Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
My kids would be up first thing in the morning, but I didn’t ask Grave to leave even when it was past midnight. My head lay on his chest, and I snuggled into his side, more comfortable against his hard body than on the softest bed in the world.
“So…what happened with Kyle?”
His body tensed underneath me. “I told you I handled it.”
“But what does that mean? He’s dead?”
“No. But he got his final warning.” Whenever he spoke, I could feel the vibration of his chest, feel the deepness in his voice.
I sat up, propping myself on my elbow so I could see his face. “So you think he won’t bother me anymore?”
One arm was propped under his neck as a pillow, and he raised his hand to trace my shoulder with his fingertips. “Not if he wants to keep breathing.”
“Good thing the other guys on the list didn’t have a problem.”
“They all know who I am.”
My fingers traced his hard chest, feeling the lines that separated his muscles. “So…do you have plans for Christmas?”
“No.”
“Just another day?”
“Just another day.”
“What about Camille?”
“What about her?”
“Is she still with you?”
“Yes.”
My fingers stopped on his chest, disappointed by that news. “She’s been with you for almost two weeks now…”
“She just got an apartment.”
“She did?”
“She’s moving out after Christmas. Can’t get the gas and electricity on over the holiday.”
The thought of them spending Christmas together in that beautiful apartment made me feel uneasy. They’d probably share Christmas dinner, have even more alone time together. “Don’t you think Cauldron would be upset if he knew how much time you were spending with his ex-girlfriend?”
“I don’t spend time with her.”
“You live together. How can you not spend time together?”
His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything—”
“We agreed our relationship was monogamous, so what are you worried about?”
When I was the recipient of that steely gaze, it was hard to think. “I can tell there’s more to your relationship than meets the eye. It makes me uncomfortable.”
He continued his hard stare.
I regretted saying anything.
“Even if that were true, what does it matter?”
My eyes narrowed. “It matters because—”
“It doesn’t matter because you and I have agreed that we don’t sleep with other people. I don’t want her, and I only want you. So can we drop this?”
“I just don’t understand why you won’t tell me—”
“Because it’s none of your business. That’s why.”
I turned absolutely still, both offended and hurt by his reaction.
He saw the damage he’d caused because he sighed and looked away. “This is a transaction, not a relationship. I’m not obligated to share every detail of my life with you, nor are you required to share anything with me. So let’s just drop it, alright?”
“That’s all this is to you? A transaction?” The words flew out of my mouth quicker than I could process them in my head.
He turned back to me, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What else would it be? You said yourself that you never wanted anything more. It was one of your rules, and a violation of that rule would result in the immediate termination of this arrangement.”
That conversation felt like a million years ago, but it’d only been about eight weeks since we’d met. It felt like this man had been at my side for years. “Yeah…you’re right.” A moment of clarity rushed back to me. I was a mother to two kids, and until they were out of the house, there could be nothing more for me. This was all I could ever have, a secret lover who fulfilled my fantasies in the dead of night. “I’m sorry.”
Absolute silence passed between us. Seconds turned into a minute. A minute turned into several.
“It’s late. I should get going.”
I bowed my head to his shoulder and pressed a kiss to his warm skin. “Stay.” When I lifted my head to look at him again, his intense eyes were on me. “I’ve become attached to you…come to really care for you. It’s made me a little jealous, I guess. I’m sorry I got carried away, so please don’t go.”
Those deep eyes remained glued to mine, hardly blinking. “I wouldn’t slam a guy into a glass table if I didn’t care for you too, sweetheart. I wouldn’t sneak over in the middle of the night if I didn’t desire you more than I’ve ever desired a woman in my life.”
I cupped his hard jaw and kissed him. “I got you a Christmas present.” I reached into my nightstand and pulled out a small box.
He examined it for several seconds before he took it, handling it awkwardly as if he’d never received a gift before. He eventually tore through the wrapping and opened the top of the box, revealing a nice watch.
“I noticed you’re always wearing a different watch…like you collect them.”