Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
We slowly turn, filing out of the house and back toward our cabins.
Nobody says anything, what is there to say? We’re all wondering what went on, wondering if someone did this to Taj, wondering if we’re walking amongst someone who could hurt another person and not get help. It’s hard, but I don’t want to believe anyone here could do that. They’re all ... they’re all like family.
“The officer asked me why I wasn’t in the room,” Kara says to me, her voice low. “Did you tell him I wasn’t there?”
I want to scream, the guilt is already consuming me. “I just told him the truth. I also told him you’d never hurt anyone. That we were all drinking and I walked off on my own, too.”
She doesn’t say anything for a few minutes.
“I’d never hurt Taj ...”
I stop and she does, too, turning toward me. God, looking at her now, I feel bad for even having doubted her. “I know you wouldn’t, but maybe it was an accident ...”
“I had nothing to do with it, Lei. It pains me that you think I do.”
I shake my head. “I never said that. I only told the truth, Kara. I had to do that.”
“I know you did, but you have to know I didn’t do it.”
I want to believe her, god, I really do. But she’s the only one that wasn’t around last night for that period of time. Still, she’s my best friend and I have to at least give her the benefit of the doubt. I can’t just assume she’s lying, maybe she isn’t and it just looks bad. Until we know more, I need to be on her side. I already feel bad enough for having told them the truth, that truth could potentially get her into trouble.
“I know,” I say softly. “Everything is going to be fine.”
“Maybe he did fall,” she goes on.
Yeah, maybe.
We all get back to our rooms and everyone just goes off on their own. I guess we’re all still in some kind of shock. I sit for a while but find myself restless. My mind is swimming with possibilities. I can’t help but think about what went down and the fact that someone went out of their way to make it look like nothing had happened. The blanket making him look like he was sleeping, someone put that there. They had to. What are the chances of him falling with a blanket on?
I get up and put my shoes on, then I go out of the cabin and start walking down the path toward the river Rhett showed me. It takes me nearly half an hour on foot to get there, but the walk does me good and when I arrive, I see Diablo tied to a tree. I pause, wondering if I’ve interrupted something, and then I see Rhett walking out of the river ... butt naked.
I gasp and my eyes widen as I stare at the incredible specimen walking toward me, his eyes on mine, his body fully bare, masculine energy radiating off him. His cock actually swings as he walks and my eyes fall to it, unable to look anywhere else. I shiver, remembering how good it felt in my hand the other night. The way he growled. God damn.
“You can take your eyes off my dick now,” Rhett says, his tone gruff but slightly playful.
I snap my eyes up and stumble backward, awkwardly stammering, “I-I-I didn’t know anyone was here, I’m sorry.”
I turn to go rushing off but his loud, commanding voice orders me to stop.
I pause, breathing rapidly as I feel him approach. His hard, cool body presses to mine and he growls into my ear, “Clothes off.”
Oh god.
That wasn’t what I came here for.
My friend just died, murdered possibly, and he wants me to take my clothes off? I can’t.
“I can’t. Taj ... he just died. I just wanted to clear my head.”
“I’m not goin’ to fuck you after you friend died, Lei. Now take off your clothes and trust me.”
I swallow. “I don’t ... I have a chubby tummy.”
“Take off your damned clothes,” he growls.
I turn around and face him. He’s close, so close my body is still touching his and I can feel his penis on my leg. “Your penis is touching my leg.”
He steps closer, squashing it against me. “Didn’t bother you the other night. Stop your bullshit and take off your clothes.”
I hold his gaze and find myself doing something I never thought I would. I take off my clothes. Never taking my eyes off his, I slowly remove every item on my body before standing there, fully naked, unsure what the hell has come over me. I guess it’s the fact that he’s so certain he wants to see what I’ve got to offer, that I have actually come to believe that he wants all of me. Every wobbly piece.