Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 53764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Heat slammed his guts as she repeated his words and unknowingly turned them into an accidental innuendo. He couldn't stop himself; he had to test her. "You even know how to make it good?"
Her eyes widened and her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "Pay--pay you back," she stuttered.
Marco fought his arousal as he studied her. She had understood his innuendo, and chose to ignore it. It said a few things about her. It said she wasn't looking to work off the debt on her back, so to speak, and it meant that if she reacted as she had at twenty-four-years old, she probably wasn't overly experienced.
He didn't know whether he was pleased or disappointed. There was a woman he slept with occasionally, and Tanya liked to think of herself as his girlfriend, although he didn't see her as such--not even close. She'd been wearing on his nerves lately, becoming more and more demanding, and he knew that before too much longer she was going to slide past her expiration date. In fact, she was already there. He didn't think getting rid of her would be easy; she'd probably go kicking and screaming. But she didn't live with him, no woman ever had, and when he was ready, it wouldn't take long to expel her completely from his life.
He didn't imagine for even a minute that this girl would have what it would take to hold his attention for long--no woman ever had and he didn't think she'd be an exception. She sure as shit wouldn't fit into his world, his--casual and depraved world--and he suddenly knew that he wasn't ruthless enough to expose her to it--in fact, he was feeling a roiling anger in his gut at the thought of her obvious innocence being spoiled. But there was something very compelling about her, something that was electrifying his insides, something that wouldn't allow him to let her drive off and leave. He could afford to, certainly. He didn't need her money or her insurance; getting his car repaired would be a nuisance at most. But he didn't want to let her off the hook. Call him misguided or even a bit evil, but there was something about her and the raging erection she had induced that was making him act out of the ordinary and even though he recognized it, he didn't try to fight against it.
He wanted to get things settled with her and needed to know her situation. "You live in Vidor?" He named the town he'd read on her driver's license.
"Not anymore. My mom and her boyfriend live there still, but I'm using my cousin's couch while I try to get a job here." Here, of course, meant Houston, and now he knew she had no insurance, no income, and probably no money of any kind to repair the damage she had caused.
"So how, exactly, do you propose working this out?" he asked stiltedly, referring to her previous offer.
"I can make payments to you as soon as I get a job," she offered quickly.
Marco took a deep breath and looked toward the heavens in disgust. She must have interpreted his annoyance to mean an imminent phone call to the police, because she began speaking again in a rush, trying to appease him. "In the meantime--I can clean your house--do your laundry. I could even cook meals and freeze them for you--you know, instead of money?"
Her voice was soft and frantic, and sexual heat filled him from her nervous appeal. A vision of her in his home, cleaning for him and trying to keep him happy, hit him between the eyes and hard, in the groin. Oh, yeah. He was a sick bastard. "Domestic help as restitution?"
"Yes." Her eyes held his for the count of two seconds and then dropped to the ground.
He continued to look her over while he debated the idea. The suggestion would certainly keep her in his radius; that was for certain. He tried like fuck to ignore the incendiary heat throbbing in his pants that demanded he agree at once, but it wasn't working. He had a cleaning service that came in once a week and was scheduled for the next day. After six days since the last visit, his place was a mess as usual. He quickly made up his mind to cancel the service, and lock her in to the offer before he talked himself out of it. "You'll have to start today. If you're serious about this, and you don't want the police involved--" Going to Hell, Donati-- "you'll need to prove it by starting today. I've got plans for the weekend and my place needs to shine. You understand?"
"Yes. Okay, but--"
"You really aren't in a situation to start with the 'buts', Natalie."
She licked her lips. "I know, it's just that--"