Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 151765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 759(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 506(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 759(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 506(@300wpm)
His face tightened. The old mask was going to fall in place.
I said before it could, “To me. Why’d you come to me? Why’d you need to feel good tonight?”
He stilled before his eyes found mine.
He hadn’t totally locked down. I was still getting a little window to him, a small one.
I said quietly, “You know all of my bad shit. You put yourself in all of my bad shit.”
He tensed before some of his rigidness softened. “My family’s wealthy.”
Now I stilled. “What?”
“Really wealthy. Carby’s, we own that.”
Wait. What? “The local one—”
He shook his head, not looking at me. “Not the local one. The whole thing.”
Oh.
He was talking about . . . I pushed myself up, staring down at him. “The global franchise? The whole thing?”
His eyes had gone back to being stark as they met mine. “The whole thing. My grandfather started it.”
My mouth was hanging open. I was trying to close it. Trying, but failing. “Whoa.”
He snorted. “When I say that my grandfather is a narcissist dictator asshole, that’s being kind.”
I lowered back down, still stunned. “Your grandfather owns Carby’s.” The way the staff acted with him the other day, the executives in the back, how he reacted, getting us out of there as fast as possible. It was making sense.
Some of it.
“Wait. Who knows this about you?”
“No one. Well, one of those suits works for my family. The local staff never knew, but how they looked at me, I’m sure Richard said something about me being here. I can’t go there anymore.”
I twisted to face him, laying on my side. His hand moved to my hip and began tracing circles there. I asked, “No one else knows?”
He shook his head. “My uncle, but that’s a whole other story.”
“Cohen?”
He shook his head again. “I know Cohen and Amalia because my uncle and their uncle were in the military together. They’re best friends—or, more like brothers. I’d come out to visit my uncle every summer when he left and settled here. I feel like I’ve known them all my life, but no. They don’t know this about me.”
“But how? Your last name—”
“I have my dad’s last name, who I don’t have a relationship with, and I don’t want to get into that either. You’re lucky with the family you have. Your cousins. Your aunt and uncle. Your mom. You guys love each other and you don’t make plays to try to ruin the other person’s life in order to make them heed and do what you want. That’s the shit that happens with my family. Saying they’re powerful, privileged, and cutthroat wolves is an insult to wolves.” He went back to looking at the room, which felt smaller suddenly. “I got a notice that my grandfather wants me to do something, and I’m not going to do it.”
“What will happen?”
He let out a long sigh. “Nothing good.”
I could see the weight crushing him, and I wanted to push it away. I wanted to help keep it away. “Hey.”
He looked my way.
I took his hand, rolled to my back, and pulled him with me.
He settled over me, his eyes falling to my mouth.
I reached up for him, sliding my hand up his chest, opening my legs so he could fit better between them, and as he did, as we both felt his cock come in contact with me, we both groaned.
I tipped my mouth up, whispering, “Let’s feel good again.”
He groaned, answering me and he was thrusting inside of me soon after.
As he was moving in me, I knew this night had changed things.
55
RAMSAY
I woke the next morning entangled in Scout’s limbs—me in my tank and underwear and him in his boxers. His chest was pressed against my back, and one of his arms hugged my waist.
I registered that first.
Then I registered that it was fully sunny outside.
Then I registered the clock. Nine twenty-three AM.
I bolted upright. “Oh shit!”
Scout yawned, sitting up at a much more leisurely pace.
It wasn’t fast enough for me.
I jumped up and ran around him, my finger to my mouth because ohmygodohmygod, I didn’t want to get into this sort of trouble with her. A boy in my bed? Sleeping over? When she did so many doubles? I was an ungrateful daughter, sneaking a guy in when my mom was literally breaking her back for me.
I had the belated thought that I needed to get a job. I needed to help her out.
“My mom,” I hissed to Scout.
He nodded as he reached for his pants. He was pulling them on as I slipped out of the room and tiptoed downstairs. I heard a fan buzzing from Mom’s room as I passed, but I needed to make sure.
Her purse was on the counter. She’d come home. There was a note.
Hey, honey. I have the weekend off. Let’s go to a movie tonight. You pick! Love you so much - Mom