Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I had no idea what the look meant. “Yes?”
“I thought you tell me to fuck off or something at that last comment.”
“Why? It wasn’t offensive.”
Jackson walked back inside and shut the door. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“I don’t know, Jackson. I have no idea what you’re saying to begin with.”
“You’re thinking about marrying her?”
“I’m not thinking about it,” I said. “I know I want to marry her. I just don’t know when.”
“Whoa, hold on.” He raised a hand in the air like I needed to hit the brakes. “You’re for real right now?”
“The woman lives with me, in case you haven’t noticed. She’s my sub as well as my lover. Marriage is the next step, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but…wow.”
I rolled my eyes because this conversation was getting old. “Get out, Jackson.”
“No, I’m happy for you. You know I really like Rome. I just…I honestly never pictured you getting married.”
“Things change.” Rome had made the biggest compromise to be with me, and I didn’t take that lightly. Every bone in her body was against the arrangement, but she did it because she didn’t want to lose me. I knew Rome wanted romance, marriage, and kids. If she gave me that, I could give her this. “But I’m not marrying her tomorrow, so there’s no reason to get excited about it.”
“Too bad. I already am.”
I let Senator Swanson drone on over the phone about the donor banner he would like to have presented at the veterans’ dinner. He was so specific about how he wanted it to look that I wasn’t sure why he didn’t just take care of it himself.
And kiss his own ass while he was at it.
Once I got off the phone, my assistant spoke into the intercom. “Mr. Owens, Isabella is here to see you.”
I was just about to open an email when I stiffened in agitation. Just when I thought that pain in the ass was gone, she turned up again. She told Jackson she was leaving Ruin, but perhaps that was just a ploy for some attention.
Jesus Christ, she was annoying.
I never should have been monogamous with her. I never should have decided to commit to her even under the understanding it wasn’t forever.
Because she obviously felt otherwise.
I couldn’t ignore her and let her stay in the lobby. Isabella would either wait until the end of the day, or she would make a big scene in front of all my employees.
I hit the button. “Send her in.”
Isabella walked in a moment later, a sneer of anger on her face. She wore skintight jeans and a black top, looking like she’d stepped out of Ruin mere minutes ago. Her hair was long and straight, just the way she usually wore it.
I wanted to strangle her.
Choke her to death.
I fucking hated her.
She was a damn bug that wouldn’t disappear. “Can I help you, Isabella?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, looking like the devil’s mistress. “Nope.”
I rested my hands together on the desk and kept my cool even though I had no idea what was going on. She was awfully confident after being rejected by me so many times. She seemed to think she owned this office—owned me.
What was I missing?
“Is there something you wanted to discuss?”
“Nope.” She didn’t move.
Now I was really freaked out. Isabella didn’t come here to talk. She didn’t have any purpose for being here at all. So what was she up to?
Something evil, no doubt.
I rose out of my chair so I could grab her by the arm and escort her out.
Isabella reached into her purse and pulled out a gun, pointing it right at me. Her hand didn’t shake as she aimed the barrel right at the center of my chest.
I stopped in my tracks, eyeing the madwoman with a gun pointed directly at me.
“Sit down, Calloway.” She pointed with the gun toward the chair before she trained it on me again. “I don’t want to shoot you, but I will.”
Even though a loaded gun was pointed right at me, it didn’t scare me. What I was truly frightened of was the circumstance. She obviously didn’t come here to kill me. If that was her intention, she would have done it already. Her goal was to keep me in that chair.
She stepped forward and brought the gun closer. “Sit.”
I slowly lowered myself into the chair, never blinking because I needed to witness her every move. I placed my arms on the armrests and gripped the wooden edges, wishing I had the gun so I could shoot her between the eyes. “Isabella, what are you doing?” If she thought she could intimidate me, she was wrong.
“Just sit and be quiet.” Her hand didn’t shake as she pointed the gun at my forehead. “Do what I say, and you’ll get out of this alive.”