Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
His white teeth flashed at her again with his perfect smile.
“Do women just walk up to you and say they want to have your baby?”
“Why? Are you considering it?”
She nodded. “Absolutely I am. I think you have a duty to the human race to procreate.”
“Take your clothes off.”
4
Shylah burst out laughing just as Draden hoped she would. He liked her. He didn’t pay attention to many people and the ones he had, hadn’t been worth his time.
“We’re both dripping all over the floor. I should have been the one to tell you to get your clothes off.” She indicated the single door leading to another room. The cabin was small but designed to meet every need with its small kitchen, bedroom and living quarters all sharing the same space. “There’s the bathroom.”
Draden’s eyebrow shot up. “Indoor plumbing?” He was reacting to her. The woman was sexy, lethal and very confident. The sound of her laughter was enticing. Intriguing. It played along his nerve endings and sent an electrical current running through his bloodstream. He was on the verge of death and he’d never felt more alive.
“And hot water. Go take a shower, but hurry.”
He opened his mouth to protest. He wanted her to take the shower first. Before he could say a word, she shook her head.
“Don’t say it’s because I’m a girl. You’ve got a nasty wound on your head. If a miracle happens and we survive the virus, you don’t want to die of a simple infection. Just hurry.”
Could she be any more wonderful? He flashed a cocky grin. “I was going to suggest we conserve hot water and shower together.”
“I’ll just bet you were.” She pointed to the closed door.
He forced himself to walk across the small room, looking sulky. Who knew the ridiculous expressions and poses from his modeling days would come in handy? They made her laugh, and for him, that was what counted.
The water felt wonderful. It only took a few minutes to heat up and Draden didn’t care how it was done, only that he had access to it. Cold didn’t bother him so if he’d had to take a cold shower, he would have been okay with it, but he wanted time to consider what to do while he could. Right now, his brain was working, spitting out his chances—and hers—over and over. He needed to stop the offending loop and start working on the problem.
Shylah had obviously been tracking the madmen who had decided to start a pandemic for their own personal reasons and she probably knew more than she realized—or was telling him. After her shower, he would question her, get as many facts as possible so they had a shot at surviving the virus. It was a slim chance, but there was one. If anything, he needed to save her. She was one in a million, and who knew he would find her here in the rain forest?
He didn’t have clean clothes with him, so he wrapped himself in a towel and stepped out with a grin on his face, knowing she appreciated his body far more than he did. The smile faded when he saw her wrapped in a towel. She had long legs. Beautiful legs. Her hair was out of its braid and she sent him a quick shy smile before stepping around him to enter the shower. He’d been as brief as possible in order to save the hot water for her, but after catching that little glimpse, he decided if they were going to be staying, they should share that shower.
I’m reading your thoughts.
Her laughter teased his senses, something that had never happened before, and left him a little uncomfortable. She was turning the tables on him, staying connected.
I guess it’s a two-way street.
Still—she was sober again—I’d prefer some privacy. I need to fall apart, just a little bit. It isn’t that I mind knowing I’m going to die; it’s the how. I saw the results of this virus and it wasn’t pretty.
Her honesty was killing him. I understand. He did. And he didn’t have that much hope to give her. He was doing his best not to think too hard on what was to come.
He made certain their minds were totally apart before he allowed himself to contemplate what they were facing. He was definitely infected. That dart had been all about killing him and those he came into contact with. He had to find out if the terrorists had more of the virus. That meant he couldn’t take his peony with him. The things he might have to do to get that information weren’t for her. She had enough to contend with.
He stood at the window, staring out into the forest, contemplating the fact that he might have to kill Shylah Cosmos. He liked her. Most people, man or woman, would have been freaking out, knowing they were exposed to the virus. Most would have tried running to civilization and hospitals in the hopes they could be saved. Had she done that, he would have killed her. Once she’d opened a pathway between their two minds, he’d deliberately kept it open, needing to know her thoughts. If she planned to run, he had to know.