Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
"Alaric," I groan. "Please." He's going to wreck me, minutes before we meet my stepdad.
"Come all over my fingers, December," he growls. "I want to feel it." His thumb grinds against my clit, his fingers curling up to stroke my g-spot. "Don't fight me, sweet girl. Give me what I want."
I do. God, I do. I shatter around his fingers, wailing his name as bright lights explode behind my eyelids in a whirling kaleidoscope of color. Reality spins away, leaving me floating in euphoria where it's safe and warm and he's the only thing that exists.
"Good girl," he whispers, crooning to me through the haze. "Fuck, you make that look so good." His lips run across my face, raining adoring kisses upon my skin as he holds me close.
"Alaric?" I mumble.
"Yeah, angel?"
"Can I spend Christmas with you?"
"You're spending all your Christmases with me from now on, sweet December," he says, pressing his lips to my temple.
"Okay."
He scoops me up, carrying me through Ruby's office into his. I rest my head on his shoulder, enjoying the last few minutes of peace while they last. They don't last long. We barely make it through his office door when the elevator is recalled.
Cory is here.
My eyes spring open, anxiety shooting through me.
"Hey." Alaric places his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. "You're mine to protect now, angel. It doesn't matter what he says or what he thinks. He doesn't get to treat you like shit anymore. I won't allow it."
"You're going to slay dragons for me." My smile wobbles.
"You're going to slay this one yourself, angel." He bumps his forehead against mine, giving me a reassuring smile. "You can do it. And when you're done, I'm taking you away for Christmas." His hand slips between our bodies, splaying across my stomach. "You still owe me a gift."
Chapter Fourteen
Alaric
Cory Rhett is a perfectly coiffed, urbane son of a bitch. Even at nine in the morning on a Sunday, he strolls in wearing a three-piece suit, looking camera ready.
"Parrish," he says, his hard green eyes narrowing on the way I'm holding his stepdaughter. As if he has any say here. His expression softens incrementally when he looks December over. He feels some softer emotion for her, at least.
"Hi, Cory," December whispers.
"December," he says.
Silence stretches out between them for a moment, and then Cory curses under his breath.
"What happened, December?" he asks.
"Wrong question," I growl. "What you should be asking her is if she's okay."
"Of course she's okay. She's right there," he says, waving a hand in her direction.
She cowers into me, and I seriously rethink my decision not to smash my fist into his face.
"Yeah, she is right here, you ignorant dick," I snap, placing a reassuring hand on her back. "And twelve hours ago, she was hiding in a fucking warehouse, terrified out of her mind, while three men in masks robbed the place."
He grimaces at the reminder, his lips compressing into a thin line. "She shouldn't have been there. Jillian was supposed to be interning for you, not her."
"Jillian only applied because you told me no," she mumbles.
"What?"
She takes a breath and pulls away from me to face him. "I said Jillian only applied because you told me no," she repeats. "She never had any intention of interning. She filled out the application because she knew you'd write a recommendation for her even though you wouldn't write one for me."
"Well, I…."
"It's what you always do," December says, holding his gaze. "This was my dream, not hers. So she made sure that I had a chance because you wouldn't. Your dreams were always more important to you than mine."
"That's not true, December."
"Yes, it is." She gives him a sad smile. "You kept me when my mom died, and I'll always appreciate you for that, but you've made it more than clear that I'm not your real daughter and that I'm not family. I've always been an embarrassment to you."
"December."
"I spent years trying to be good enough and to make you proud. But I've never felt like I was enough for you. I've always been too clumsy or too awkward or said all the wrong things. I've always felt like a burden you only kept around because you felt like you owed it to my mom." She blows out a breath. "I'm not trying anymore, Cory. If I'm not good enough to be your daughter as I am, then I don't want to be your daughter anymore."
Fuck, she's incredible. She says it calmly, with her head held high. Her voice doesn't waver or shake. She doesn't back down or flinch. She tells him exactly what she needs to say, exactly what she deserves to say, and I'm in awe of her for it. She has no idea how strong she is, or how brave. It's easy to stand your ground when it's someone who doesn't matter. But when it's someone you've always idolized, it's a whole different ballgame. And she does idolize this man. She's spent her whole life trying to measure up to his standards, to be good enough for him.