Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
“I can sit down here, too. I think Kyle might be hard to deal with.”
She sighed at the thought. She was too wired to sleep. Kyle might give her another chance to kick him in the balls. That would be worth it. Besides, she had to figure out what his plan to get rid of her was so she could get around it. “If you stay down here, you and Kyle will turn into four-year-olds fighting over a toy.”
West sat down across from her. “I’m sorry about that. I guess I didn’t like him walking in and acting like he owns you.”
“So you had to act like you own me?”
His lips kicked up in a heart-stopping grin. “I know I don’t own you, girl, but I reacted like I did. I’m sorry. I kind of have a thing for you, but we’re never going to be more than friends, are we?”
“Are we going to be friends? Some guys can’t be friendly with women who’ve turned them down.”
He outright laughed at that. “I wouldn’t have any women friends at all then.” He sat back and sobered. “I’m sorry. I’m joking and I shouldn’t be. My sister-in-law was in a bad relationship for years and I have another sister-in-law who is more than willing to educate me on how hard it is to be a woman. I like you, MaeBe Vaughn. I can handle it if you don’t like me in a romantic fashion, but I won’t stop trying to be your friend because I think your friendship is valuable.”
He’d never really come on to her. There had been a moment in the beginning but when she’d gently rebuffed him, he hadn’t missed a step. He’d been a good friend when she’d needed one. All of her friends were settled down and married, and she was the third wheel. It had been fun to hang with West.
“Of course we’re friends. And that’s why I’m going to ask you to let me talk to Kyle on my own. Ian wouldn’t have sent us back here if he wasn’t sure we’re safe.”
“Hutch’s wife wasn’t safe here, from what I’ve heard.”
“Only because I was dumb enough to get caught by Jessica Layne’s henchmen.” She didn’t like the fact that she’d gotten her ass kicked at the orders of not one but two boss bitches. At least Julia had done the beating herself. Layne had delegated. “She used me to get Kyle to open the door. Hutch wouldn’t have.”
He would have tried to save her, but he wouldn’t have opened that door. He would have protected Noelle.
Kyle had practically run to the door and thrown it open and gotten shot.
She didn’t want to think about that tonight, didn’t want to play that memory through her head.
“You don’t think this Julia person would try that?” West asked.
She’d done as thorough a study on the woman known as Julia Ennis as she possibly could. She’d gone deep and found material she was sure Kyle had no idea existed. Of course finding that material had been dangerous as hell, but she didn’t care. “No. She could have tried to take me any time in the last few months. I’ve been going in and out of the office. I’ve had a guard on me at all times, but I haven’t been in hiding. So something happened recently that changed the status quo, and she tried to take me out. Or pick me up.”
“I think the sniper thought I was West. We’re roughly the same height. In the low light we could be mistaken for one another,” a deep, familiar voice said. “You could be right about that. You’re definitely right about the timing.”
“Julia’s timing?”
“Yes,” Kyle replied, easing behind the bar. He glanced West’s way. “I’m sorry about how the evening has gone. Can you give us some time?”
West stood. “Yeah. I’ll take first pick of the rooms. She prefers The Ménage Mahal. Because it’s the biggest.”
“It’s got the nicest bed, and only Jake and Adam and Serena ever use it for ménage. Well, for permanent ménages. I’m pretty sure it’s been a pit stop for a lot of people.” She wasn’t going to apologize. It was a great privacy room, and it was fine for two people as well. It simply had multiple sets of devices in case a Dom or Domme had several subs.
“It’s the nicest one, but I also like The Cunniloungus. All the surfaces are perfect for… Well, it’s all in the name isn’t it?” Kyle grabbed a martini glass from the display overhead. “We could go there and talk.”
And remember how she hadn’t had sex in years except that one mind-blowing time with him. “I’ve been in there a lot lately. I think we can stay down here.”
“And I’ll be leaving now.” West started for the stairs. “Good luck, you two. Call me if something goes terribly wrong.”