Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“That’s none of your business!” she snapped, immediately on the defensive. “And it’s not your business to follow me or defend me, either. You’re my boss, not my boyfriend!”
Courick frowned down at her.
“Maybe you need a male defender if you’re going to come to a place like this! At any rate, you’re leaving it now.”
“What? What are you talking about?” she demanded. “I never said I was leaving.”
“Addison, you’re wounded.” He nodded at the bloody splotches on the back of her light green dress. “You need to come with me so I can tend your wounds.”
“Tend my wounds?” She looked up at him uncertainly. “No, really—you don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do—and I’m going to,” Courick informed her. “Now are you going to come with me or should I throw you over my shoulder and take you out of this place that way?”
He could see the uncertainty and indecision in her lovely green eyes. She was nibbling her lush lower lip as though considering if he would really carry out his threat.
“You’re wondering if I’ll really do it,” he said. “Please believe me, Addison—I will.”
He stooped as though to grab her by the waist and she held up a hand, her eyes going wide.
“All right, all right—I’ll go with you! Just let me get my things out of the locker.”
Courick followed her to the changing room—she must have been in there when he lost her—and then out into the humid Tampa night. She started heading for her car, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“No—I’m parked that way.” He nodded down the street.
“What? But I brought my own car—I can drive!” she protested.
“You can but you won’t. I’m going to take you home and treat your wounds,” Courick informed her.
She put her hands on her hips.
“You can’t do this to me! You can’t just decide where I go and what I do!”
“I think you need someone to decide for you,” Courick told her. “You need a protector—someone who will keep you from going to dangerous places like this on your own.”
“But you’re not my protector—you’re my boss!” she protested. “And this is like…like some kind of harassment!”
“No, it’s not.” Courick bent down to put his face closer to hers. “Listen Addison—yes, I am your boss. And as your boss, I have an obligation to take care of you—to make sure you’re well and safe.”
“What? No, you don’t!” she protested. “That’s not in the contract I signed when I came to work for you…is it?” Her angry expression changed to one of uncertainty.
“Yes, it is,” Courick said calmly. “There is a clause near the end of the contract that states that I’m responsible for your wellbeing as long as you work for me. So you can either come with me now…or quit your job. Which is it?”
He could see the emotions warring on her face. Her fierce independence was fighting with something else…a need for something. For what, Courick wondered? What need did she have that drove her to this place? He wished he knew—but maybe he would find out.
“All right,” she said at last. “But I didn’t know that having an overprotective boss came along with the medical and dental insurance when I sighed up to work with the Kindred.”
“It does, though,” Courick said. He held out a hand to her. “Come with me, Addison. Let me take care of you—at least for tonight.”
“Take…take care of me?” Something shifted in her face and a look of longing came into her eyes.
“Yes.” Courick made his voice gentle. “Let me take care of you.” He knew he couldn’t have her—there were far too many barriers in the way and even if there weren’t, his vow stood between them. But he wanted to care for her—to treat her wounds and be certain she was safe. And he thought, from the way that she was looking at him, that Addison might want that too.
His hunch turned out to be right. She let out a long breath and slipped her small hand into his.
“All right,” she said at last. “I’ll come with you.”
“Good girl.” Courick smiled at her and squeezed her hand encouragingly. “Come on—this way.”
6
ADDISON
Addison followed the tall Kindred in a daze. She couldn’t believe that her gruff and grumpy boss had tailed her to the club and then nearly choked her attacker to death. And now, to cap it off, he actually wanted to take care of her! He’d even called her a “good girl” which made her heart sing and her panties wet at the same time.
She told herself it was nothing—that he just felt responsible for her because of that weird clause in her contract. She really should have read it more thoroughly before she signed! But it was pure, protective Daddy Dom behavior and she couldn’t help feeling like she might have stepped into a fairytale by mistake somehow as she held his big hand and followed him to his car—which was actually a Kindred ship that converted to drive on the Earth roads.