Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 117740 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117740 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Shaun looked at me. “I think you’re in love with him.”
“Traitor,” I hissed. “Why am I so stupid? How could I do this to myself?”
Isa came over to the sofa and pulled me down, resting my head in her lap. “There, there,” she said soothingly, stroking my hair. “It’s not your fault, Ro. A guy with a great cock who calls you ‘princess’ is really hard to say no to.”
I whimpered. “Especially when he whispers, ‘that’s my girl,’ when I come.”
“That’s more information than I ever needed to know.” Shaun got up and walked towards the hallway, muttering, “Time to fix my hot water.”
Ignoring him, Isa continued petting me. “That’ll do it. It really is a step above ‘good girl,’ isn’t it?”
Shaun’s steps faltered on the stairs, and I almost laughed despite myself.
I sighed, whining, “What do I dooooo?”
“You might have to stay celibate if you don’t marry him. I just don’t see how you can ever find another man like that, Rose.”
“You’re supposed to comfort me!”
“Forgive me if I find it hard to comfort you when the whole point of this is that you’re refusing to date a rich, handsome duke with a great cock, who calls you princess, whispers ‘that’s my girl’ when you orgasm, and honestly looks at you like you personally hold the sun in the sky.”
“He does not look at me like that.”
“Yes, he does!” Shaun shouted from the bathroom. “The man needs his eyes testing.”
“You shut up, you dirty exhibitionist!” I called back.
Isa laughed, picking something from my cheek. “Fluff.”
I blew out a breath. “I saw you blushing. Put him out of his misery, would you?”
“Hey.” She pinched my cheek. “I thought you wanted comfort. Do you want me to hurt you?”
“No, thank you,” I eked out, bringing my hand up to rub my poor cheek. “You’re so mean, mistress.”
“Jesus Christ,” Shaun said, staring down at us. “What’s wrong with you two?”
“Probably too late to figure it out,” Isa replied. “Or, after twenty years of this, you’re just too stupid to.”
“More like too afraid to. I’m off.” He leant down and kissed us both on the head. “Don’t cause any trouble. But, Rose, your cell is ready when you are, but please leave the lettuce bikini at home this weekend.”
“All my greens are going in the feed bucket for the bunnies,” I replied. “No bikinis for me this time.”
He opened the front door and looked back at me. “Good girl.” He winked.
“Don’t ever do that again!” Isa and I both shouted after him. The sound of his laughter drifted through the open window, and I gritted my teeth. “Well, now he’s ruined that for me,” I said.
“Until Oliver says it again.”
I sighed and sat up, staring at her. “What do I do? I’m being serious. I have all these… feelings… and I hate them. I hate that I don’t hate him. I hate that I can’t stay away from him, but I can’t be with him. I’ll always resent him for closing the allotments, and I refuse to have a relationship like that.”
She smiled sadly at me. “If there was an easy answer, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, babe. Have you tried talking to him about it?”
I shook my head. “Sometimes I think that he might feel the same, but if that’s the case, then why? Why hasn’t he changed his mind? If he has feelings for me too and wants to have a relationship, wouldn’t he stop doing the one thing that’ll break my heart? I know it’s not that simple, but I’m tired, Isa. I’m tired of hurting. I’m tired of hoping for something that’ll never come.”
“I don’t know the answers to any of that stuff, but he does. Either way, you can’t just pretend these feelings don’t exist. You have to face up to them. Where’s the devil-may-care Rose Matthews everyone knows and loves? She’s in there.” She gently prodded my chest right above my heart. “You’ve never hesitated before, so why are you now?”
A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed, desperately trying to get rid of it. The back of my nose tickled, and a scary, unfamiliar burning sensation nudged the backs of my eyes.
“I don’t—” I stopped, looking down. “I’ve never cared this much before.”
She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. “I knew there was a human under all that weirdness.”
“Shut up,” I said, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill over. “I don’t think I could take it if he told me he didn’t care or was just trying to get me to stop protesting.”
“Silly billy,” she said softly. “Do you really think he’s that kind of person?”
I shook my head, grabbing her hoodie as she stroked my back.
“Neither do I, and I’m pretty good at judging people.” She paused. “Ignoring my stunning romantic track record, of course.”