Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Yet, I’m all in with this woman, so I’ll do whatever I need to impress her father.
All I know of the man is he’s mayor of the small town of Harmony, Texas, and we’re meeting him at a country club on a golf course. A place I can honestly say I’ve never visited in my life.
“Am I dressed ok?” I ask Dakota. The black slacks and matching dress shirt I picked up in town seem foreign on my body.
“You look devastatingly handsome. Don’t be so nervous. My father’s up for re-election, so he won’t make a scene.”
I know her words are supposed to put me at ease, but they do the opposite.
She’s dressed in a red dress that flows to her knees and sexy heels that make me want to bow at her feet. I don’t know how she is expecting me to keep my hands off her.
My revenge, the reason I’m in town, gets put on the back burner tonight. So I can meet Dakota’s father and someday marry her. Yep, marriage. Like I said, I’m all in with her.
She gives me a sweet kiss and hands me a long scrap of material.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a tie. Let me help.” She moves the fabric around my neck and starts fiddling with it to tie it. “Haven’t you ever worn one of these before?”
“Yeah, I had court once. I put one on.”
She finishes and pats my chest. “There. You look so handsome.” She kisses my cheek, and I wonder if I’d have enough time to take her once more before we leave. I’m addicted.
“You ready?” she asks when I haven’t said a word in over a minute.
“Come here,” I say, and it’s every bit a demand.
She steps closer, wrapping her arms around my neck. “We need to go. Daddy hates tardiness.”
“You’re so beautiful,” I whisper against her lips before kissing her.
After a quick make-out session we head toward the country club in her SUV. Much too soon, the fancy brick and stone building comes into view. Columns flank the wide entrance where she pulls up to the valet. And it’s go time.
The host shows us to a table covered with white linen near the back of a dining room lit by glass chandeliers. Two men stand as we approach, and Dakota wraps her arms around the taller of the two.
As soon as their embrace is over, she walks the dark-haired man closer to me. He’s nearly the same age as me, but I pretend not to notice. Hopefully, he doesn’t either.
“Daddy, this is Ruin. Ruin, this is my father, Kevin Greer.” Dakota stares at the other man. “I’m sorry, I don’t know you.” She sticks out her hand to say hello to the one man I’ve been hunting.
Warner Joseph smiles his devilishly charmed smile, the one I’m sure he uses on his victims before he ends their life, and takes Dakota's tiny hand in his.
I tense at the sight.
He introduces himself, and then his eyes land on me. “Ruin Ryder? You’re from Diamond, Texas?” I see the wheels turning in his mind. He’s putting two and two together. “Nice to meet you.” He holds out his hand, and stares at me like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle.
I grab his slimy hand, gripping it with all my might. I’d love to bring this fucker to his knees. But I play the part of a civilized human being, even though right now I feel like I’m a beast waiting to be set free.
Dakota and her father don’t notice the exchange between Warner and me. I turn to Dakota’s father. “Hello, Kevin. Nice to meet you.”
Dakota beams as her father shakes my hand. “Let’s sit,” she says, motioning to the table behind us.
I pull out Dakota’s chair and push it in once her perfect ass has landed in the padded leather. I take the seat next to her and pick up the menu, pretending to look it over. But all I’m really thinking about is how long do I have to sit here and pretend like I don’t want to rip out the throat of the man sitting across from me?
The server stops by and after ordering dinner and drinks, Dakota’s father peers over his water glass at me. “Dakota tells me you're only in town for a short while.”
I nod, my eyes meeting Warner’s across the table. “Yeah, I have one thing to take care of, then I’ll be on my way back to Diamond.”
Kevin studies me. “What do you do over in Diamond?”
Dakota rests her hand on mine. “Ruin oversees a group of men who own a ranch.”
Technically, she’s not wrong.
“It’s a bit more complex than that,” I say. “But that’s the gist of it.”
Kevin listens, like he’s happy with what he’s hearing. “How long are you in town?”
“Through the weekend. I’m expecting things to move quicker now that I’ve found exactly what I’ve been looking for.” I keep my eyes trained on Warner. “What do you do, Warner?”