Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Her hand shook slightly as she attempted to unlock the door. Gray put his hand gently over hers to help her.
“Um, thanks. I’m not always like this.”
“Adrenaline crash,” he told her. “You’ll be all right.”
She sure hoped so. “I’m on the third floor.”
“There’s no elevator?” he asked.
“Uh, no, I prefer not to travel in death boxes anyway.” She directed him toward the stairs. It felt weird to bring someone back here.
Well, she’d only lived here about a month now. It might not look like much or be in a good neighborhood, but she could pay by the week, it was clean and didn’t smell horrid. Plus, there was a deadbolt on her door. Not that she wasn’t capable of putting on her own deadbolt, but it was always more convenient when there was one there already.
And as an added bonus, there were no hidden cameras. She’d learned her lesson about checking for cameras the hard way. The last place she’d been staying, she’d found two. She’d left there in a hurry.
“This is me.” She waved at her door. No way was she offering to let him come in. “Well, thanks for the ride. And, you know, the rescue. Saving me from those assholes and cleaning me up.”
“You’re welcome.”
He pointed at the door. “Not leaving until you’re safely inside. With the door locked.”
“Right. And you don’t think you’re chivalrous.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. “I leave before you’re safely inside and you’re likely to get into more trouble.”
“I never get into trouble.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Tonight was the exception.”
She managed to unlock the door, then she opened it just wide enough that she could slip inside.
“Thanks. Bye. Nighty-night. Sleep tight!”
Closing the door, she leaned back against it. Whoa.
Why did she say that? What was she thinking?
The door rattled as he knocked on it, startling her. She let out a cry.
“Girl? You okay?”
Great. She was back to being called girl. Did he call all the women he met girl? Because they weren’t important enough to remember their name?
That was a depressing thought.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.”
“You just gave me a fright with your door knocking. Are you all right?” she asked.
“You haven’t locked the door. I’m waiting.”
Shoot. How had she forgotten to do that? Fool. Turning, she fumbled with the locks, securing the deadbolt. Then she slumped down onto her bottom.
Ouch.
She waited, but didn’t hear anything.
“Um, are you still there?” she asked.
Nothing.
Okay, it was silly to be upset. Of course he’d left. And she wouldn’t see him again. Which wasn’t a bad thing. She’d made a complete idiot of herself.
Had she really offered to help him find friends? What did she know about finding friends?
She groaned. He’d cleaned up her face. Put her shoes on. He’d carried her. Listened to her ramble.
Yeah, maybe she should just run now.
Suddenly, the night started to rush back at her. She could feel Fishy-breath grabbing at her breast.
Standing, she raced to the bathroom. Leaning over the toilet, she vomited.
They were going to rape her.
Maybe kill her.
Fuck. Oh, fuck.
Fear coursed through her. She’d been able to hold it back while she had Gray to distract her.
Now, though . . . now, she was a mess.
When there was nothing left to vomit up, she drew her clothes off and dragged herself into the shower.
She scrubbed at her skin over and over until it felt raw. Then, feeling completely overwhelmed and exhausted, she stumbled into bed, tugging Squish into her arms.
As tired as she was, she had a feeling she wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.
4
Maeve checked her phone as it rang. She grinned when she saw who was calling.
She answered the video call with a huge smile. “Cat!”
“Maeve! How the hell are you!” Cat yelled back, her smile just as wide.
Maeve laughed. “I’m good. How are you?”
Cat grimaced. “Bored. Papi is being even more overprotective than usual and I’m not allowed to do anything.”
Cat’s husband, Alejandro, was also her Dom and her Daddy. Their dynamic was something that Maeve was often jealous of. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to have a Daddy of her own. To be able to trust someone so much that you could just let go and give up control. Maeve wasn’t sure she could ever find someone she’d trust that much.
“Really?” she asked doubtfully. “You’re not allowed to do anything?”
“No. I’m lucky if I’m allowed to pee on my own. He’s being a complete tyrant.”
Maeve bit her lip, holding in a grin. Her friend was such a drama queen. Which reminded her of the other drama queen she’d met . . .
No, don’t think about him. It’s not like you’re going to see him again. Which is a good thing because you completely humiliated yourself, remember?
That sort of thing was pretty difficult to forget.
“What did you do, Cat?” she asked.