Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I sigh, fiddling with the strap of my purse. "Honestly, Ro, I'm not even sure. Things with Viper are...complicated. Intense."
"No shit." Rosa snorts. "The sexual tension between you two is thick enough to cut with a knife. Half the girls are already calling you 'Viper's girl' behind your back."
My cheeks flush at that, both from embarrassment and an illicit thrill.
If they only knew just how true that moniker was.
"You know I don't like labels," I say evasively. "Besides, we haven't even defined what this is yet. It's all still so new."
I mean, we have kind of defined it—I am his, but no one else knows that.
They might think they do, but they don’t.
"New? Chica, please. You two have had googly eyes for each other since the moment you met. There's no denying he's completely infatuated with you," Rosa points out astutely.
I can't help but smile at that, my heart fluttering in my chest.
As much as I try to play it cool, I know she's right.
Viper makes me feel things I've never felt before—cherished, desired, consumed.
It's exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
"Okay fine, yes, Viper and I are...a thing," I admit, blowing out a breath. "But we're trying to keep it on the downlow for now, especially from Allegra. I don't know how she'll react to her best friend dating her dad."
Rosa's eyes go wide. "Damn girl, if that isn't complicated as hell, I don't know what is. Good luck navigating those choppy waters."
She gives me a sympathetic look as we enter a brand new lingerie boutique that just opened.
I wonder how well it’s going to do here, being a risqué sort of shop on Main Street.
"Tell me about it," I groan, heading right over to a rack of lace sets. "But enough about my mess of a love life. What do you think about this?" I hold up a lacy red negligee trimmed in white faux fur.
"Ooh la la, getting in the holiday spirit, I see." Rosa waggles her eyebrows suggestively. "Gotta say, red is definitely your color. I bet Viper won't be able to keep his hands off you in that little number. Think about what happened the other day at Satin Dreams. You were in something similar."
I grin wickedly, already imagining the look on Viper's face when he sees me in it. "That's the plan. Tis the season and all that."
I head to the register to pay, my mind already conjuring up deliciously naughty visions of me and Viper, tangled up in satin sheets.
Rosa finds something too and is soon behind me, checking out.
The two of us exit the boutique, ready to head to our next shopping destination.
But as we step out onto the sidewalk, I stop short at the sight of the sleek black town car idling at the curb.
Just then, the driver’s door opens and a man in a crisp suit emerges.
He approaches us purposefully, his eyes finding mine. "Ms. Ashton?" he inquires politely.
"Yes?" I reply hesitantly, glancing at Rosa who looks equally perplexed.
"Mr. Beckett sent me to retrieve you," the man informs me impassively.
My brow furrows in confusion.
Viper sent for me?
Why?
"I'm sorry, I don't understand. What's this about?"
The man's expression remains neutral as he relays Viper's apparent instructions verbatim. "Mr. Beckett informed me to tell you, quote, 'Get in the damn car, Iris' if you asked any questions."
I can't help but laugh at that, shaking my head.
Even second-hand, Viper's commanding tone sends a shiver down my spine, awakening the ever-present need his presence always seems to stir within me.
Rosa gives a low whistle beside me. "Well, well. Looks like Prince Charming is summoning you to his castle. Better not keep him waiting," she says with an impish grin.
Prince Charming, my ass.
Viper is more like the demented monster who steals you than the savior in this story.
"Rain check on the rest of our shopping date?" I ask apologetically, already gravitating toward the waiting car.
"Of course, chica. You know I want all the deets later though." Rosa winks.
"Naturally," I reply with a conspiratorial smile before turning back to the suited man. "All right, lead the way, I guess."
The man opens a door for me and I get in the backseat, and soon he’s back in the driver’s seat, winding through the city streets.
I find myself getting more and more turned on imagining what Viper might have in store for me.
My mind races with scandalous possibilities, each more erotic than the last.
By the time we pull up outside a sleek, modern building in the trendiest part of the city, my panties are embarrassingly damp.
The driver opens my door and I step out, confusion warring with anticipation as I take in my upscale surroundings.
The more I look around, I realize how the neighborhood oozes affluence and sophistication, the kind of place I never thought I'd step foot in, let alone work.