Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“I wish I could like the dark.” Her voice is soft and sleepy.
I want to crawl up in bed beside her, hold her, and tell her there’s nothing to fear. But that would be a lie. My past proves that I’m not a good man, not a man that could ever convincingly reassure a woman like Daphne that there aren’t evil things that go bump in the night. After all, I’m one of them.
“The dark isn’t all bad.” I lower my voice, lulling her to sleep.
“I hate it. I can’t get away from it.”
“You’re safe here with me, Red.” I tell the lie that I hope becomes the truth. “Get some sleep.”
“Okay.” She lets out a long sigh.
It’s silent for so long that I think she’s asleep. Then she asks, “What sort of business were your parents doing downstairs? You said deals?”
Well, fuck.
“Goodnight, Red.” I close my eyes.
She grumbles and turns onto her side.
I feel gratified that she’s getting my scent all over her. Because I’m an animal, I guess. That’s how I feel about her, like an animal caught in her trap, but I don’t want to leave. I want to stay right here with her.
When I hear a soft snore from her, I smile and steal one more glance. A ray of moonlight lies across her red hair, making it glow like fire. No. More like a beautiful … sunset.
5
DAPHNE
“Tiernan.” I mumble his name as I roll over. I can smell him all over me. I reach my arm out but only come up with a pillow. My eyes flutter open to see no one is in the bed with me. I sit up and look around the room, then realize I’m alone. I push down my disappointment over him not being here.
At one point in the middle of the night I woke up with Tiernan wrapped around my body. He whispered into my ear that I should go back to sleep and that he’d gotten into bed with me because I had been tossing and turning so much. He said it seemed to calm me down when he held me. I think he might’ve been right. I feel as though I’ve gotten one of the best nights of sleep in my life. I’m going to guess it’s because with Tiernan being so close to me, I knew I was safe so my body was finally able to relax.
I stretch before making my way toward the bathroom. I pause when I see my cosmetics bag and blow dryer on the vanity along with my toothbrush sitting in the holder next to Tiernan’s. I guess he was serious about keeping me close. I thought he only said that last night to get me to calm down. It had worked. If I sleep like I did last night again being in Tiernan’s bed, then I’m never going to want to leave this place.
I do my morning routine before going in search of my stuff. If he brought my bathroom stuff over, I’m guessing he also brought some of my other things. I glance around the room, but I don’t see my suitcase. I do notice my laptop is on the side of the bed I slept on last night. I head over to the closet and pull open the door to a small room.
I’ve been in a couple of the girls' rooms and now Tiernan’s. They are big suites that put some people's condos to shame. There’s even a sitting area with a fireplace. The only thing not here is a kitchen. I grab my bag but stop when I feel there’s nothing inside it.
“Oh my,” I whisper to myself as I stare at all my clothes hanging next to Tiernan’s. If anyone walked into Tiernan’s room, they’d think he has a woman. Again, I push down the rush of warm emotions that flood through my body. I was already crushing on Tiernan when he was being a dick. At this rate, I’m going to be in love with him by the end of the day.
I can’t allow that to happen. I have no clue who Tiernan really is, and he’s not coughing up any information willingly. Yet there still seems to be something faintly familiar about him. I grab my shorts off the shelf and begin putting on my workout gear. I need to clear my head, and running is the only way to do that.
When I'm dressed, I realize the opportunity that I have here. He’s left me alone in his room. He should have known better. It’s like he’s asking me to peek around his bedroom. He knows how curious I am about everything. There’s no way I can pass up this opportunity. I may never get it again.
I start opening drawers. The first is his nightstand. The only things in it are two handguns and a switchblade. “Well, then.” I laugh, shutting the drawer and moving on to the next. I let out a scream when an arm locks around me. Before I know what’s happening, I’m being lifted off the ground.