Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
I need to let him know how things are in terms a man like Julius will get.
“I may not be shooting at people every other day like my pal Ling over there, but I’m not squeamish, and if somebody posed a threat, you better believe I will take that threat down with brutal force should the need arise. It’s just you for me, Julius.” Leaning down to him, I press a soft kiss to his chest. “Don’t be afraid for me. I will protect you, cariño.”
When I glance up at him, I see that look. I see it clear. He’s asking himself, ‘Where did the Ana I need to protect go, and who is this woman?’
And I can’t stop the roll of my eyes.
This life of ours is not normal.
This life is dirty.
The thing is, no matter how hard my father tried to raise me to be good, I never intended on staying clean.
“Don’t look at me like that.” I straighten things out by gripping his strong, stubbled chin between my fingers, holding him still and repeating the words my brother told me all those years ago. “We all come into this world kicking, screaming, and covered in somebody else’s blood.” I have never been more honest in my life when I admit, “I have no goddamn problem going out the same way.”
He blinks down at me as I release his chin. “Fuck,” he exclaims, before rolling on top of me, holding his weight off me by his forearms. His warm lips descend, and I shiver when he kisses my collarbone. His lips against me, he rolls his cock against my thigh. “I have never been hornier than I am right fucking now.”
My eyes flutter closed at the feel of his mouth on me, and I wrap my legs around his bare, lean hips in silent approval.
That’s when the door to the bedroom opens with a long squeak. I don’t move. Under him, my eyes widen. With his lips still at my throat, I feel his body give out from above me, and he covers my body with his full weight, sighing into my neck.
A feminine throat clears. “I can see you’re busy, boss man, but it’s like 11:00 a.m. and the old dude who keeps smiling at me silently over the dining room table is starting to freak me out.”
At that, he lifts his head, blinking down at me with his brows low in anger, eyes flashing. Then he whispers, “Fucking, Ling,” and reaches across to pull the covers over our naked bodies.
Completely unbothered by his nudity, he ignores Ling, sliding out of bed, and walks across to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. The shower starts and pulling the sheet tightly across my breasts, I sit up to look over at her in the open doorway. If I’m being honest with myself, I’m fuming on the inside. I hide my anger well when I stare openly at her, and state, “Next time, you’ll knock.”
Her eyes narrow slightly, but she smiles. “Congratulations, Ana.” She raps her nails onto the polished wood of the doorframe, before raising her brows and uttering quietly, “You’re officially one step up on the food chain.”
Something about Ling is so odd, so peculiar, that I’m beginning to feel mildly uncomfortable.
Her lips twitch. “You always get what you want, don’t you, itty bitty pretty one?” She holds me immobile with her intense glare. “But you’ll never appreciate your winnings until you lose.” She straightens, moving to exit. “Prepare yourself.”
As she reaches in to shut the door behind her, I take in her parting words and my mind runs amok.
What the hell is she planning?
Still speculating what Ling meant by what she said, I miss the sound of the shower being turned off, only coming to my senses when Julius opens the bathroom door and steam billows out around his fine, tall frame. Rubbing a towel over his face, he drops it to the ground and catches me watching droplets of water sluice down his chest toward his abs.
I feel no shame, openly exploring him with my eyes. He is mine now.
When he throws the towel around his waist, I look up into his eyes with a soft pout.
He’s not a man of many words, my Julius.
He jerks his head toward the open door behind him, and I take the hint, slipping out of bed with the covers wrapped around me. As I shuffle past him, he hooks his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me close, looking me in the eyes and holding my gaze as he descends, pressing his lips to mine, feather soft. The hand at my neck squeezes as he pulls back, and it makes me realize that sometimes talking is overrated.
He runs his nose up the length of mine, and I close my eyes, taking in his warm affection. “You and me, babe.”