Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“You’d be surprised.” I gesture at the depressing bar. “These are my clientele.”
She snort-laughs again, shaking her head, and sips her wine. The hooker gaffe seems to be behind me and I launch into some easy small talk with no small amount of flirting. Dante ignores me and watches the game while I ask about where she lives, how the insurance business is going, that sort of thing. After a second drink, Dante announces that he has an actual job in the morning.
“Don’t stay out too late,” he says, squeezing my shoulder. “Business to deal with tomorrow.”
“Always more rich men in need of a good canvas,” I say with an exaggerated sigh.
Dante shakes his head and leaves.
“He doesn’t seem as committed to art as you are.”
I offer her another drink, but she turns me down. “He’s in it for the money.”
“What are you in it for?”
“The love of beauty. Which is why I’m chatting with you.” I toss her a cocky smirk because I know I’m being absurd, and I want her to know that I know.
She groans and covers her face. “Oh, god. That was bad.”
“No, you loved it. You’re blushing.”
“It was the worst line I’ve ever heard.”
“And yet you’re smiling. That’s usually a good sign.”
She considers me. I like the way she meets my stare even when I’m being inappropriate. It’s like she’s nervous, but she refuses to let herself show it, and that’s a kind of strength not many people have. There’s a hardness to her on the outside, a toughness in contrast to her creamy skin and her soft lips. She’s been through some shit. I know, because I’ve been through some shit, too.
“How about this?” Her voice is gentle now and her smile’s gone. “If you promise to keep pretending, and you don’t ask me what I really do for a living, maybe I’ll let you take me home.” She leans closer. “And I promise, I won’t make you pay.”
My heart races into my throat. Since when the fuck did I get nervous to bring a girl back to my place? I’ve been doing this my whole life. Women don’t get me excited like this. I’ve fucked my way through every decent-looking girl in the Rossi territory, and this redhead shouldn’t make me bat an eye.
Except she does. It’s the way she licks her lips. It’s the dress, the cross necklace, the understated makeup, the thick auburn hair. It’s the way I keep wanting to lean closer and brush my hand over her smooth thigh.
It’s also the way she plays along. The hooker mix-up wasn’t great, and she should’ve stormed out of here, but she didn’t. Instead, she’s easy to talk to, the flirting is effortless and fun, and I like joking around with her.
I wasn’t kidding when I said she looked like a problem.
Only it’s a problem I want in my life.
At least for tonight.
“I can do that,” I tell her. I brush my fingers across her knee. She stiffens and her lips part as I move them up her thigh. Fuck, her skin is smooth. My cock pulses with ache. “We’ll spend some time together tonight, and tomorrow morning, you’ll have to get up early to make it into the office. Your boss might be pissed if you’re late, and he won’t accept ‘getting fucked senseless’ as a reasonable excuse.”
She breathes sharply through her nose. My fingers stop at the edge of her dress, far up her thigh. My pulse hammers in my throat, and I’m waiting for her to make the choice. Brush my hand away and end this now, or play along and confirm that she wants this as much as I do.
A beat passes. Another. The anticipation is brutal. I want to lick her lips and suck her teeth. I want her to tell me a bunch of pretty lies while I make her come.
“You’re right, my boss won’t like that,” she whispers. “He’s very strict with me.”
“Then we should get out of here.” I press my palm onto her leg. She still doesn’t push it away. “Are you ready?”
She nods once. Her big, pretty eyes look a mix between startled and excited. “Let’s go.”
I pay the bartender. Molly adjusts her dress once she’s on her feet. I let her walk ahead of me and glance down at her fantastic ass. Fucking hell, this girl is incredible. I didn’t expect this when we came into the Sterling Duck—we were only going to stake our claim and let the locals see us.
Instead, I found the most gorgeous girl in the whole damn city, and I’m going to very much enjoy this fantasy we’re building together.
Chapter 3
Molly
I’m going to puke. I’m so nervous I could scream. Everything’s going wrong—or right—or I don’t know what.
Saul’s exactly the kind of guy I wanted to find tonight. No, he’s even better—the Irish thugs I expected don’t have a quarter of the money he’s wearing right there on his freaking wrist.