Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
I grin and shake my head before I realize that I am smiling and quickly shut it down. Too late though, because Cole spots it.
“See, that. The fuck is up with you man? You get your dick wet after that party last night or something?”
I’m out of my chair, hurtling across the room, and slamming my friend into the wall before I even process it. Red clouds my vision, and I can feel my muscles tense as my hand tightens on his neck.
“Whoa!” Cole barks, shoving me away as I suddenly realize what the fuck I’m doing and loosen my grip. He shoves me again, his eyes narrowing at me.
“Jesus, man! Calm the fuck down!”
We stand there, panting and staring at each other before I finally take a breath.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
Cole grins, shaking his head. “So, that’s a no to getting laid last night I suppose.”
I look away, not knowing how to even answer him. But Cole’s not an idiot, and my lack of an answer is the only answer he needs. His brows arch as he crosses his arms over his chest.
“Well then. So that’s a yes?”
I still don’t say a thing, but he just shrugs.
“A yes that you don’t want to talk about, but I can see it’s a yes.”
“It’s nothing,” I mutter.
“Bullshit. Who is she?”
I give him a hard, warning look, but he won’t let it go.
“Someone you don’t think I’d think is a good move.”
“I’m not interested in your opinion,” I hiss.
Cole laughs. “Well, I think you are at least a little bit. It’s why you pay me such a ludicrous amount of money, you know.”
“If your paycheck seems silly to you, I’d be happy to make it smaller.”
He laughs. “I’m good. I could also remind you though that my opinions are also why we’ve been friends for ten years.”
I smile, nodding at him.
“So, this girl; she married?”
I scowl. “No.”
“She a dude?”
I give him a sharp look. “Really?”
Cole grins. “Alright, then what?”
“Leave it,” I mutter. “Seriously.”
He sighs. “Fine, I’m letting you off the hook for now. But only because I’m still hungover from that fucking party last night.”
He claps me on the shoulder before he turns to leave, when suddenly, he stops.
“Oh, and just for the record. Whoever this chick is? If she’s making you smile like this, well, shit man, I can’t think of a reason why I wouldn’t approve of her.”
I’m still scowling at my friend trying to pry into my head after he leaves, but really, Cole’s right. Long after he’s left my office, I’m still sitting there thinking about what he’s said to me.
I am feeling different.
I’m feeling alive. I’m feeling grounded, but also soaring all at the same time. It’s like I can see clearer, and understand where I’m going like I never have before, and I know without a second’s hesitation that it’s all her.
It’s all Lyra.
Everything about her swirls through my head. The way she can flash that shy smile and just pierce right through all the layers of armor I’ve built up over the years. The way she just fits against me, and the way her soft skin makes me come alive. I think of the way her scent invades every part of me and sets off some sort of caveman reaction inside.
I think of the way she makes me crave her every goddamn waking second. Hell, every sleeping one too. Even just thinking about her now, I’m hard as a fucking rock. It’s like a primal urge to claim her — to pin her down, spread her sweet thighs, and fuck that tight, perfect, gorgeous little pussy until she takes every drop of my cum.
I want to breed her, and show the whole fucking world that she’s spoken for, by me. I want her round, and swollen with child, and when I step into a room holding her hand like that, I want everyone to know it’s me that’s claimed her — that it’s me that’ll be taking her home that night and every single night for the rest of our lives.
The page of that scenario gets my blood roaring hot, and I growl as I shake my head from the day dream.
Speaking of my angel…
I frown, glancing at the clock and seeing it’s ten past nine. She’s late, on her first day here. And no, I’m not mad or anything absurd like that — after all, I’m the one that kept her up half the night. I’m the one that kept her riding my cock, and clawing at my bedsheets as I bent her over and ran my tongue over her pretty little pussy until she was begging me to take her again.
No, I’m not mad, but I am worried. Everything about Lyra says that she’s got her shit together. She’s not someone to be late, and as inane and paranoid as I know it is, part of me suddenly tenses at the thought that something’s wrong — that she’s been hurt, or harassed, or taken from me. The thought gets me snarling and half lunging out of my chair before I remember to take a breath.