Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Every step had me contemplating going back for her until I was seated in my car gripping the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles turned white. I hadn’t spoken to Roselynn until tonight. And for good reason. I’d been closer than she would ever know or think possible, but I’d never gotten too close.
Earl wanted her to have as much normalcy as she could before I made her mine. The moment she set those beautiful blue eyes on me tonight, it took everything in me to uphold our bargain. Those fucking shorts she was wearing didn’t help.
The first opportunity I had; I was taking them away. They fit her like a glove, accenting how perfect her ass was. Girls dedicated hours to the gym to get asses as she had. It pissed me off and gave me great relief that she wasn’t aware of the beauty she possessed.
One day she’d realize what an absolute goddess she was.
By then she’d have my last name and anyone daring to approach her would have to be both dumb and suicidal. Thus far me and my family had kept everyone away. But I saw the way Weston looked at her tonight. So had my brother. That was a fucking problem.
He knew better.
I couldn’t mention the little exchange I’d witnessed with Rose yet. If he disappeared before I had her, she might start to pull away. That was the last thing I wanted.
I drove across the impasse and coasted through the metal gates into my driveway, shifting into park to wait on my brother and sisters. I text them to wait ten minutes before coming out. I needed a few to be alone. When Justin suggested I test where she stood on things, I hadn’t planned out exactly what I would say. In the end, I didn’t have to. Roselynn carried the scenario for me.
I loved the way her brain worked.
I couldn’t say I liked her jealousy, as it was unwarranted, but I definitely understood it. We could work on that later. I never wanted her to think or feel someone else meant anything more than she did.
Having her so close all these years and not being able to touch her like I wanted was fucking torture. Inhaling deeply, I indulged myself in the lingering scent of her body wash—pomegranate and lemon.
She never switched up and bought anything different. It was the same with her perfume—one specific brand of fragrance labeled Tease. Every so often I thought of her the same way, irony at its finest. But I knew she wanted me to watch her like she watched me, oblivious that I never stopped.
When she walked by her window in nothing but the pink towels, she was so fond of. They just barely covered the body I spent an ungodly amount of time staring at.
There were a few times I’d been ready to risk everything to have her pinned down underneath me. That’s ultimately what stopped me from putting cameras in both her bathroom and bedroom. I prided myself on self-control and patience, but where Rose was concerned, I struggled to sustain it.
Watching her wasn’t a hobby—it was vital for my peace of mind. I liked that she watched me too. Us keeping it a secret from the other was part of the fun of our relationship.
It was easy to do from my upstairs window. Easier when she was asleep at night. Harder on the rare occasion she braved the outside. Regardless, I was never too far away. When the urge to be closer was on the verge of driving me fucking crazy, I crept inside her room and watched over her while she slept.
Some people would think I was strange for that or maybe even not all the way right upstairs.
I was neither of those things.
I was no different than anyone else that had a higher sense of responsibility. I simply liked to keep tabs on my most valuable possessions and Roselynn Acheron was an incredibly special girl. She didn’t know that yet either, but I’d make her see it. I’d help her see that too. Soon, her wish would come true. We would leave this town behind and disappear together.
Forever.
CHAPTER FOUR
ROSELYNN
AFTER HIM
I was ready to go behind the bar and make my own damn drink. There weren’t that many people in here to have such shitty service. If I wanted to sink further into a void of sober recollection I could have stayed home. At least there I’d be free to fall apart without being judged.
Since Barbie had left me to sit here in this damned booth, my mind wandered straight to the man I was desperately trying not to think about. I couldn’t stand it. It’d been almost a year, and time had done nothing to heal the anguish. It simply allowed scar tissue to grow over the memories. He was always in my head, refusing to vacate my heart no matter how hard I tried to evict him.