Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
She found the sign for the bar and made her way toward it.
From all the years of moving around with her father, she owned a fake ID, and Caleb hadn’t taken it from her. She took a seat at the bar and ordered herself a drink. When the barman asked for ID, she showed it to him, and he nodded.
Licking her lips, she glanced around the bar. The low music had a seductive quality to it.
Tapping her foot on the base of her chair, she watched several couples on the dance floor. The way they were touching was intoxicating. The air was heavy with sex and something else; promise, maybe.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Caleb said.
She glanced over her shoulder, and he stood close to her.
“I’ve been out of my room … twenty minutes and you’re back.”
“I want you to go back to our room.”
She shook her head. “I’m bored there, Caleb. I don’t mind being here, but I’m not going to wait around for you. I’m content to just sit here, have a drink, and relax. I’ll wait for you here.”
“I prefer you to stay there.”
She spun around in her chair. “Why bring me if all I’m going to do is stay there, Caleb? I may as well be back in your home weeding the damn garden.” Her anger spiked. She didn’t mind following him around so long as she was able to do something else.
“I’ve got work to do here.”
“And I’m bored. I’m not stopping you from doing whatever it is you’re doing. You didn’t have to come back.”
He grabbed her hand and led her onto the dance floor. His hands moved to her hips, and began to sway. She stayed perfectly still, waiting.
“You don’t want to dance with me?”
“I don’t want you to manipulate me into getting what you want, so I’m going to stay perfectly still.”
“You’re so cute when you’re being stubborn,” he said.
She rested her hands on his shoulders and shook her head. “I’m not doing this.”
Pulling out of his arms, she walked away, throwing some bills down onto the bar before leaving without even drinking.
She didn’t go back toward her room.
Instead, she walked out of the hotel and completely disregarded her own advice.
“What the hell?” Caleb said, grabbing her arm and dragging her into the nearest alley. “This is fucking dangerous.”
She pulled the gun out of the back of her jeans and pointed it at him. “I know how dangerous life can be, Caleb. I’ve lived it. I’ve got constant proof of how bad it can get.” She pointed at her face. “Don’t treat me like a child. Don’t treat me like you’re afraid to break me. I get it. You’re a bad man, and you do bad things. You kill people. I don’t care. I’m here and I’m not going to do anything stupid, but I think you need to take this gun, and right now, I want to go back inside to that bar. I’m going to sit there and drink, and I’ll wait for you to be done. Is that okay?”
What the hell are you doing?
“I’ve never had a chick that I’m fucking pull a gun on me before,” Caleb said, taking the gun.
“And?”
“It’s kind of hot.”
“Only someone like you would find a gun being pulled on you kind of hot. I’m freaked out.”
She went to walk away, but Caleb pulled her close. He cupped her cheek and tilted her head back. “I only want you to be safe.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I’d never forgive myself in anything was to happen to you,” he said.
It was the first time that they’d spoken about feelings. If he couldn’t forgive himself, didn’t that mean he cared about her?
Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she patted his chest. “I’ll be waiting for you to dance with me.”
She pulled away and made her way back into the bar.
This time, she ordered a stiff drink to help calm herself down.
Chapter Nine
When Caleb had gotten the call about what Faith had done, he’d been pissed. He’d immediately turned around, found her, and was going to force her back to their hotel room. Once she pulled the gun on him, however, something changed.
He realized that he couldn’t keep her contained where he wanted. That’s not what he wanted for either of them. He didn’t know what was going on between the two of them. They were fucking and he enjoyed her company, but there was something else.
“Please, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
He stared at the man he had tied to a chair. Caleb liked tying men to chairs. It kept them … grounded. He could circle them and think. Only right now he wasn’t thinking about the million different ways he could hurt this man.
His thoughts were on his black-haired woman, Faith.
She didn’t have a problem with what he did.