Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
When he entered her bedroom, he closed the door and walked over to the bed, putting her down gently.
To her surprise, he turned away and opened her wardrobe doors.
“What are you doing?” She jumped off the bed and took a step toward him.
Whirling, he pointed at her. “You stay right there.”
“I will not.”
“You will or I will put you over my knee right here and now.”
She gasped in outrage.
And with a bit of intrigue.
He had never spanked her. Even though she’d asked him to on several occasions.
The asshole told her that spankings were barbaric and abusive. And that he’d never abuse her.
Huh. That was the biggest lie of all.
The way he’d abused her had been so insidious and underhanded that perhaps he didn’t realize it was abuse.
It had taken her far too long to recognize it as such.
“Well, if you try, I’ll have to scream for help. Then Hayes will stop you.”
He turned to rifle through her closet. What was he doing? Was he looking for something?
Finally, he drew out a duffel bag.
“Hayes isn’t going to stop me,” he told her.
“Yes, he will! He’s my bodyguard.”
Corbin started packing things into her duffel bag.
What. The. Heck?
“You fired him,” Corbin stated.
“I fired you. I haven’t fired him yet.”
Hmm. That was possibly the wrong thing to say. She gulped as he turned to glare at her.
“You haven’t fired me either. Because I quit!” he told her.
Oh.
Ouch.
“I’m going back home,” he grumbled. “Where it is safer and saner.”
Double ouch.
Do not cry.
She wasn’t going to get upset just because he was leaving. This was what she wanted.
“I think that’s wise.”
He whirled on her, stalking toward her. She gulped as she sat on the bed, then slid up so she was leaning against the headboard. He leaned down over her, placing his hands on the headboard on either side of her head.
“You think that’s wise?”
Wow.
Why, he seemed almost dangerous right now.
And for some reason that was turning her on.
What was wrong with her?
“Yes, I think it’s best if you both go home. I’m sure you miss it.”
And get far away from her.
“Oh, I do. I can’t wait to go home.”
Do not cry.
“And the best thing is, you’re coming back with me.”
Uh.
What?
No, she was not!
27
“What? No. You’ve got that wrong. I’m not going with you.”
Although that explained why he was packing her clothes.
Corbin put his hands on his hips as he glared down at her. “Yes, you are. I’m going to pack you up some stuff, and in the morning, the three of us will get on a plane to Montana.”
Corbin spun back without waiting for her reply.
Kneeling, he started searching through her wardrobe.
Her mind was whirling so much that she wasn’t even worried about what he was doing.
Go home with him?
Was he nuts?
“I don’t understand this.”
He didn’t answer.
What was he looking at?
Shit! Her box was back there.
“Corbin! Get out of my closet. I need to talk to you about this.”
When he turned, there was a strange look on his face. But he was acting like a lunatic right then, so she didn’t think much of it.
“I can’t go back to Montana with you.”
“You can. You are. No arguments. Now, where are your pajamas?”
“Urgh, you’re so . . . so stubborn and annoying! And I thought you were so kind and reasonable when you first got here.”
“Seems getting fired and kicked out has done something to me.”
She sighed, rubbing at her forehead.
“Hey, are you all right?”
When she glanced up, he was giving her a look filled with concern. He seemed pale and worn. He should be resting right now, not going through her stuff like a mad man.
“And there’s the Corbin I first met,” she said quietly. “You’re going to hurt yourself. You need to sit down and talk to me rationally.”
“I don’t think I’m the one acting irrationally. And this is happening. Talking about it won’t change it.”
She just didn’t understand any of this.
“Why would you insist that I come back with you?” she asked. “That’s not part of your job.”
“Screw the job!” He threw down her pants and stalked toward her.
If anyone else strode toward her like that, with thunder in his face, she might have turned tail and run.
But she knew Corbin wouldn’t hurt her.
Because she trusted him.
She’d known this man for two and a half weeks now, yet she trusted him more than she’d probably trusted anyone before.
Perhaps she needed to find the money for that therapist.
“Do you seriously think I care about the job?” he asked.
“I . . . I . . . don’t you?”
“I only care about this job because I care about you. Because I want to keep you safe. And the safest place you’ll be right now is at my home. Where I know everyone and everything. So that’s where you’re going. Home with me where I will shelter and protect you.”