Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Your world knowledge doesn’t impress me.”
“How I earn my money and who I put to death have nothing to do with you.”
“I’m guessing you’ve never done this before.” I grabbed the glass and took a drink just to cool my nerves.
Bartholomew stared, like he wasn’t sure how to respond. “What, exactly?”
“Monogamy.”
A slow smile crept on to his lips. “Sweetheart, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here—”
“You’re working this hard to fuck me with a condom? Let’s be real here. Monogamy and commitment are two different things. But what happens when someone notices you spend your nights with a single person rather than a cycle of whores? They come for me because they think I’m important to you. I’m hung in the middle of my living room with slit wrists until you walk in the door and discover me.”
Bartholomew was silent, as if he could see the imagery in his head.
“I enjoyed that night together. Do I wish it could happen again? Absolutely. But it’s not worth the risk—not when you are what you are.”
He seemed to have nothing to say because his eyes shifted to the window, looking at the city lights as they contrasted against the darkness.
I waited for him to leave.
“I’m sorry.”
A warmth moved through my stomach like I’d drunk too much wine.
His eyes shifted back to me. “For what happened to you.”
My eyes were locked on his, doing my best to remain stoic.
“But that wouldn’t happen with me. I’m at the top of the food chain, and I don’t have any enemies.”
“You do realize those two statements are contradictory, right? You can’t be at the top without everyone watching.”
“They can watch all they want. Doesn’t mean they can touch me.”
I released a quiet sigh. “We can talk about this all night, but my answer won’t change.”
He sank back into the chair, his eyes slowly darkening into disappointment. “You’re a stubborn woman.”
“I’m an Italian woman. It’s in my nature.”
He gave a slight smile. “You’re bold like your wine… I like it.”
The conversation seemed to have come to an end, and now all he needed to do was walk out the door.
But he stayed. “We could meet in secret. Under aliases at hotels. I could keep up pretenses with my whores. Whoever you think is watching wouldn’t suspect a thing. This relationship would be a bonfire. It would burn white-hot instantly, but slowly, it would die out to embers. In other words, it wouldn’t last long.” His eyes gripped me from across the table, like his hands gripped my arms and kept me close to him. “Burn with me, sweetheart.”
He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head. His skin was fair like he hadn’t seen daylight in years, but it was still beautiful, the way it was firm over all the individual muscles. The man was ripped, his skin so tight that his veins were visible from his wrists to his shoulders. His defined abs dropped down to a V that led to the top of his jeans. Those dark eyes locked on mine, like he was the predator and I was the prey.
It was uncommon for me to freeze, but I froze when he looked at me like that, like he was cruel—just not to me. His arm circled my waist, and he tugged me into him, his lips landing on my neck like he had the teeth of a vampire. His kiss was hard and hot, tasting my flesh with his tongue.
I melted instantly, enveloped in this man’s power. My arms linked around his neck as I let him devour me, take away whatever drop of common sense I had left.
He abruptly turned me around and slammed my back into his chest. The kisses continued as his arm hooked over my stomach. His other hand slid down the front of my leggings, underneath my panties, and then reached my clit. The initial touch was delicate, his fingers gently playing with my nub as he kissed my neck. Then he rubbed me harder, getting my back to arch against him, my hand to grip his forearm because it felt so good. His lips came to my ear. “Is this how you touch yourself?” He rubbed me harder and listened to my pants grow louder. “When you think of me?”
I felt his hand slide up my shirt and grip my tits. He squeezed one before he grazed my nipple with his thumb. The feel of his bare chest to my back, the depth of his voice in my ear, his strong fingers in my panties…it all made me feel like a lit stick of dynamite. “Yes…”
I could feel him smile against my ear.
He yanked my shirt over my head then grabbed both of my tits with his hands. He gave them each a firm squeeze before he pulled my leggings down. He kneeled with the fabric then forced me to bend over so he could kiss me there.