Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
I run a hand through my hair. As much as I want to keep her away from me, to get her out of here and erase the temptation, I know I can’t. Because if she leaves, she’s a walking target. And if she stays, my whole world could crumble. Did I mention fuuuuuuck?
“God, that’s so brave.” Bells is closer now. “What are you doing for security? I know some guys.”
“Yeah? I know a few outfits, too, but I’ve never liked having hired guns around me.”
“You need a body man,” Aurora says. “For sure. Someone close.”
A body man? Close to Daphne? Fuck no. Not a chance. Some asshole on a salary won’t keep her safe, not when it counts. She needs someone who cares about her, who wants to keep her safe for reasons other than money.
“A hot body man doesn’t sound so bad.” Bells giggles. “A big guy with muscles and—”
“You can stay here.” I stride into the kitchen like I haven’t just been listening in to their entire conversation. “Just stay here.” I swipe an apple off the counter and take a bite as nonchalantly as I can.
Daphne turns to me, her eyebrows high. “You want me to stay?”
“I mean …” I take another bite of apple, stalling. I want you in my bed, screaming my name as I fill you up and make your legs shake. Instead of that, I go with, “You can stay if you want. No skin off my back.” I turn away from her, even though I want to pull her to me, and walk from the kitchen.
Bells drops her voice. “Now that’s exactly the kind of body man you need, girl.”
Aurora giggles, and I don’t hear the rest because my heart is beating in my ears while I simultaneously cuss myself for putting my ass on the line for the sassy, nosy, infuriating, sexy-as-all-fuck redhead who I can’t stop obsessing about. Even now. Still obsessing. Fuck.
3
DAPHNE
I sit on the kitchen counter, swinging my legs back and forth. We’ve already had dinner along with dessert and cleaned everything up. Now we’re all sitting around chit-chatting. I think one of the things I’ve loved about being here at the lodge is that there are always people around. That and how close all the girls are.
They’ve slowly been letting me into their little circle. I think it’s because Bells likes me. I’ve noticed they all usually look to her for direction. She’s the matriarch of their little group from what I can see. I don’t think she knew how much everyone around here needed her until she thought about leaving. That did not go over well.
Bells was the one who told Aurora she could trust me. While it was true, I don’t know why she said that about me when I didn't know her before I’d reached out a week ago. I mean, I knew of her, but I had never met her in person.
Bells has a knack for feeling situations and people out. I have that too, generally. I gained my ability from growing up around the rich and famous. You have a ton of time to read people and their moods when you’re not the one in the spotlight. Especially when both of your parents are usually too busy to spend time with you.
My parents aren’t just Hollywood famous. They created the operating system that is on most computers around the world. That was their first mark on the world. Their success only continued to grow from there. Their business exploded, and pretty soon they had their hands in many different pots when it came to cutting edge technology. You can thank them for bringing touchscreens to your computers and phones. Their inventions have changed the world.
There isn't any system, big or small, that my dad can’t hack into. Not that anyone knows that. I’m sure some expect it as a byproduct of what he does. I was never close to my dad. The only time he really took interest in me was when I wanted to know something about technology.
Then he would go on for hours showing and telling me things. I think that’s where my inquisitive nature began. As a young girl, of course I wanted my father's attention. And I knew I could hold it by asking more questions. So I learned everything I could about computers. Computer code became a second language to me.
The same could be said about my mom. If I pushed to hang out with her, she’d indulge me for a little, but I could never really hold her attention. I think it was more guilt than anything. My father created, and my mom marketed and came up with the ideas. My father was the one who could make her visions come to life. It’s not that they don't love me. I'm just not sure a child should have been in the cards for them.