Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Curiosity piqued, I rise from the chair and pad to where the object is set up by a stone baluster before running my fingers over the sleek black metal. Even though money isn’t an issue for the Rothchilds, this is an expensive model, designed for advanced astronomers. It looks shiny and brand new without a scratch on it.
At no time in the past month has Kingsley ever mentioned an interest in the solar system. In fact, when we’ve been in the backyard, I’ve always gotten the distinct impression he didn’t know anything about astronomy.
For a split second, I consider the possibility that Kingsley bought this for me before dismissing it with a bitter laugh. He’s gone out of his way to make it clear that he can’t stand the sight of me. If I had to guess, I’d say that his new mission in life is to make mine miserable. So far, he’s succeeding with flying colors. This kind of generous action doesn’t fit in with that modius operandi. So, obviously, it was here last night, and I overlooked it.
It was dark.
I was upset.
It’s easily explained away.
Unable to help myself, I remove the lens cap and gaze through the eyepiece. The sky isn’t nearly dark enough to see properly. I’ll return later this evening for a look. It’s the splash of water from below that has me straightening to my full height before peeking over the railing.
My breath gets wedged in my throat when I find Kingsley arrowing from one end of the pool to the other. His muscular arms surge from the water as his feet propel him forward. The sinewy strength of his back flexes and shifts as he moves easily through the clear liquid. Even though there’s a distinct chill to the air, I imagine that his pool, much like our own, is heated.
As he reaches the wall, he flips over gracefully before pushing off the tiled edge and shooting forward. My fingers bite into the stone railing as I watch him swim from one end to the other. There’s something captivating about his athletic prowess.
He really is the perfect male specimen.
Broad shoulders, powerful chest, and a tapered waist. Is it any wonder I fell so hard for the guy? The first time I saw him was like a punch to the gut. I don’t think I ever fully recovered from that.
With him unaware of my perusal, I’m free to eat him up with my eyes. Even after everything that has happened between us, I find myself incapable of looking away. I’m mesmerized by the sight of him.
Once he finishes with his laps, he rises to his feet in the shallow end. Water sluices off his half-naked body and my mouth turns bone-dry as I stare. The muscles of his biceps bunch as he raises his arms, plowing strong fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face. His movements have my belly hollowing out. The attraction that pounds through me is undeniable. Much to my consternation, there isn’t a switch to flip off.
It would be so much easier if there were.
Before I can consider backing away and disappearing into the shadows, his face lifts, gaze skewering mine. A shiver of desire explodes in my core and I squeeze my thighs together to extinguish it.
He remains still. We both do as the moment stretches and lengthens until sexual tension dances in the air. It would be one thing if it were only lust filling his eyes, but hatred and distrust flood through them. It’s the last two emotions that crack my heart wide open. Silently I back away from the railing, breaking the connection before gathering up my books and disappearing inside to the relative safety of my room.
Chapter Twenty-Two
It’s the scrape of sharp teeth against my aching clit that has a moan escaping from my mouth as I twist restlessly against the sheets. My fingers tunnel through thick hair, holding him in place as his tongue dances across my core. Pleasure suffuses every cell of my being as my body tightens, searching for release.
“Please,” I whimper, arching against his seeking mouth.
“Tell me what you want.”
It’s those husky words that have me hurtling to the surface from what I assumed was a dream. My eyelids flutter open and in the shadowy darkness of the room, I realize Kingsley’s head is buried between my thighs. Unable to help myself, my fingers tighten around him, digging into his scalp. If I were thinking clearly, I would shove him away. But how can I do that when so much pleasure is crashing around inside me? Before I was even conscious, he stripped away all of my resistance.
It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.
When it comes to Kingsley, I am totally and completely at his mercy.
And he has none.