Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
“Aria—”
“Look”—I stormed around to face him—“you not only hit the ground but you had me on top of you, and I’m not exactly a delicate flower.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t.”
What? It was true. Despite the few inches of height and muscle he had on me, we probably weighed about the same. Maybe I weighed more.
“I’m just saying, if you’re pretending you’re okay to save my feelings, then that’s dumb.”
North slid his hand around my neck to cup my nape, something he’d taken to doing when he wanted my full attention. “Let’s get this straight: to me, you are a delicate fucking flower. You could throw me to the ground a hundred times a day and I wouldn’t fucking complain. In fact, take that as an invitation. I am fine. But you have a skinned knee, so we need to get back and deal with that.”
Heat flushed my cheeks, and I was so glad I wasn’t a blusher because I could practically feel the Adair men grinning behind me.
“As entertaining as this is,” Walker interrupted, “we need to get you back to the estate. Security is on their way to escort you.” He studied North grimly. “This could be related to the letters.”
North scrubbed a wearied hand over his face while confusion filled me.
“Letters? What letters?”
I knew it was hypocritical of me to be angry at North for hiding the creepy letters he’d been receiving (for years, apparently) considering I’d told no one about the anonymous emails … but that didn’t make me any less pissed.
North explained everything as the security team drove us back to the estate, and I grew more alarmed by the second about what had just happened to us. Someone had really, truly just tried to drive their car into us. To injure us.
To injure North.
I’d insisted on one of the physical therapists looking over North as soon as we arrived at the castle, and that had given me time to work myself up into quite the state. Pacing my office, my mind whirled. Overwhelmed. By the intensity of my fear for him.
As much as I wanted to deny it … I’d stupidly developed feelings for North. While that might not sound like a bad thing, considering how great we were together, we were in this weird, otherworldly bubble in Ardnoch without outside forces or leading ladies or … legendary directors he wanted to work with.
However, as soon as North stepped off the estate to start filming in two weeks, that would be it. My insecurities would rear their ugly heads and I’d destroy our relationship. I’d inflict pain on him because I couldn’t trust him.
I didn’t want to hurt North.
But I couldn’t let this go on.
The thought of never kissing him again, never seeing that wicked smile as we rolled around in bed, was an agony I was not prepared for.
A sob welled up and out, and I stumbled into my seat, shoving the pain back down, making choked, whimpering sounds that shocked me. For two years I’d barely cried at anything, and since getting involved with North, my emotions had flooded to the surface.
Oh my God. How had I let this happen?
I didn’t know how long I sat in dire contemplation before North strode into my office without knocking. Wariness and grief filled me as I watched him lock the door. When he turned to me, I tried to memorize his handsome face. How the light caught silver striations in his beautiful gray eyes.
North’s expression hardened. As if he could read my face, my mind … “No,” he bit out, the word guttural.
I stood and rounded the desk in the opposite direction, leaning my ass against it for support as we stared at each other like two opponents. “How was PT?”
“I don’t want to talk about PT,” he huffed impatiently. “I want to talk about that look in your eyes.”
“We have to end this,” I blurted out.
His jaw clenched, and I tensed as he stepped toward me. “No,” he repeated.
Somehow I knew he’d make this even more difficult, and fury cut through the horrible ache in my chest. “You don’t get to decide,” I snapped.
“I bloody well do.” He crossed the distance between us until our chests almost touched and my fingers curled around the edge of the desk. “I don’t want this to end. And I don’t think you do either.” North cupped my cheek, and I wanted so badly to buss into his touch, but I held back. “Aria, I know today was frightening, but I have a security team. I’m safe. You’re safe. I’ll make sure of it.”
I shook my head frantically. His scent, his heat, was overwhelming me like always. Tingles awoke between my legs. My skin felt hot. “It’s more than that. We were fighting before the attack … I … I told you that I cannot date an actor.”