Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 117443 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117443 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
He felt her nod. “Yes. Okay.”
“Good,” he replied, kissing the side of her head. “Those are for me and no one else.”
Hayley grinned. “Okay, Mr. Sullivan.”
He grinned back and shook his head. “Far too much sass.”
***********************
“Cute heels,” said Tex craning his neck out the open door to watch Hayley walk to the cab.
“Eyes front, soldier,” Chris replied, taking a soda out of the fridge.
Tex picked up his chopsticks. “Let me guess, Duke Poofy Pants has a secretary?”
Chris shook his head but grinned.
“Who’s Duke Poofy Pants?” asked Emilio.
“Character in a romance novel,” Hawk answered.
Emilio made a face. “Shit. I’d never let my woman read that shit. She don’t need anything but me.”
Everyone laughed. “Emilio,” said Tex. “You don’t have a woman. But if you ever do, you let ‘em read anything they want to read. Probably in your best interest anyway.”
Emilio snorted. “How do you figure?”
Tex grinned. “Because if you don’t, she’ll never come to your office wantin’ to play Naughty Secretary.”
Emilio’s mouth dropped open. “That’s what you were doin’ in there?” he asked Chris.
Chris rolled his eyes at the kid. “She brought me lunch, kid.”
“But on the couch?” Emilio asked. “I sit on that couch sometimes.”
Chris was about to respond when Tex said, “You don’t ask for details, kid. The details are none of your business. Just don’t bother the Boss Man when he’s behind a closed door with his old lady. That’s all you need to know.”
When they were alone Tex said, “So she’s gettin’ more comfortable.”
Chris nodded and took a swig of soda. “Finally getting some sass.” Tex smiled. “And today was all her, but she’s letting me initiate things more at home, too.”
“Well, good,” Tex replied, nodding. “She’s dressing better. Those were some lovely thighs.”
Chris glared at Tex but couldn’t maintain it. His face broke out into a grin. “God, I know.”
Chapter 28
Chris was lost in the best dream ever. Hayley was warm and soft beneath him, whispering his name over and over. His rock hard cock was grinding against her and she was squirming underneath him with anticipation. Just a little more teasing, his dreamself said, work her into a near frenzy of lust before-
The scream shattered the darkness. Chris’ blood ran cold and his eyes flew open. He was disoriented for a moment. Like his dream, Hayley was beneath him, his large frame covering hers and pressing her into the mattress. And like the dream, she was also writhing, but not because she was horny. Hayley was absolutely terrified.
Her eyes were wide and glassy with fear and she was having trouble catching her breath.
“Oh, my God,” Chris blurted out and shoved himself away from her. “Hayley. Hayley, baby, I’m so sorry!”
A spike of anxiety rose in him as she struggled desperately to get out of the twisted sheets. She was hyperventilating as well as choking back sobs. She stumbled out of bed and lurched for the bathroom door. She clawed at it, tearing it open, and flung herself inside, locking the door behind her. Chris laid his forehead against the wood and listened to her cry on the other side.
“I was asleep,” he told her. “I didn’t know. I just didn’t know.”
Hayley didn’t respond.
Chris left half an hour later after determining that at least she’d stopped crying. She wasn’t speaking to him through the door and he thought maybe the best thing to do was to just remove himself from the situation. He dressed quickly, locked the front door behind him, and headed to the garage.
Hawk was the first to arrive for work and did a double take at the dark circles under his lieutenant’s eyes and his surly demeanor. “What happened?”
Chris scowled and tossed a wrench into a metal toolbox. The clatter echoed through the bay. “I fucked up.”
Hawk snorted. “Not news.”
“No, I mean I really fucked up, David.”
Hawk tossed his jacket onto a stool. “How?” he said, more seriously.
“I was asleep,” Chris announced, repeating the same lame-ass excuse he’d given Hayley. “I was bone-ass tired from working and I was asleep and I....I fucked up.”
Hawk mulled this over. “How far did you get?” he finally asked.
“Had her underneath me. Pinning her down. Apparently she’d been trying to fight me off, but I didn’t know it. Scared the hell out of her.”
“But you didn’t take her.”
“No,” Chris confirmed. “It didn’t get that far. Thank God.”
“It’ll probably work out, then.”
“I can’t bank on probably,” Chris said wearily.
“It’ll just take some time,” the big Sioux declared. “Time. That’s all.”
So Chris did as his friend suggested, and took some time. Away from Hayley. The next day when she was at work, he packed up a few clothes, his razor, and his toothbrush, and camped out in the garage’s office. He sent Tex into Maria’s to let Hayley know where he’d be if she needed him. Tex reported that Hayley looked about as bad as Chris did.