Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Storee smirked and playfully jabbed her friend in the gut with her elbow.
I didn’t give a fuck if I was coming across as overbearing. She was mine to watch over. And the minute I got distracted, look what happened. I should have known she was coming here. This shouldn’t have been a surprise.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her every move. The way her slender fingers wrapped around the crystal flute, the way she sipped the champagne, the way the bubbles danced on her lips. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her, to claim her as mine. But I knew I couldn’t.
Storee’s eyes met mine. She leaned in closer to me, her body brushing so near that I could feel her heat.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her lips so close to my ear that her breath caressed my skin. “I didn’t mean to make you angry. I know this is your club, and I also know you had asked me to not ever come here. I should have respected that.”
I tried to maintain my composure, but the heat of her body next to mine was making it difficult.
“It’s not just about coming to The Vault. It’s about putting yourself in potentially dangerous situations. You need to be more careful,” I said, my voice low and rough. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
She smiled at me, her eyes lowering to her drink. “I know you don’t.” She took a sip and then added, “But I don’t always need to be your concern. You don’t owe me anything.”
I gritted my teeth, trying to control the urge to pull her onto my lap and show her just how possessive I could be. That she was most definitely my concern, and I owed her everything.
“Your father was my best friend. I owe it to Gabriel to continue to watch over you,” I said, my tone flat and unyielding. “I want to keep you safe. That’s all.”
She frowned at me, her eyes searching mine. “The Vault isn’t dangerous. Sex isn’t dangerous.”
“The people who come here can be, and the sex we like… can most definitely be dangerous.”
I glanced at my partners, my best friends, my found family sitting around the table and knew these men would always have my back. They’d make sure nothing would happen to me, and also that nothing would happen to Storee. But that still didn’t mean I felt she was safe in an environment like this.
Especially tonight.
The theme for the party was Heathens for a reason. Simply casting my eyes out to the crowd full of naked people engaged in sexual acts made me worry for her safety. It wasn’t just the risk of physical danger, but also the emotional danger of being in a place like this. I didn’t want her to be exposed to that kind of debauchery, to be corrupted by the darkness that lurked in the shadows of this club. I wasn’t so naïve as to believe she was a virgin, but she most definitely wasn’t experienced in anything besides a vanilla-flavored dick from time to time.
The Vault was completely out of her league.
And I sure as fuck didn’t want another man to touch her, or even think about fucking her.
Picturing that wolf fucker touching her… I was losing my cool again.
But I had to keep up appearances. I was the owner of The Vault, and I had to be seen as someone who was in control, someone who wasn’t rattled by anything.
I leaned in closer to Storee, taking her chin in my hand and forcing her to look at me. “I need you to understand that I will always keep you safe. Nothing will happen to you while I’m around, do you understand?”
She nodded, her eyes locked on mine. “I understand.”
“And places like this.” My stare darted to the dance floor. “Acts like this… Are not for girls like you.”
I released her chin, and she leaned back in her chair. “But you have to trust me too,” she said softly. “I’m not a child anymore, Locke. I can take care of myself. In ways you have no idea.”
I smiled at her, my fingers itching to run through her hair. “I know you can. But that doesn’t mean I won’t worry about you.”
She leaned in again, her lips brushing against my ear. “I like it when you worry about me.”
I nearly groaned. The heat of her breath on my skin was almost too much to handle. I had to pull away from her, had to regain some kind of control over myself.
I cleared my throat, turning to Braken. “What’s the status on security tonight?”
He shifted in his chair, his eyes scanning the crowd. “Everything’s under control. We’ve got men stationed throughout the club, and we’re keeping a close eye on the guests.”