Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
“Yes.”
He stopped and adjusted the ballcap on his head. “The truth is, I’d feel better if you were down here with me during the day. Is that okay?” He glanced at Hawking.
Hawking blew out a long breath. “Yes. I’d feel better if she were down here, too. I don’t think I could effectively do my job managing security if I didn’t know she was protected.”
Magnus gave a nod. “It’s settled then. Bring Celeste down here before you leave in the morning. I’ll have a computer set up for her and get her prints put in the system at that time, too.”
Celeste felt like they were both being a bit high-handed, not even asking her how she felt about the sequestration. But she knew they were just worried about her safety. Plus, she was itching to open her files and do some more research. It had been days since she’d last put on her scientist’s hat. She could use the stimulation and the distraction.
She realized both men were staring at her. “What?” she asked, glancing back and forth between them.
Hawking set a hand on her back. “Are you okay with that plan?”
She smiled. Ah, so they were finally going to include her. “Yes, Daddy,” she said in the sweetest voice. She felt like skipping to the elevator.
Two minutes later, they were in Daddy’s apartment. He led her straight through to his bedroom. “Bath or shower, CB?”
She followed him into the huge master bath and stared longingly at the huge, jetted bathtub. Her mouth nearly watered. She hadn’t had a bath in a long time. She’d never felt like she had enough time to luxuriate in a tub. The thought of soaking with bubbles all around her made her nearly drool.
Hawking chuckled. “I guess you’d like to take a bath.” He put the stopper in the bottom, turned on the water, and adjusted it until he got it just right.
“I’d love it. Do you mind?”
“Nope. Do you mind if I join you?”
She gave him a slow smile while feeling kind of shocked by his suggestion. It was loaded with possibilities. But she wasn’t sorry. She’d been panting after him from the moment she’d met him and had lusted harder with every kiss he’d given her.
Celeste didn’t have a lot of experience with men, but she wasn’t a virgin. She’d had sex with men sometimes—usually with other men in her field. None of them had impressed her. They’d mostly been awkward and sloppy. She hadn’t found sex to be something she longed to participate in.
Until she’d met Hawking. With his dark skin and darker eyes, she’d found herself staring at him several times. Every time he’d held her hand or wrapped his arms around her, she’d been mesmerized by the difference in their skin tones. Mesmerized in the way that made her nipples hard and her pussy wet.
“Celeste?” Hawking prompted.
She shook herself out of her lusty thoughts. “What?”
He chuckled as he sauntered closer to her. He set his hands on her hips and met her gaze. “I asked if you’d like me to join you. You didn’t answer, but you did look ready to rip my clothes off. Is that a yes?”
“Are you going to make love to me?” she blurted.
“Are you ready for that step in our relationship? I don’t want you to feel pressured. I can take a bath with you without having sex, CB.”
She licked her lips and decided to be brave. “I think I’d like you to have sex with me.”
He gave her a slow smile. “You think?” he teased.
“I know I would. And then I’d like you to sleep under the covers this time so I can truly snuggle up with you like your cuddle bug.”
“I’d really like that, Celeste.” He grabbed the hem of her shirt and drew it over her head before holding her biceps and staring at her bra-covered chest. “Damn. You are so beautiful. I saw a picture of you dressed in the sexiest emerald dress before you got here. It was stunning, but it didn’t do you justice.”
She blushed. “You saw a picture from the gala?”
“Uh-huh. It was in the information Kingsley gave me when he assigned me to protect you. You were so gorgeous that I had to beat the rest of the team back with a stick to get them to stop staring at you.”
Celeste gasped. “Everyone saw that picture? I know the one. It was in the tabloids.”
“Yep. Does that embarrass you? It shouldn’t. It wasn’t indecent. It was just so stunning that I got possessive.”
She giggled. “You hadn’t met me.”
“I didn’t need to, CB. I just knew.”
“Well, I hate to bust your bubble, but I don’t usually look like that. I never wear makeup. I don’t even know how to put it on. I’m a science nerd through and through. A hairdresser and a makeup artist worked their magic on me for that event.”