Total pages in book: 224
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
He arches a brow, and I can feel my cheeks heat. He’s thinking about the cuffs. Or I’m thinking about the cuffs.
“And where will you be when I leave?” he asks.
“Most likely in my office working.” I glance at Gabe to find him watching me with a cunning stare and intelligent eyes, certainly sensing this push and pull between me and Reid.
“You did good in there tonight.”
“Thank you,” I say, “but we’ll see how true that is based on how they all handle tomorrow.” I glance between them but damn it, I’m pulled into Reid’s magnetic stare again. “I’ll leave you two to work.”
“I’ll walk with you,” Gabe offers.
“No, you won’t,” Reid states, giving Gabe a hard look before his eyes find mine. “Go back to your office, Carrie.” It’s an order and in his stare there is possessiveness, intense, fierce possessiveness. It overwhelms me. It consumes me.
And this time I take his command for two reasons: a) I’m suffocating in all that is this man, and b) I have no desire to start trouble between him and Gabe, which is where I believe this could lead. Someone else might see that as an opportunity, but I do not. I don’t wish that sibling divide I have with my brother on them. I, in fact, envy that they work together and obviously well.
I nod at him and then at Gabe and exit the office. They are silent in my departure, no doubt by intent, and I cross the lobby quickly entering my office to sit down. Reid was possessive, and Lord help me, on a pure female level I know what it’s like to be touched by that man like he owns me. My body says, oh yes, more, but my mind warns me to tread cautiously, to set boundaries.
I grab my phone and send Reid a text message: In case you think me taking that order means you now own me, you do not. It means I have more manners than you.
His reply is instant and yet another command: Don’t leave without me. I have something for you.
Damn him, I could assume that means about ten things, including his mouth on my body, and he knows it. He means to make me squirm and it worked.
Chapter eleven
Carrie
An hour after Reid’s text telling me he has something for me, I’m sitting at my desk when Gabe appears in the doorway, looking as devastatingly handsome as his brother, with one variance: he actually smiles. No, two differences. I don’t think Gabe hates me. I should want him, not Reid, but that’s just now how I work, apparently. Instead I want the man who tortures me, taunts me, and in general, infuriates me. “You really were amazing in that meeting tonight,” he says.
“Thank you,” I say. “I appreciate that. I was—am, actually—concerned about how the staff will handle all of this.”
“You’ll get them through it,” he assures me. “And I also meant it when I said you can come to me if you need anything. However,” he pauses for impact, “it’s clear that would not please my brother.”
“That was pretty evident,” I say and cringe even as his eyes light.
“Then you did hear our conversation,” he concludes.
“Does he know?”
“Not unless you tell him like you just did me and from what I can tell, you hold your own with him.” He winks. “Goodnight.” He disappears around the corner, leaving me smiling with that comment over any other. I do hold my own. I cuffed the man and left him.
Reid appears in my doorway and he all but scowls at my smile. “I take it you like my brother.”
“He doesn’t seem quite as obnoxious as you,” I comment. “I do, however, prefer you over him at this point.”
“Do you now?”
“Yes, I do, because while I’d never let my guard down with either of you,” I say, despite being a little guilty of that with Gabe just now, “I prefer the brother that is what he is, without taking any prisoners.”
“You think Gabe’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” he states.
“I know he is,” I assure him.
“And that makes me what?”
“A wolf in handcuffs.”
He gives me a deadpan stare. I laugh. “That was funny,” I say. “You know it was. You opened yourself up for it. You wouldn’t even respect me if I didn’t take the opening.”
His lips quirk with a hint of what might be a smile. “Let’s leave for the night. I’ll walk down with you.”
That gets my attention and my rejection. I do not want to be in an elevator with this man simply because I want to be in an elevator with this man. “I’m going to stay.”
“No,” he says. “You’re going to walk down with me.”
“Back to bossing me around?”
His eyes burn into mine. “I’m not leaving without you, Carrie.” He says my name in a low, seductive way, a hint of the same burn in his eyes as in his tone.