Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. “You really want to try?” She was guarding her words as much as I was, so I decided to take the first leap.
“I do, Pippa. I meant what I said when I told you about Knuckles. Yes, he asked me to make you my old lady and give you the protection of my name and my club, but if I’d met you on my own, even not knowing you were Knuckles’ daughter, I’d have done everything in my power to make you mine.” More tears filled her eyes, spilling over and sliding down her face. “I know I must sound creepy as fuck to you, but I can’t sugarcoat it and tell you I’m gonna be your fairy tale prince. That ain’t me.”
Pippa set out a small giggle even as another tear fell. “You don’t sound creepy, Gunnar.” She reached up and touched my lower lip with her fingers. “You sound just about perfect to me.”
Chapter Seven
Pippa
Supper consisted of the yummiest hamburgers and hotdogs I’d ever tasted. The burgers were juicy with just a hint of smoke taste from the charcoal grill, and the dogs were just this side of burnt. Delicious! Sure, there were other things, but the burgers and dogs were my main concern. I ate three. Of each. Now I was so sleepy I could barely hold my head up while Gunnar continued to work on my hair.
“Almost finished, baby,” he murmured as he continued to pick at a few of the tangles. He’d only had to cut out a couple of very stubborn knots he couldn’t get out. Just a few strands here and there. I’d call it a win, but I was just too tired to celebrate.
“Yay…” My gratitude was great, but my enthusiasm was somewhat lessened. Not for lack of trying. I was dead where I sat.
His warm chuckle filled me with contentment. How had this man sucked me in so completely? I’d been in his company a few hours -- not counting sleeping off the drugs I’d been full of -- and I already couldn’t imagine my life without him. “The best part is, your hair will be completely dry by the time I’m done. You can go to sleep without a wet head.”
“Yay…”
We were sitting on the bed in the back bedroom Mama and Pops had given us to clean up and rest in. Gunnar was at my back with one leg bent beside me, the other hanging off the side. It probably would have been more comfortable if he’d had both legs on the bed and me between them, but he was taking great pains to not pin me in. I was more grateful to him for recognizing I might be a little claustrophobic. I had my knees tucked under my chin with my arms wrapped around my legs. My eyes were closed, and I was drifting as Gunnar made pass after gentle pass with the brush over my hair.
He chuckled, leaning in to kiss my cheek before whispering, “You think you can sleep now if you lie down?”
“Yes. Would you mind staying with me for a while? Maybe hold me or something?”
He paused before setting the brush aside on the nightstand. I thought he might be going to refuse me. After all, he was supposed to be talking with his mother and sister. Then he urged me to lie down and, to my surprise and more relief than I should have been comfortable with, wrapped his muscled, tattooed arms around me in a warm, soothing embrace. “I’ll stay with you as long as you fuckin’ want, baby.” I loved the gruff tone of voice. He sounded like he might be as emotional as I was.
I wrapped my fingers around one of his forearms where they crossed in front of me, holding me to him. He grunted once. The second I settled, I took a deep breath… and I was out.
* * *
I woke to voices in the distance. I thought there was tension in the conversation and I gasped, sitting upright and scooting back until I felt the wall at my back. Only, the wall had some give to it. Not much, but it felt off. Besides, there was something in the back of my mind telling me to calm the fuck down. That’s when I realized I was actually in a bed, and nothing stank like dirty feet and excrement.
I took several deep breaths, trying to get my heart rate under control. The spike of adrenaline left me shaky and out of sorts, but everything came back to me in a rush. I was safe. One of the voices outside the bedroom was Gunnar’s. There was more than one woman’s voice talking over each other and one was now sobbing uncontrollably.
I was dressed in a pair of soft cotton pants and a T-shirt. Since I had no idea who else was out there, I took time to find the items Angel had brought for me and dug through them until I found a cotton sports bra. I slipped it on before putting the shirt back on, then opened the door carefully.