Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
If I thought that would put him in his place, I was sorely mistaken. He doesn’t even blink in astonishment or look apologetic. Instead, his expression turns impassive as he studies me long enough for me to feel like a bug under a microscope. Not once does he look over my shoulder at Marius who still stands behind me with his hands on my hips.
The message is clear. He doesn’t think my words matter nor does he think Marius is any type of threat.
What comes next is so surprising, neither I nor Marius has the wits to stop it. One second Marius has a hold of me from behind, and the next, Jackson has my hand in his, and he’s leading me toward the dance floor. “Let’s dance. We need to talk.”
I glance over my shoulder at Marius, leveling him with a look that pleads with him to rescue me. To my horror, my best friend abandons me. His gaze seems calculated as it moves to focus on Jackson. He then gives a slight shake of his head, smirk fully in place, before turning and walking away.
“I’m going to murder that bastard,” I mutter.
“Pissed your boyfriend is abandoning you?” Jackson mocks as he leads me straight to the middle of the dance floor and deftly turns me in his arms.
His right hand goes to my waist and his left takes my right, holding it at an angle away from my body. He puts appropriate distance between us and sweeps me across the large, parquet dance floor beside the orchestra.
I keep my lips pressed together and don’t disabuse Jackson of the notion that Marius is my boyfriend. The mere fact he threw that in my face would only give him satisfaction if I were to deny the nature of our relationship. Besides, it’s none of his business.
Instead, I say, “Do you treat all your clients so bullishly?”
“Bullishly?” Jackson asks with a bark of laughter. “I would never treat a princess bullishly. I would handle a spoiled brat who recklessly put herself in danger by bending said brat over my knee and spanking some sense into her.”
That should’ve pissed me off.
I should be so offended I’d be within my right to slap his face, not that I’ve ever done something like that.
His threat should make me want to berate him for his temerity. It should make me want to run to my father and Dmitri and tell them they’ve made a huge mistake letting this obnoxious man have control over my safety.
Rather, I’m horrified to realize that I have a vivid image of me over Jackson’s lap, and my skin tingles just from the promise of a spanking.
I shake my head hard. What the fuck am I thinking?
Why would I ever imagine such a scenario?
I banish it from my head, but it comes roaring back, except this time with more clarity. Jackson’s in his tux, sitting on the edge of a bed. I’m in my gown, bent over his lap and held in place with his large hand on my lower back. His other hand slides my gown up my legs, over my ass, which, I’m shocked to find, isn’t covered by any panties. His palm grazes over my flesh—
I stumble over my own feet as we dance, and Jackson easily rights me. I’m so embarrassed by where my mind had gone that I blurt out almost hysterically, “So, what do you think about the weather on our island?”
I wince internally because that was the most asinine thing to say. It propelled me from a position of power down to the echelons of bumbling idiots.
It made clear that this man intimidates me.
I hope it doesn’t make it clear that I’m attracted to him.
If he has an ounce of sense, he’s going to know something just threw me into disarray.
Jackson’s lips curve upward, and the sparkle in his eye tells me he knows I got sidetracked by the threat of a spanking.
I clear my throat. “There’s a really great beach along the eastern side of the island you should check out, and if you want a tour of the ruby mines, I could arrange—”
“Just stop it,” Jackson interrupts, and gone is the amusement I thought I just saw. “I get that you don’t know me and I don’t know you, and that Dmitri and his crew may do things differently, but as of this evening, I am exclusively in charge of your personal protection. So let’s just get one thing straight… unless you are inside your family’s compound, you are in my sight at all times. You don’t leave my sight without permission, and if you need to go somewhere, you give me an opportunity to determine the safety of it.”
“But we were just going down to the docks,” I insist angrily. “I go there all the time. I was with Marius, who would protect me. And I guarantee there were at least four of Dmitri’s crew outside, ready to follow at a distance.”