Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked him, finally turning my gaze back to his.
“All the rooms are full. My bed is the only available one,” he replied, then began to shrug off his leather vest as he made his way over to the dresser. “It’s a big bed, Tink. You’ll have plenty of room.”
Was he being serious? He was planning on us both sleeping in the same bed? My hands fisted at my sides. Did he think this was funny?
“I won’t sleep in that bed,” I said, staring at it with loathing. Knowing what he’d been doing up here just a few minutes ago.
He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Is that so? Interesting since you were ready to let me fuck you just a few hours ago.”
The humiliation from his words hit me, and I closed my eyes and tried to focus on not showing any emotion. When I looked at him again, I felt all the anger, rejection, and betrayal rise up inside me.
“I had a moment of insanity,” I snapped. “Let’s blame it on my being…slow.”
Micah took three long strides until he was standing so close that I could feel the heat from his body.
“Don’t ever,” he said through clenched teeth, “say shit like that about yourself again.”
I tilted back my head and glared up at him. “I’m sorry. I was unaware only you were allowed to insult and demean me.”
His nostrils flared as he stared down at me. The flash of regret I saw in his pale blue eyes wasn’t enough for me to feel any sympathy for him.
“Dolly, I…” His gaze dropped then, and his entire body tensed. “What the fuck happened to your leg?” he demanded angrily, then went down on one knee and pushed my skirt up further to see the smeared blood from where my nails had broken my skin. “Who did this?!” The threat in his voice made me shiver. But his touch probably also had something to do with that.
“I did,” I bit out, pulling my leg free from his hold as I stepped back.
He stayed there on the floor, staring at me as if he didn’t know me. Confusion softened his expression, but his jawline told me he was still clenching his teeth. “You did this? On purpose?”
I didn’t have to answer him. He deserved nothing from me. Yet it seemed impossible to say nothing when he was looking at me like that. As if he was physically in pain himself.
“I didn’t mean to. I was dealing, internally. It happened,” I explained, then turned around so he couldn’t see my face or the damage I had done to my thigh. “Just leave me alone. Please. I just want to be alone.” So I could curl up and cry without an audience.
I heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor, but he wasn’t leaving. I closed my eyes just as his hands wrapped around my upper arms.
“I don’t want to leave. I want to be here. With you.”
No, no, no. He would not do this to me. I couldn’t ride the roller coaster of emotions that Micah Abe could send me spiraling on and come out intact.
“You made it very clear you didn’t want me.”
His grip on my arms tightened. “You think my leaving was not wanting you?” He let out a sigh. “Tink, that was the opposite. That was me saving you from me. You deserve better.”
Of course he’d make himself out to be the hero. Soften the blow so I wouldn’t hate him. Micah was an expert at manipulating women and men alike.
“I’m sure that was the reason you stared at me as if I were a freak of nature, then bolted from the room,” I replied and tried to free myself from his grasp. My attempt was done in vain.
Micah pulled me back against his chest with ease, as if I hadn’t been pulling in the opposite direction. “Nothing,” he whispered, his mouth close to my ear, “about you is a freak of nature.” His right hand slid up and over my shoulder, then brushed my hair back. His thumb began to caress my neck in a small, circular movement. “You’re beautiful, sweet, thoughtful, kind, charming. I can’t think of a man that is good enough for you. That deserves to have the privilege to touch you.” His lips pressed against my temple. “I sure as fuck don’t. But I want to. So bad that it’s eating me alive inside. The smell of you on my fingers is driving me crazy. I’ve almost sucked your taste completely off, trying to get more of it.”
My body rebelled against my brain as it trembled and seemed to melt back against his hard chest. His words held power over my good sense.
“Sit down on the bed and let me get something to clean up your leg. I don’t like seeing you hurt,” he said as his hands moved to my waist, and he moved me forward until I had no choice but to turn and sit down, like he had instructed.