Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 34955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Our story began with my immediate infatuation. Lies, deception, obsession, and undying devotion made it as complex as a Shakespearean tale. Unlike the characters in William’s story, not even death could have kept me from her.
And it would end with her by my side, in my bed, no matter what lengths I had to go to in order to keep her. My reason for being had begun rotating around my little doll long before I even realized the power she held over me.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
• Prologue •
There was a time when I had no regrets. I felt nothing, or perhaps that was what I wanted to believe. Others thought it was true, so why not buy into it? My actions backed it up. When I sought retaliation, I didn’t hold back. I considered the cause and effect. I determined what the effect would be, not once questioning whether it fit the cause, as long as it eased my craving for the punishment I enjoyed inflicting.
From the moment those gray eyes, the color of the water just before sunrise, met mine, I’d acted without thought to consequence in order to protect her. I had been her vengeance on any and all who would cause her pain without her realizing it. If only it had stayed that way. The things I’d done because the demons inside me couldn’t stand the thought of her being wronged even the slightest were meant to be kept secret. She was too pure for the evil I was capable of unleashing.
Our story began with my immediate infatuation. Lies, deception, obsession, and undying devotion made it as complex as a Shakespearean tale. Unlike the characters in William’s story, not even death could have kept me from her.
And it would end with her by my side, in my bed, no matter what lengths I had to go to in order to keep her. My reason for being had begun rotating around my little doll long before I even realized the power she held over me.
• One •
“Provoking me is dangerous.”
Capri
My bright pink nails ran over the teeth marks that were a slight shade of blue just over my left nipple in the mirror, causing me to smile. It was tender to the touch, but I loved thinking about why it was there. Thatcher’s eyes had been darker than usual, and his gaze disturbed when he’d gotten home. I’d come to recognize the different moods of Thatcher Shephard and learned what he needed with each one.
Last night he’d needed a distraction. I had given him one.
Lifting my gaze, I watched as he walked into the bathroom behind me. I dropped my hand, not wanting to draw his attention to the bruised imprint of his teeth that he’d left on me. While I loved being marked by him, he didn’t handle it as well. Anyone hurting me was something Thatcher could not deal with rationally. That included himself.
His eyes met mine in the reflection. The hungry gleam in them made me shiver. There was no need to soothe his internal demons this morning. I’d done that last night. The way he was looking at me now was pure desire. Having this man want me the way he did still didn’t make sense to me. How was it that I had gotten so lucky? There didn’t seem to be an answer to that question.
“You weren’t in bed,” he said in a thick raspy voice.
“I was going to come back,” I assured him.
His eyes dropped, slowly moving down my bare back. He rarely let me sleep in clothing, but then, most of the time, I passed out after wild, incredible sex.
He tilted his head slightly as a pained expression crossed his face. “I spanked you too hard.”
I laughed. “I disagree. I liked it. If I remember correctly, I begged you to do it harder.”
“You shouldn’t do that,” he told me. “I don’t like hurting you.”
Our eyes met again in the mirror. “Thatcher,” I used a firm tone. “I got off on it. You didn’t hurt me.”
He closed the distance between us until his large, calloused palm covered my right butt cheek. “It’s wrong for me to blemish your perfect creamy skin.”
I smirked. “That’s one of the things I love about you. All the wrong things you do to me.”
The flare in his eyes should probably be a warning, but it had become something that I craved. It excited me.
“Little doll,” he murmured, lowering his head until his lips brushed against my ear. “Provoking me is dangerous.” His fingertips barely brushed over my bottom back and forth.
I started to open my mouth and taunt him more when his gaze snapped to my breast. The narrowing of his eyes and tightening of his jaw told me the bite mark was upsetting him more than whatever he had left on my butt.
I lifted my hand and cupped my breast, then ran my nails over the bruised spot. “It makes me feel claimed.”
His gaze swung up to meet mine. I watched as his nostrils flared. Taking a step forward so that his chest pressed against me, I sighed with pleasure from the contact.
“There was too much shit in my head last night. Coming home to you was what I needed, but I got too rough.”
I sighed and reached for his arms, pulling them around me. “How many times are we going to have this conversation? I like it. No, I love it when you get rough.” I moved one of his hands up to cup my marked breast. “Just think. Today, when I’m walking around, underneath my clothes, I’ll bear your bite mark on my body.”