Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 120631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 603(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 603(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
She rolled her eyes. “You get off on being ostentatious.”
“I like impressing you.”
“Who says I’m impressed?”
“Deny it all you want. Your silence tells me everything I need to know.”
“Okay, settle down, Miss Cleo. I’m not that easy to read.”
“You’re impressed.” He pulled a small shovel out of a drawer and dug into an airtight can, dumping giant kibble rocks into a dog bowl that could double as a baby pool.
At the third scoop, Jocelyn’s eyes widened. “How much are you feeding him?”
“I feed him exactly what the vet recommends. He’s a big boy.”
She was still stunned he got a dog. But for as large as King was, he didn’t seem like much of an alpha. When Cordelia marched over to investigate the bowl, King dropped to his haunches and deferred to the queen.
“King, eat.”
The dog looked up at his master and back to Cordelia, choosing to lower his enormous muzzle and wait until she gave him permission.
Soren, offended on the dog’s behalf, tried to nudge Cordelia back, but the chihuahua snapped at him. “Don’t let her boss you around. Eat.”
Jocelyn snicked her tongue against her teeth. “Aw, such a beta. Like father like son.”
Soren scowled. “He can’t be afraid of her.”
“Maybe he’s trying to impress her. This could be his champagne wall.”
He shook his head. “You’re brutal.” Leaving them to figure out the food pyramid for themselves, he said, “If you let her bully you now, she’ll never stop. Trust me.”
When he passed the bowl, Cordelia looked up at him and growled, then stole a hunk of kibble and skittered away like a scavenging coyote.
“Where’s she going?”
“Little dogs do that.”
King rose and followed her into the other room.
“King, come back. You have a whole bowl here.”
Jocelyn chuckled and went to the foyer to pick a bottle from the fancy wall. As she searched for an attractive label, Cordelia trotted back to the kitchen, her nails ticking over the Italian tile as King dutifully trotted after her.
“I have to run out to the car. I bought King some new toys.”
“Okay.”
“Relax and make yourself at home.”
A little hard to do in this granite-and-glass, not-so-relaxing place, she thought. “‘Kay.”
If he planned to have kids here, his decorating was in for some changes.
Cordelia slinked by with another giant piece of kibble, and King followed. Soren returned with a knitted basket on one arm and a bulging bag of plush dog toys on the other.
Jocelyn selected a label with a big S on the front that reminded her of the Shrek logo. “Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs,” she read, butchering the French. “Is that a good brand?”
“Crack it open and find out.” One by one, he tore the tags from the toys and stuffed them into the basket.
Jocelyn peeled back the foil and twisted the wire casing around the cork. It loosened with an exciting pop that made her giggle. Fizzy vapor spilled into the air with a soft hiss.
“I’ll get two glasses.”
“Mmm,” she said, already taking a sip. “Good idea.”
“How is it?” He held out a champagne flute as she poured, then set it aside so she could fill the next one.
“Tart like green apples and lemons, but also refreshing.”
He handed her a glass. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” She clanked her glass to his. “Where do you buy a bottle like this?”
“You don’t. Salon is only produced about three times in a decade, so it’s very rare. You can’t just walk into a wine and spirits shop and buy it. It has to be allocated through connections.”
“Allocated?”
“Mm-hm.” He took a sip. “This was gifted to me by the board when I took over Hawthorne as CEO.”
Bubbles fizzed on her tongue as she stilled. She had to force herself to swallow. “This was a gift?”
“I guess I was waiting for a special occasion to open it.”
She pulled out her phone and took a picture of the label, uploading it into a search. “Soren! This is a thirty-five-hundred-dollar bottle of champagne!”
“So?”
“So, I picked it because the label reminded me of Shrek. Oh, my god.” She face-planted into her palms, and he laughed.
“Do you like it?”
“I better fucking like it. It’s three grand.”
“The price doesn’t matter. I just care that you like it.”
“I need a drink.”
“You have one.”
She was now afraid to touch the glass. “Why didn’t you say something before I opened it?”
“I did. I said pick whatever you want.”
He carried the basket of toys into the great room, and she followed, deciding that she wasn’t responsible enough to leave her chaperone’s side on this field trip.
Soren called for the dogs. “King, come.”
Cordelia barked, bolting in from wherever the dogs had been hiding. King followed with a big, open-mouthed grin that made Jocelyn smile in return.
Soren tipped the toy basket on its side and spread out the options. “They’re all yours, buddy.”
The dogs launched at the pile, nosing through the selection, sniffing and wagging.