Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“I know our marriage isn’t real, Leo, but I hope you're discreet with your affairs.”
“The fuck does that mean?”
“I know you don’t like me, but if we could—”
“You have no clue how I feel about you. Trust me on that.” I can’t stop the tears from coming.
“Fuck you, Leo.” I’m so sick of the way he treats me.
“You want to fuck me, Tinsley? Scratch that itch for the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks?” I feel him behind me. The heat of his body. I close my eyes, trying to get all these overwhelming emotions under control.
I’m going to shatter. It’s all too much. Losing my parents, almost losing Sol. My parents took all the dreams I ever had for my life with them. More than that, all these mixed-up feelings I have for Leo are overwhelming. Why is my heart doing this to me?
“Why do you hate me so much? You were this way before you were forced to marry me. I don’t understand.”
“Tins—”
“Don’t call me that. My friends call me that. You hate me.” I spin around to face him. Our bodies brush up against one another. I gasp when I see his face. “What happened to you?” His lip has a split in it, and there is a bruise forming on his jaw. My fingers itch to touch it. To comfort him in some way, but I know that won’t be received well by him, so I keep my hands to myself.
“I don’t hate you.” If I wasn’t so angry, I think my jaw would have hit the floor at his admission. He could have fooled me. Because the last time I checked, people are only this rude to people if they dislike them.
“I wish I could hate you.” I push past him. “I know you won’t let me help you with your face. There is a first aid kit in the bathroom by the front door.”
He calls my name, but I’m already booking it up the stairs to my bedroom. I don’t stop until I’m in my room with the door locked before I let the rest of my tears escape. I fall onto my bed, wrapping my arms around a pillow, needing to hang on to something.
“Fuck me.” I groan, remembering the paperwork I left on the kitchen counter for anyone to see.
CHAPTER 9
LEO
A baby. Tins needs a baby to keep all her money. Maybe she really meant it when she said she wanted to fuck. She’s a good girl, which means she would have problems asking, and is it really wrong for her to want a taste of what’s on the other side of the menu? The greasy, bad for you, full of calories, make you sick if you eat too much side?
Everyone deserves one serving of that. I throw the papers back onto the counter and head up to the prohibited fourth floor.
Both doors on either side of the landing are closed. There’s no light under Sol’s door, and Tinsley’s appears equally quiet. I try the handle it, and it opens.
“Who’s there?” a watery voice says.
Guilt pinches me in the back of the neck. I made her cry. I shove those negative feelings away. I’m going to make her feel good to make up for it.
“Leo.” I shut the door and cross the room.
Tinsley sits up and hugs a pillow to her chest as if the feathers and cotton can provide some kind of shield to my assholery.
“Why are you here?”
“I’m doing my husbandly duty.”
“What?”
I toe off my boots and pull my hoodie over my head, wincing as the fabric scrapes across my split lip. Kissing her is going to be out of the question. Probably for the best.
“Why are you taking your clothes off?”
“I saw the papers. It said you need to have a baby, which I’m willing to provide.” I pull down my jeans to expose exactly how willing I am.
The pillow falls from her arms. She licks her lips. “I’m getting artificially inseminated.”
“Now you don’t have to.” I place my hand on her ankle. If she moves away, I’ll leave. But the idea of another man’s baby inside of her would kill me. I might not think I’m good enough for her, but I don’t think anyone else is either.
She remains completely still. “What if I said no?”
“Then I’ll say goodnight.”
“What about that?” She points to my monstrous cock.
“I’ve jerked off before. No shame in that.” God knows since she came into my life, that’s all I do.
Her eyebrows go up.
“What? You’ve never touched yourself?”
She repeats the lip rubbing. If she does it again, I don’t think I’ll need to jerk off. I’ll just come on her white sheets.
“Is that really any of your business?” she says primly.
I muffle a laugh behind my fist. Poor girl is full of tension with no release. “Next time, I’ll teach you how to masturbate.”