Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
My wife had never been on the wrong side of my temper before, not really. When we met and had what the press called a whirlwind romance, I’d treated her the way I always intended to treat the woman of my heart. With love, honor and respect. I’d been in the middle of putting the finishing touches on a boutique named after her when she pulled her disappearing act. It was supposed to be a surprise and everything had been set. It would’ve been a great escape for her I’d thought, something to keep her from obsessing about the pregnancy thing. Not that I thought a business could take the place of a child. But I thought until we made a baby together she would have something she loved to keep her occupied. The building was still sitting there unoccupied waiting for her to redecorate and fete out however she saw fit. I had merchants already chomping at the bit, just dying to do business with the wife of one of the wealthiest men in the city. Everything had been put on hold. And I’d had to face those people knowing that they knew all was not right in paradise. Like a fucking fool; the thought of it fucking burns me up. How the fuck did we get here? Where did we go wrong? Had it ben happening for a while and I just hadn’t seen it? Or was it really as sudden as just a few short weeks ago?
Chapter 7
That first night I held my silence as the other diners gave her praise and accolades. Some of them seemed to know her or of her, and were rather friendly towards her in general. Even the elder women seemed quite fond of her and I knew what a rarity that was. Women tended to be rather catty when it came to young stunningly beautiful women, no matter what financial bracket. I’d taken the time to study her without seeming to. It’s an art that I’d perfected for some time. Something I used in my business practices. I sized her up like prey; her exotic Mediterranean beauty was compelling. Unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Her olive toned skin coupled with black hair, the color of raven’s wings and her high cheekbones were perfection itself. But what caught me and held me spellbound were her eyes. They were the color of the Mediterranean. Wide spaced and almond shaped with that tilted shape at the ends. They captivated me when she finally turned them my way, just as I’m sure they held an appeal for every other man there.
“Hello, I don’t think we’ve met.” She held out her dainty hand for me to shake. It was soft and warm as I lifted it to my lips. I didn’t miss the inhalation of breath coming from my other side. I ignored Sabrina; that ship had sailed and it was through no fault of my own that she happened to be here the night I met the woman I was going to move heaven and earth to own.
“Pleased to meet you, I’m Gabe Stryker.”
“Hello Mr. Stryker, I’m Nadia Petronides. And did you enjoy the show as well?” She smiled brightly at me, not flirtatious, more like a genuine gesture between friendly strangers. Another rarity, most of the women here were on the prowl, at least the younger unmarried ones were. They were all looking for husbands with money to support their spending habits when daddy tightened the purse.
“Some aspects were very awe inspiring.” She blushed a pretty red brown as she lowered her head. The servers approached the table just then and placed our first course in front of us. I had no real interest in whatever it was they had to offer I just wanted to whisk her away somewhere and spend the rest of the night buried balls deep inside her. It was the first time since I’d first learned the pleasure to be had between a woman’s thighs that I’d reacted so strongly to someone.
For the next hour we exchanged inane small talk, as we took disinterested bites of our meals. This wasn’t the place or the time, too many ears and eyes. But I needed to get to know her in the worse way. I wanted to know everything there was to know about her. For the first time in my life I didn’t care if a woman was already attached or not. If there a man somewhere expecting her to come home. Just the idea of it made my gut hurt and I clenched my fists against the notion. No way in hell, she’s mine.
When the night was over and it was time to go, we lingered until the table was almost empty. Then we walked slowly towards the exit together, neither of us wanting to leave the other just yet.