Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
I decide to return to the hotel for a nap. It feels like the sun has sapped the last of my energy. Five hours later, I’m woken by someone knocking on my door. I sit up in my bed and look to it, my heart racing.
I didn’t expect for him to get here until tomorrow at the earliest. Then again, knowing Ford, he most likely hopped on his family’s private jet the moment he figured out my location.
I’m still terrified at the idea of facing reality with him. I’m also ashamed for running away. But despite that, part of me is so grateful he gave chase one more time.
They say even if you run from love, it will find you. And I ran. And my guess is that it’s him on the other side of that door. Could I possibly make him run by telling him how terrified I am by loving him so deeply? Would that be the last and final straw for him? I doubt it.
I don’t know if he’s ever been in love. I have a feeling the answer is no. I’ve never been in love before, either, so it took me a while to work out what these feelings were. And I had to do that all by myself because we were a secret for so long.
The knocking grows more insistent, and I finally muster the strength to get out of bed and make my way to the door. Pulling it open, I see him there, one hand on the doorjamb and the other raised as if he’s ready to start knocking again. His hand drops, and he stands tall. His dark eyes soak me in from head to toe. I’m waiting for him to speak because I don’t know what to say. He reaches out and pulls me into a hug. I’m so startled that tears start streaming down my face.
Whenever he touches me, I lose myself in him. But I’m so scared. This goes beyond just sex and addiction.
“Hello, Chaos.” He takes a step into the room and shuts the door behind him, all while keeping me in his embrace, even though I try my hardest to push him away. He grunts, and I realize he’s obviously not at full health. He has a slight limp, and guilt floods me all over again.
Once he lets me go, I put distance between us because the power he has over me when he’s close is terrifying.
He prowls toward me until my legs hit the bed, and I’m forced to sit. He looms over me like a demon, his dark gaze penetrating.
“Why are you here?” I squeak. I know why he’s here. Deep down, I know why he flew all this way to recapture me. But I’m so fucking scared of taking that final plunge. I mean, at least I hope that’s why he’s here.
“For you,” he says, dropping to his knees and laying his head in my lap.
I’m stunned, unsure of how to touch him as he hugs me. Slowly, my fingers feather through his hair, and I’m reminded all over again of being in the back seat of the car, focusing on his every breath like it was my own because the moment it would’ve stopped… I couldn’t handle the thought.
“I thought you were going to die,” I say quietly.
I heard after the fact about the twins microdosing poison over the years, but it didn’t guarantee anything that day. In fact, that she let me go was a miracle. But not once did I care about that. If he was gone, so was I. Having that type of leverage over me is a terrifying thing.
“I didn’t,” he replies.
“Ford, I held you while you were dying, and I thought—” Tears stream over my cheeks. “It scared me. Your job puts you in danger every day. You could leave me any day.”
He looks up then, a small smile curving his lips, as he reaches for me. “Yep” is his only response, and it makes me so mad. His smile grows wider. “I missed the fire in your eyes.”
“This is serious,” I reprimand.
“I’ll win you back.”
“Win me back?” I ask, confused. “Am I a toy?”
“No, you’re the woman I’ve fallen for, and I can’t make it stop.”
His admission shocks me. I’ve never heard him be so truthful about his feelings for me before, and I can’t say I don’t enjoy hearing them because I really do. Butterflies take off in my stomach.
“Does that scare you?” I ask. Is he as terrified about this as I am, or am I the only one feeling all of this?
“You have no fucking idea how much,” he mutters, pulling me into his chest so his arms can wrap around my body.
“I love you, Ford, and it scares me so much.” I squeak.
And before I can stop myself, I’m crying.