Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
But the man who gripped my arm so securely was not in sheep’s clothing. He already looked like a wolf. He looked like a criminal. Or at least like a bad boy, like James Dean in the old movies, I thought with another shiver.
We slid quickly into another vehicle. A bigger one. This one looked like it was made for military use, or at least for exploring rugged terrain.
Kind of like Vice.
This time he buckled me in himself, his eyes sliding over my body as his fingers skimmed my chest. He tugged on the belt to make sure it was secure, sending another cascade of tingling sensations through me. I nearly moaned as he paused, finally lifting his eyes to my face.
“You okay?” He asked gruffly. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. What was happening to me? I was confused by my reaction to my ‘would be savior possible kidnapper’. I trusted him and feared him in equal amounts.
But there was something else I was feeling, too. Something strange and unfamiliar. Something thrilling. I couldn’t put a name to it. I wouldn’t.
Not yet.
As he pulled out onto yet another highway and rain hit the roof in a soothing off-tempo beat, I found my eyelids getting heavier and heavier, until I fell asleep.
CHAPTER NINE
Vice
She’s utterly perfect. An angel, I thought, my eyes sliding to the sleeping beauty beside me as I pulled into the gravel parking lot. And she’s beyond exhausted from the strain of being on the run.
I watched her for a few minutes, reveling in the feeling of having her here with me at last. Reveling in her safety. I could relax now. A little bit, anyway. I had her in hand.
I locked her in the car with the window cracked while I did a quick sweep of the exterior, checked in on her again, then did a more thorough walk through inside. It was secure. No one was getting in or out without my explicit say so.
That meant I could sleep. Not that I wanted to. Not quite yet. As tired as I was, I wanted to spend some time getting to know my prey.
I’d never been on a hunt like this in my life. A hunt where you wanted to protect and cherish your goal, not destroy it. It was very different from the work I had done in the military. It was even different from the security work I did for Cain. Because this time I had skin in the game.
All the skin I had, and then some.
I threw her bag over my shoulder and lifted her carefully into my arms. She was warm and soft and so sweet it hurt. I closed my eyes as her scent washed over me. Feminine and welcoming. Delicious. Tender.
I was instantly hard.
Her eyes fluttered open as I carried her across the threshold. It felt symbolic. This was the moment I seized total control.
Not unlike a groom carrying his bride on their wedding day.
“Where are we?” She asked as I used my back to shut the door, unwilling to put her down. Not quite yet.
“This is home,” I said, staring down into her gorgeous eyes. “For now,” I amended, trying to figure out a valid excuse for keeping her in my arms.
I strode through the house and up the stairs that led to the second floor. The windows all had locks. Only I had the key. Even still, I felt safer with her as far from the front door as possible.
“Where are you taking me?” She gasped.
“You need rest,” I answered as I lowered her to the king sized bed in the master bedroom. She blinked up at me, probably wondering how she had ended up in bed with a strange man standing over her, trying like hell to keep his hands off of her.
Thankfully, she didn’t know about that last part.
“Put this on so I can look at your knees,” I said, tossing her one of the nightgowns I had bought for her. She looked at the white cotton and lace gown and back at me.
“Can you… give me some privacy?”
I grunted and turned my back, refusing to leave the room. The sound of her clothes coming off made me grind my teeth together in frustration. It took all my strength not to turn around so I could look at her. Look… touch… taste… take…
Fuck me. I’d never wanted anything so badly in my life. And I could do nothing. Not yet.
She needed me to protect her, not drool on her.
“Okay,” she said softly. I turned and cursed aloud. The nightgown was see through. Not totally. Just enough to see the shape of her body, the outline of her panties, and just for a moment, the dark circles of her nipples.
Until she crossed her arms over her chest. I nearly groaned aloud at how much I wanted her. The blood rushed out of my brain to my shaft. My body felt heavy with need.