Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Fuck,” he muttered, then placed his elbows on the table and leaned toward me. “I looked at you way longer than I should have. I even ran my hand between your thighs. Was that morally grey, yes. But you’re too damn tempting. I held your shorts to my fucking nose so I could smell you. When I finally got home and in the shower, I had to jerk one out, thinking about what I had wanted to do to you, but hadn’t.”
I sucked in air, realizing I had been holding my breath. Oh my God.
He picked up my fork and held it out to me. “I shouldn’t have told you that, but I can’t stand the idea of you thinking I didn’t enjoy the view. Now, eat.”
I reached out and took the fork, not sure I could eat. I was still struggling to take in oxygen properly. If I tried to eat right now, I would probably choke. Since he was watching me, I had no other choice. I gave the biscuit and gravy more attention than necessary as I used my fork to cut a piece off.
“Maeme mentioned you hadn’t been there to do laundry. Thought you might need a ride to the big house. I could take you to exchange your books too.”
I shook my head. “I washed my things in the tub yesterday and hung them out on the clothesline.”
The mention of my books reminded me that Sebastian and I never made it to his library. The margaritas had played a hand in that.
“Seriously? Why didn’t you call me or send me a text?”
I lifted my gaze back up to his and shrugged. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
He groaned, then leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Would you stop worrying about bothering me? Goddamn it, I gave you a phone for a reason.”
Explaining to him that I had been trained not to bother a man because of Hill was hard. I didn’t like admitting it. The more I was away from the life I had been living, the more my eyes were open to just how brainwashed I had been. Hill had changed me completely. He’d taken away my personality. I had lost a part of who I had been, and I didn’t know how or if I would get that back. I could very likely end up in prison.
“I will make a mental note of that,” I replied, then put a piece of biscuit and gravy in my mouth. If I ate, then perhaps he would leave. Having him watch me was making it difficult.
“You do that. And don’t hand-wash your clothes again. I’ll be fucking insulted.”
I nodded and continued to chew.
“About what you said last night,” he started, and I swallowed, then shook my head.
“No. We do not have to talk about that.”
He sighed, and then a small grin played on his lips. “You called me mean and accused me of hurting women. I explained it, but you were drunk, so I wanted to make sure you remembered it and understood things.”
I set my fork down beside my plate. “Yes, I understand. I’ve read Fifty Shades of Grey, like the rest of the world. It’s just…I guess, with what I’ve experienced, it makes that seem fictional to me. I never really considered people really liked that.”
A deep rumble came from his chest, and he cocked an eyebrow at me. “Not the rest of the world. For the record, I’ve not read it. But I did see the movies. And that isn’t exactly what I do. I don’t have a special playroom, and I don’t keep a submissive. That’s too much commitment and work.”
That confused me a little. I’d loved the books, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. They were better than the movies, but then that was always the case. The reason I had loved them was because of his commitment and the way he took care of her. He made it something I could understand her wanting. But if King wasn’t giving that to the females he did these things to, then why would they let him do it? Just because he was gorgeous?
“I can see your mind working over there. Ask me. Say it,” he coaxed.
I pressed my lips together for a minute and studied the table before meeting his gaze. “I was just trying to figure out what was in it for them. If you aren’t in a committed relationship and you don’t take care of them, protect them…” I trailed off, not able to find the right words to say this.
He smirked. “Not everyone is looking for a commitment. Some of them just enjoy sex that way. What you read is a romance novel. It’s not reality.”
No kidding. I’d already learned that men in books were better. The real kind let you down, betrayed you, hurt you. I much preferred the ones created from the mind of a female.