Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
He brought his head up. He was quiet for a moment, looking at me with those piercing, dark eyes that seemed to burn through me. It was so intense that I started to shake a little, but didn’t dare look away. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, soft, unsure. The opposite of the man himself.
“Can I sleep here tonight?”
“Wh—what?” My heart skipped. “Like here in my apartment or here in my bed?”
“Both.”
“I . . .” My jaw dropped. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. “I haven’t seen you in a month.”
“Twenty-two days,” he said. “I’ve been counting.”
“Twenty-two days,” I repeated.
“Almost twenty-three.”
“You haven’t called, you answered one call, and you were in a freaking club.” I scowled. “I should slap you and kick you out.”
“You should.”
My chest shook. I took a breath and sat up on my knees, but I still wasn’t at eye level with him, so I stood on the bed next. Now, I was taller, and he was the one looking up at me. This didn’t seem to bother him in the least, but it made me feel like I had somewhat of an advantage.
“Let me get this straight, while I’ve been recovering and waiting for you to, I don’t know, acknowledge my existence, you’re out clubbing, then you don’t call, don’t visit, don’t text, and suddenly you want to sleep here?”
“Not suddenly, no.” He searched my eyes. “And I wasn’t out clubbing, Roselyn. It was work.”
“Work. Right.” I rolled my eyes. “The kind that involves women getting really close to your ear and seductively asking if you need anything from them.”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” He had the nerve to look genuinely perplexed. “I haven’t spoken to any woman . . .” He shook his head, taking a breath and I could tell he was done with that portion of the conversation. After a moment, his eyes and voice softened. “Let me stay.”
“Fine, but only because I’m bored.”
He tried to hide his smile as he turned around, but I saw it. I plopped down on the bed and turned the light off again as he undressed because I couldn’t watch him. I wouldn’t. As it was, I didn’t know why I’d agreed to this. It certainly wasn’t because I was bored. I’d spent the majority of the night talking about him to Jimmy. He’d spent the majority of the night telling me about Jessa, his ex, though, so it was fine. We’d commiserated over wine. I wasn’t going to pretend I didn’t think he was hot, though. Hot and rich and everything a girl like me should probably want, but unfortunately, my heart was an idiot and wanted this infuriating man. The bed dipped and the idiot in my chest went frantic as I felt him get under the covers and scoot closer to me.
“Can I touch you?”
“What?” I yelped, scooting away as far as I could without falling off. “No.”
“I’m not asking you to let me play with your pussy,” he said, dropping his voice low. I fought a shiver. “Can I hold you?”
I shut my eyes and tried to bury my face deeper into the pillow, but try as I might, I wanted him to hold me. I needed it. I scooted until we met halfway. In an instant, he had my back pulled to his chest, an arm and leg wrapped around me, holding me like he wanted to swallow me whole.
“I missed you so much, baby.” His voice sounded pained against my hair. “So fucking much.”
Tears pricked my eyes. I squeezed them shut. “If you missed me so much, you would have come to me sooner.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Why?” I wiped my face and moved until he loosened his grip on me and let me face him.
“I was trying to let you go.”
My heart dropped. “Why?”
“You don’t want this life, Rosie. You said so yourself.”
“That was before.” I swallowed hard to contain my emotions. He shot up on the bed. I followed his movement and sat up as well.
“Before what, Roselyn? Before you were attacked? Before you had to relive . . .” He stopped talking and swallowed as if he had a boulder in his throat the size of mine. “God. I hate that you had to go through that.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Dom.”
“It was my fault. I should’ve . . .” His eyes flashed when they met mine. He shook his head, pain clear in his eyes. I tried to finish the sentence for him in my head, but I wasn’t sure what he was going to say, that he should’ve killed Anthony before he had a chance to do that? That he should’ve been there to protect me?
“It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.”
“That was what made you decide that you suddenly wanted to be with me?” he asked, looking at me through narrowed eyes. “Are you insane?”