Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Probably foolish of her.
“That’s it. That’s my good girl. Now, I’m going to remove my hand and you’re not going to scream, understand me? Not unless you want a sharp smack on the bottom.”
Seriously?
He’d snuck into her room and instead of apologizing or acknowledging that he shouldn’t be here scaring her half to death, he was threatening to spank her if she made a noise?
The nerve of him.
As he moved his hand, she leaned forward and nipped the skin of his palm. Not hard, but enough to let him know that she wasn’t happy.
“Oh, feeling playful, are we, baby girl?” he murmured.
Oh shit.
No. Nope.
She shook her head. Then she groaned as the movement made it throb.
“What is it? What’s wrong? What hurts?”
That sounded like genuine panic in his voice. But could it really be?
Or was she just so desperate for someone to care about her that she was imagining it?
“Baby girl, you need to answer me,” he warned.
“I’m all good.”
“That’s another five. I think we’re up to twenty by now.”
“What?”
“Well, first there was you disobeying me in the car. Then you keep saying you’re okay when you’re clearly not. You’ve earned yourself five spanks for every transgression.”
What the hell?
No. Nope.
“You have no right to spank me.”
“Don’t I? I’m going to add another ten for you getting us taken off your security detail. That was very naughty of you, baby girl.”
Shame filled her. It wasn’t that she didn’t want them to be her security detail.
It was that she wanted them too much.
“It’s better this way, Owen.” She tried to make herself sound cold, aloof.
But she couldn’t manage it. There was a note of sadness in her voice that he’d easily be able to hear.
“Maybe,” he said.
She wasn’t prepared for that answer, and it sliced at her, cutting her open and making her bleed.
“Because this means we can spend time seducing you without worrying about Caleb getting upset that we’re not doing our job. Now, we have all the time in the world to romance you.”
Oh fuck.
Well, that backfired on her.
“Do you know how to?” she asked.
“Romance you?” he asked, sitting on the bed facing her.
She sat up. “Yeah.”
“I’ll figure it out. The others do. They’ll romance you and I’ll do what I do best.”
“What’s that?” She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.
“Protect you. Dominate you. Spank your ass when you’re naughty. And, my little puppy, you’ve been so very naughty.”
Her breath hitched. But not in fear. Nope, that was all arousal.
“You need to leave. You shouldn’t be in here.”
“Course I should be. I’m protecting you.”
“Isn’t there someone watching the suite? How did you get past them to get inside?”
Owen brushed her hair back off her face. “No one keeps me out of where I want to be.”
Yikes.
She was in trouble here.
“This isn’t a good idea, Owen. I’m not free to pursue anything. So please, it would be better if you just left and stayed away from me. It will be easier on all of us.”
“No.”
No?
Was he for real right now?
“Owen.”
“No. I’m not staying away. You are mine and you’re not going anywhere.”
Oh dear Lord.
They’re just words.
He doesn’t mean them.
Yeah, she might try to tell herself that. But she also knew how intense Owen was. He wasn’t exactly the type of person to say something he didn’t mean.
She could be in real trouble here.
“I can’t be yours.”
“Well, I’ll share you with them. That’s what we always do. But make no mistake. You, Chloe Reed, are ours.”
“It isn’t possible for me to be with you guys. Besides, I don’t think Judd likes me. And Beck barely speaks to me.”
“Judd likes you. If he didn’t, he would only speak to you when absolutely necessary.”
“He’s constantly barking orders at me.”
“Yeah, because he cares. If he ignored your naughtiness, then you’d have to worry.”
“I am never naughty, Owen.”
“You are constantly naughty. But it’s okay. I like that you’ve got a naughty streak. Means I get to discipline you.”
Her mouth went dry as she got a sudden image of him disciplining her.
“And Beck just has a few issues, like we all do. He’ll get over them. But he already watches you like you’re the sun and he’s only ever known winter.”
Was he serious?
She swallowed heavily.
What would it be like to give herself to this man? To all of them? It had been so long since anyone had touched her who cared about her.
“I’m leaving soon.”
“Are you? We’ll see.”
“I can’t stay, Owen. Really.”
This wasn’t a game. It was her reality.
“Shh.” Leaning in, he kissed her slightly. “I’ll sort everything.”
He had no idea what he was talking about.
Yet at the same time . . . she wanted to give in. To feel happiness even if only briefly.
“And if you tell me to leave . . . to keep away . . . I’ll tell you now that I won’t. I’ll just follow you in the shadows. You’ll know I’m there, even if no one else does. I’m good at hiding.”