Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
“You haven’t spoken to anyone have you? Not your brother, sister, or parents?” Bolton asks, not looking up from his laptop.
“No. No one. I’ve been holed up in my apartment. I snuck out the freight elevator in my building this morning and into the car you sent for me,” I say, addressing Bolton. “The press is camped out in front of my building.” I tried talking to Rose. I’ve called her probably a hundred fucking times since the news broke, but she’s ignoring my calls. If I could just hear her voice, I think I’d calm down. She is a balm to me.
“Good, very good,” he says, talking more to himself then me.
All I can think about is Rose. Is this affecting her? Does she even know or care? I’m fucking dying here. I spend the better part of the day answering Jaxson’s questions and agreeing to demand a prenatal DNA test. There’s no way in hell I’m dragging this out for four more months. I can’t do that to myself or to Rose.
As soon as the meeting from hell is over, I look down at my watch and see that it’s almost five o’clock. Fuck, I was really in there dealing with the nonsense all damn day. I need to see Rose. Even if just for a second, from afar. I need her. I call a car service and within minutes I am on my over to the facility she works at. I swear I was just going to look at her, but when I saw her come out of the building, talking animatedly with some dude, I lost it. I hold back until he touches her arm. I see red as I storm out from behind the pillar I was standing behind. I prowl over to her like I’m stalking prey, because let’s face it, that’s exactly what I am doing here.
“Can I help you, sir?” the man who is touching my woman says after noticing me over Rose’s shoulder. It takes everything in me, not to beat the shit out of him.
“No, you can’t,” I say through clenched teeth. I’m standing close enough to Rose that I feel her body stiffen at the sound of my voice. She breathes out harshly.
“Nick. What are you doing here? she asks, her voice resigned. I’ve never heard anything but cheery enthusiasm from her, or her decadent moans and screams of pure unadulterated pleasure as she took my cock. Those noises and memories haunt my fucking dreams.
“Miss Gillium? The dead dude says, still fucking touching her arm. Who the fuck does he think he is touching what’s mine? As if she can read my mind, Rose finally shrugs herself from his grip.
“It’s alright, Dash. I’ll be in at ten in the morning.”
“If you’re sure?”
“It’s fine. Have a good evening,” she says, thankfully dismissing her minion.
“You too, ma’am,” Dash says before turning and walking away without looking back. What the fuck kind of name is Dash anyway?
“Who the motherfuck was that?” I ask growling, knowing as soon as the words come out of my mouth they were the wrong ones. She still won’t look at me, but I know she just rolled her eyes at me.
“Not that it’s any of your fucking business, but he’s my assistant.”
“Oh.” I still don’t like that he was touching her. Fuck that noise, she’s mine, damnit.
“Oh,” she says sarcastically, making me grin. “So, I ask again, what are you doing here?” Fuck this, I need to see her face. I want to pull her into my arms and never let her go.
“Petal, look at me,” I demand, my voice dominate and edgy. I exhale the breath I didn’t know that I was holding when she finally does. Those dark amber colored eyes I know so well are shining with unshed tears. I hate that. I fucking hate that I’ve done this, however inadvertently, to her.
But fuck, I’ve missed her.
CHAPTER 5
Are you flipping serious right now? I have been ignoring his phone calls and emails for the past few days, serious about not doing this with him. Flowers have been showing up ad nauseam, driving me and everyone in my office crazy with all these scents floating around because I can’t find it in me to send the courier away or throw them in the incinerator like I should have. I love flowers, I can’t help it.
The phone calls stopped about two days ago, and I took a long deep sigh of relief thinking he had finally got the message. Well, no such luck. Here I am walking out of the building and who is standing in front of it? You guessed it. Nick the asshole man whore Pike. I am trying my best not to look at him, but God, just him being this close is drugging me. I don’t know what it is, but my entire body is tingling right now, remembering, needing it again. “How long are you going to ignore me, Rose.” And he had to talk, didn't he. Damn it. Why can’t I ignore his deep, smoky voice? I don’t answer him. Instead, I walk faster toward the outdoor parking garage and try like hell not to throw myself on him. He touches my arm and it’s like a volcano is erupting.