Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
My silence doesn’t sit well with her. She bangs her hand softly on the table. “Zach, will you please listen to reason? This is a bad idea. You can’t stay here.”
CHAPTER 4
SKYLER
As soon as I say the words, I know exactly how it sounds. My mind travels back to the days when I was crazy in love with this man. My cheeks turn red just thinking about the twelve-year-old girl that told everyone Zach Campbell was going to marry me someday. I cringe just thinking of all the times I wrote out Skyler Campbell in my notebooks.
I lower my eyes to the table. “I want you to go.”
He acts as if I didn’t say a thing. He picks up a cookie and takes a bite. He moans and then shoves the rest of it into his mouth. “Damn, that’s good.”
“Zach, did you hear me? You can’t stay here.”
He shrugs and picks up another cookie. “I’m staying.”
“There has to be someone else.”
He sits back in his chair and crosses his arms over his barrel of a chest. He tilts his head to the side and looks at me. “What’s wrong with me?”
I clench my eyes shut. Can this get any more embarrassing? “There’s nothing wrong with you, but you have to see why this is a bad idea.”
He leans toward me. He’s across the table, but he’s a big man, and I feel his closeness like he’s touching me. “Why is this a bad idea?”
I hold my hands up. “You know what? Forget it. You want to stay here, you’re welcome to, but I figure you’re going to be bored out of your mind by tonight and then you’ll be going home.”
He just smirks at me, and that look makes me crazy.
I stand up. “Okay, well, I need to get ready. I have a taping in thirty minutes.”
He stands up too. “Where is the taping?”
I walk toward the kitchen. “Right here.”
He follows right behind me. “All right, what can I do?”
I go to the sink to wash the few dishes there. “Nothing.”
I’m drying my hands when I turn around, and if I didn’t know better, I would think I just caught Zach Campbell looking at my ass.
He slowly raises his eyes up my body, and that same smirk is still on his face. “Uh,” I stutter, “are you planning to sleep here?”
His eyes darken, and he licks his lips, and that’s when I realize how that sounded. “I mean, are you staying here in the guest room? Don’t feel like you have to. As a matter of fact, maybe this can be a nine-to-five protection or something.”
He walks over to me and puts his hands on the counter, one on each side of me, caging me in. “Okay, let’s get a few things straight.”
I suck in a breath, my head tilted backwards so I can look up at him. He’s so close I can smell his woodsy cologne. God, is it cologne, or does he just smell like that?
He leans down, and his nose is just a few inches from mine. “Until we find the creep, you and I are going to be joined at the hip. I’m staying here in your house. I’m going to monitor your emails, messages, and visitors. Until I know you’re safe, I’m not going to let you out of my sight.”
Speechless, I just stare up at him.
He looks almost pained as stands up to his full height. He’s still close but no longer leaning into me. His hands are fisted at his side. “Sky.”
I croak. “Yeah?”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
My throat feels as if it’s closed up. “What?”
His jaw tightens. “It’s best if you tell me now instead of me finding out later.” He backs up, leaning on the counter behind him. “You know what? Let’s just make this easy. Break up with him.”
My mouth drops open. “Wait. You want me to break up with my boyfriend?”
He growls. “Yes. Now. Today.”
I blink in surprise and then shake my head. “Uh, if I do have a boyfriend, you can’t just tell me to break up with him.”
He gives me one terse nod. “Yes, I can.”
Confused, I shake my head. “What is happening right now? Look, I agreed to protection, but I’m not going to just let you boss me around.”
“Do. You. Have. A. Boyfriend?” he asks, enunciating each word.
I shake my head. “No, but that’s not the point.”
He points toward the front of the house. “I’m going to finish checking windows. I’ll let you get set up.”
I stare at him open-mouthed as he walks out of the kitchen. What just happened? I swear for one second there, it was like Zach was jealous. But just as quickly as the thought comes, I shake my head. Nope, there’s no way. I’m sure it’s wishful thinking on my part.