist.
I sensed someone’s attention and found Maggie glancing at me curiously. She lifted her mug to her mouth before focusing on Jonathan. “I hope I’m not being nosy, but why did you sleep next door last night? Are you two—”