Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Underhanded or not, her witchery had gotten Maxton to leave the jungle.
Damien ran a hand through his hair, which was almost due for a cut. Or maybe he’d let it grow out again. Maxton had a splendid head of longish dark hair. Goes well with a black suit.
Damien climbed out of bed and made his way to his lavish marble bathroom for his morning ritual—a brief stay in the sauna to sweat out the scotch and whatever junk food he’d had for dinner, followed by an exfoliation session.
In the old days, he never cared for himself this way. They had soap made of fat and lye. He bathed once a week if weather and wood stores permitted. He certainly never owned cologne or manly scented moisturizers that reminded him of long walks in the forest on an autumn morn.
But as he’d grown older and more isolated from the world, he began seeking out what modern humans called “the little things.” All the small comforts that helped one pass the day and forget about the woes of life.
Damien dabbed on some aftershave, even though he hadn’t shaved. Why bother? He wasn’t in the mood to put on airs today. Choosing Willa meant denying his primal urge to couple with Sky and to make a cozy, comfortable life filled with travel, lovemaking, and long breakfasts by the seaside at the tropical island villa he would buy for her. Of course, he’d have to find plenty of diversions for Sky, because a woman like her did not sit still for long. I wonder if she enjoys decoupage.
There was a loud pounding on his bedroom door.
“Damien! You in there?”
“Sky?” His heart hopscotched through his stomach, giddy to see her again. “One moment. I am dressing!”
He went to his closet to grab a white undershirt and slacks but then paused. He reached for his bathrobe instead. Maybe she was here for what he wanted her to be here for. Yes, yes. Sex. With corporeal bodies. Not that the ghost sex hadn’t been interesting.
He went for the door and opened it, finding that same, earth-shattering attraction pulsating under his skin for her. Didn’t matter that physically Sky was now blonde instead of brunette or that her face was completely different. It hadn’t been her beauty that had originally caught his eye. It was her spirit.
“Hello, Damien.” Sky blinked her big green eyes at him. She wore her hair up in a ponytail and had on tight jeans and a snug blue blouse. He could make out every curve of her feminine body—small pert breasts, lean legs, narrow waist.
I can work with that. His groin began to stir.
“Where the hell have you been?” he barked, immediately regretting his tone. Desperation had come out like a reprimand.
“Trying to put my life back together after someone ran me over with his SUV.”
“You know how deeply sorry I feel about that. I merely meant that I have been worried for you.” He drew a long breath. “Are you all right?”
“No. And yes. But that’s why I’m here.”
Her serious tone set off warning bells. “All right.”
“Damien,” she drew a quick breath, “I think I was given this opportunity to live again because I have unfinished business.”
He cocked his head, attempting to decipher. Cimil had brought her back to be at his side. “What business?”
“I died before I could tell the world what SBP was up to. Today, I changed that.”
Damien’s heart leapt from his stomach and onto the floor. Facedown. Pounding its fists. “What did you do, Sky?” he growled.
“I published the final article with the receipts. It included every document, piece of video, the human victims’ testimonies, cell phone records, and even geo-location tracking that lines up with every claim in the report.”
“You-you told the world that there is a secret organization trafficking humans and supernatural creatures for the sole purpose of growing immortal bodies?”
Sky nodded.
Damien unleashed a laugh so loud that it rattled his own eardrums.
“What the hell’s so funny?” Sky scowled.
“No one will believe you.”
“I can name twenty things off the top of my head that no one would’ve believed ten or twenty years ago. Make it a million things if you go back one thousand years. But eventually, Damien, the truth comes out. Earth isn’t flat. Men aren’t gods—even if I could be persuaded to worship the right one—and women shouldn’t be shoved into mud huts during their moon cycles. The world evolves. And when this world becomes enlightened enough to accept that humans aren’t at the top of the food chain, and there is more than one realm, they’ll look back at my article and know that I was telling the truth. Except, I put your name on it.”
“My name is on the article?”
She nodded, her mouth twisting to one side.
“Why the hell would you do that? You are putting me, MF, Pet, Gorgonzolina, and Bonbon at risk.”