Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Time bends and blurs until I snap the final piece into place.
I stare at the completed picture and smile a little before leaning back on the sofa, sinking into the cushions. Finally, I glance over at Caius.
His dark eyes are narrowed, but his features give nothing away. I flick my gaze over to Theo. He’s a little more expressive. His eyebrows are lifted in surprise and his full lips slightly parted.
“What?” I ask, glowering at him. “Why are you looking at me like I’m a freak?”
Theo snorts. “You kind of are a freak. I mean, seriously, who the hell puts together a five-hundred-piece puzzle that quickly?”
“It was easy,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. “It’s just a puzzle.”
Theo, no longer wearing his coat and beanie, leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees as though to study me close up. Like I’m some sort of zoo animal. I bare my teeth at him. He laughs.
Asshole.
“Theo is going to have dinner with you this evening,” Caius says to me. “I have a meeting in the city. I’ll only be gone a few hours.”
In other words, Theo is going to be my babysitter.
“What city?” I ask as I start breaking down the puzzle. “Maybe I could go along with you.”
Theo chuckles again, clearly delighted by everything I do and say.
“You know I don’t talk business with you, little girl,” Caius clips out, tone bitter and cold. “Be good while I’m gone.”
He may have moved all my things into his home and forged some pictures of us together, but I know for a fact I’d never date a man like him. Ever. And, despite this whole production he’s put on, I’m clearly not Caius’s type either because he treats me with such blatant disdain.
“Bye, sweetheart,” I say with sugary sweetness. “Hope your car doesn’t hit black ice and run you off a cliff.”
Theo cackles and slaps his knee. At least someone’s enjoying this.
I slam the lid back onto the box and rise to my feet. When I start for the game room, Caius blocks my path. Then, with surprising speed, he grabs hold of my chin and tilts it up so I’m staring up at him.
His lips brush over mine—cold and firm—and then he’s gone.
Was that supposed to be a kiss goodbye?
I glower after him as he descends the stairs, using the back of my sleeve to wipe his chilly kiss from my lips.
Needing to get away, I rush into the room to replace the puzzle box. When I turn around, Theo is leaning against the doorframe.
“Does your arm hurt?” I ask, hands on hips. “I hope it gets infected.”
His lips curl into a wolfish grin and his eyes twinkle. “You’re fun when you’re not…”
He trails off and the humor is wiped from his face. I think he wanted to say, “drugged,” but then that doesn’t play into their new game of how I live here and Caius is my boyfriend.
Caius is difficult to read, but Theo doesn’t play this game as well. I wonder if I could use that to my advantage.
“I had a dream you kidnapped me,” I say as I turn from him to look for a puzzle that has at least a thousand pieces. “Weird, huh?”
“So weird.”
“How long have me and Caius been together?”
He pauses for a moment and then utters, “Like I know. I’m not a chick. I don’t keep up with dates and shit.”
If I were anywhere else with anyone else, I’d believe the typical guy answer. But I’m not anywhere else with anyone else. He’s a Crowne and they’re slippery as snakes.
“Does he love me?” I ask, trying a different tactic. I glance over my shoulder and give him my best puppy dog look. “It doesn’t feel like it.”
Theo studies me for a beat and then looks away. “As much as Caius can love anyone.”
Another stupid answer.
“Where did we meet?”
“San Francisco,” Theo answers as he walks over to a small bar in the corner. “A charity CUP event.”
I want to roll my eyes. That CUP event is when I fell onto the Crowne radar and Theo subsequently took me.
“Hey,” Theo says, turning to face me, shaking a bottle of liquor. “Want to get wasted and forget about this whole day?”
Getting drunk with the man who stole me sounds like a terrible idea.
However, if I can get him drunk enough to spill some secrets, maybe I have a better chance of getting out of here.
A smile tugs at my lips. “Would my beloved boyfriend approve?”
“Nope.” Theo’s grin is wicked. “He’s a stiff.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
Game on, Theo.
Romy
The last time I accepted a drink from Theo, I ended up in a nightmare. Now that I’m already in the nightmare, how much worse could it get?
“Why aren’t you dating anyone?” I blurt out before taking a swig of the alcohol.