Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“The police are on their way. Stay right there until they get here, or you’ll be going out of here in a body bag instead of a stretcher.”
Phoebe clung to my back, but I couldn’t focus on her until the threat was eliminated.
I sent up a silent thank you to Deacon because I heard sirens rapidly approaching. Only a minute or two later, two policemen rushed through the door. They immediately restrained Stephanie, and I allowed myself to switch my attention to my girl. I twisted around and wrapped her up in a tight embrace.
“Are you okay?” I grunted.
“Yes,” she answered, her voice muffled because she’d face-planted into my shirt. “Thanks to you.”
I loosened my hold on her and grasped her chin, raising her face. “Don’t thank me for doing my job, baby. You’re mine, and I protect what’s mine.”
Over the next thirty minutes, there was a flurry of chaos.
The EMTs arrived and restrained Stephanie on a stretcher. She was still screaming threats and obscenities as they carried her out the door.
The police took our statements, and between our recap of the events and the ranting of the psychotic woman, they quickly determined I’d shot her in self-defense.
We were engulfed in silence when they finally left and the door shut behind them. Phoebe burst into tears, and I scooped her up, carrying her to the couch so I could hold my girl while she cried. Eventually, her sobs subsided, and she looked up at me. “I don’t want to stay here,” she whispered.
“Then we won’t.”
Phoebe was reluctant to part from me, so I kept my arm around her as we went to her bedroom. She let go of me long enough to change into a T-shirt and shorts, then helped me pack her bags. I planned to have a few of the guys come and help me pack up her place next week and move her in with me. That way, she wouldn’t ever need to step foot in this apartment again.
We headed out to my SUV, which was still idling in the middle of the parking lot, but someone had at least shut the door. I helped her inside and hurried around to climb in, then held her hand tightly in mine as I drove to my condo.
At my place, I took her hand as we walked back to the bedroom where I tossed her bags into a corner. Then I drew her close to me and dropped my head to place a lingering kiss on her lips. The adrenaline was fading, and with it, the rage and fear, leaving an overwhelming need.
She smiled softly when I released her lips and whispered, “I know you said not to thank you, but I can’t help it. You saved me.”
“I will always protect you, baby. I would never let anything happen to the woman I love. I can’t live without you.”
Phoebe’s pretty blue eyes grew wide and round, and her jaw dropped slightly. After a beat, she sucked in a breath, then expelled it slowly. “You love me?”
I raised an eyebrow as the corners of my mouth curled down into a frown over her shock. “Of course, I love you.”
Phoebe shook her head and sighed with exasperation. “How was I supposed to know that when you’ve never told me?”
It hit me that she was right. I’d never said the words out loud even though I’d thought them so many times. I cradled her face in my hands and stared into her eyes. “I love you.”
I brushed my thumbs over the freckles on the apples of her cheeks and softly kissed her lips once more. Then I narrowed my eyes on her. “And you love me, too.”
Phoebe’s face lit up, and she beamed at me with a giant smile. “Of course, I love you,” she said, repeating my earlier phrase.
Hearing the words from her mouth broke the last of my control. I grabbed the hem of her shirt and ripped it over her head before my mouth crashed down onto hers.
All the adrenaline and emotions bombarding us made our movements frantic and hungry. We moved toward the bed, only breaking our kisses to remove the rest of our clothing. When we stumbled against it, I swept her up with an arm under her knees and tossed her onto the mattress. I immediately climbed on and moved over her until our bodies pressed together. The feel of her silky skin sent streaks of electricity over my nerves that went straight to my dick.
She clung to me as I dropped my head to trail kisses down her neck to the tips of her breasts. I loved the sound of her sweet gasp as I wrapped my lips around one peak and tugged on it with my teeth. Her arms tightened around me, and her legs came up to circle my waist.