Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
I smiled. “Tickets are expensive, and I barely make fifty thousand dollars a year.”
His eye twitched. “Teachers are severely underpaid.”
“They are,” I confirmed, then hesitantly asked, “What next, Shasha?”
“Next.” He caught my hand. “We see where this goes.”
With that, he pulled me into his body and kissed me.
By the time we were in my apartment, I fully expected him to lose control once again, but this time he was careful.
So careful he even remembered a condom.
And I knew in that moment we’d have to figure something out, because I didn’t want anything else between us ever again.
He made sweet love to me.
So slow, yet so powerful.
When we were done, and I was a replete mess on the bed, he called in a Chinese food order and tugged me into his side.
“Since we’re doing this, I’m going to need to lay some ground rules,” he said after laying the phone down on the bed beside us. “You’re not allowed to be alone with that motherfucker ever again.”
I snorted and rolled, standing up beside the bed. “Which motherfucker? Because there are a lot of them.”
His eyes lazily took me in, and I felt like I was on top of the world.
“Your ex,” he grumbled darkly.
“Trust me when I say that’s the last thing I ever want to do,” answered Brecken.
“Now, let’s go over bodyguards.”
And we did.
I went to the bathroom and cleaned up before coming back out semi-dressed in a tee and sleep shorts, no bra or underwear.
He’d somehow miraculously produced a pair of sweatpants that I hadn’t seen before now, and I felt my heart do a somersault in my chest at the sight of him in that gray lingerie for men.
The Chinese food came.
We ate.
I, of course, ate normally. Because why would I tell him that I had a dairy intolerance that would make me projectile shit in about an hour when I was trying to seem normal?
As we ate, we talked about how, if things progressed further between us, I would be expected to have a bodyguard because his life was dangerous and dangerous people liked to lash out at the people that mattered to him the most.
He then told me the story of his young sister, and the way she held back the other day when I’d seen her at the coffee shop made sense.
Kidnapped.
Hell, that was awful.
I couldn’t imagine the pain and guilt their entire family felt over the years, wondering if their little sister was alive.
“I’ll concede to a guard if and when we take this to the next step,” I admitted. “Also, not at school. That won’t work.”
“Not at school.” He nodded. “The security there is pretty tight.” He studied me. “It’s an inevitability. You will get targeted. I need you to let your family know that you’re with me. I don’t want them thinking that I’m dragging you into my sin den when you’re very willingly wanting to be there.”
I grinned. “Sin den?”
“Whatever,” he sighed. “Dima said it earlier, and it fit.”
“Everyone knows about me?” I asked.
“If by everyone you mean my men and my family, yes.” He sighed again. “Are you interested in coming to family dinner on Sunday?”
I smiled at him. “As long as you’ll come to mine on Saturday.”
His left eye twitched. “I guess so.”
I snickered. “My brothers are great, you’re not going to have any issues, I promise.”
“I highly doubt that,” he said, then leaned back into the couch before saying, “Before you fully agree, you should know a few things.”
“Okay, hit me.” I clapped.
“I had some issues in Houston. That’s why I was there,” he started.
“I kind of figured that when you were asking all those questions,” I said. “Your friend, Cayden.”
“My friend Cayden went missing because of your friend, Viveka,” he said. “And partially because of me. See, Gabriel Stone, Viveka’s husband, put two and two together and realized that I was who had his child. He went to Cayden, in Houston and asked him for help with getting her, the baby, back from me. And possibly killing me while they were at it. When Cayden refused, he was taken prisoner and tortured on a cruise ship for days. That was what I was doing when you came in that day, getting information. We were able to rescue Cayden. Cayden informed me this morning that you are on Gabriel Stone’s suspect list. He thinks you might be able to tell him where the baby is.”
“Great,” I sighed. “And I’m guessing that means that I’m in danger.”
“Not if you stay with me,” he countered.
“I can’t stay with you twenty-four-seven,” I grumbled.
“Hence the bodyguard,” he said. “Until I can get rid of this Gabriel Stone, you’ll have twenty-four-hour protection.”
“How’s that going to work at school?” I asked. “They can stay outside.”
“We’ve already pointed out that the school is secure, so you’re good on that one. During the school day, he’ll sit in the car. When you leave, and if I’m not with you, he’ll be with you.”