Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
She pales, and I growl as I pull her close.
“They needed me unattached, to try and get one of their girls with me to get what they were after. If they saw you as a threat to my being single…” I clench my jaw. “Well, I don’t want to imagine what they’re capable of.”
“So, you walked away,” she whispers.
I grin. “Sort of. I made enough of a show of interest in you that you’d at least be on their radar. I asked your manager about you, loud enough that I knew The Agency’s guy loitering in the shop tailing me would hear. I went back when you weren’t working and asked one of your coworkers about you, and if you had a boyfriend.”
Simone starts to grin, her brows raised as she shakes her head at me.
“That is some serious James Bond spy stuff!”
I grin as I lean in to kiss her. “Damn right it is. And it worked.”
Her smile falters for a moment. “God, wait, Bianca…” her face falls. “Knox, you got her into The Agency?”
Okay, it’s true. I’m a devious motherfucker.
“I did. I knew she was your roommate, and also financially running on fumes, and also pretty.”
That flash of jealousy sears across Simone’s face, and I chuckle as I kiss the top of her head.
“Easy, little one,” I purr. “I saw her out, at some club, and I made a very, very weak pass at her, knowing The Agency was watching.”
Simone scowls, and I grin at her. “You know how sexy you look when you get that jealous look on your face?”
She twists her mouth, trying to hide the smile.
“I’m not interested in your friend, love,” I whisper, nodding at the ring on her finger. “I hope you get that.”
She grins sheepishly. “I do.”
“Well, I made a few crude passes at your friend, just pretending to be a drunk rich asshole and telling her how I just wanted something casual, again, loudly. I had my tech guy turn off her credit card, too, so when she went to pay her tab, it came up with insufficient funds. Simone,” I sigh. “Trust me, I owe your friend an apology, but it was all part of the plan. And sure enough, those Agency assholes were on her that very night, recruiting her when she was most desperate, like the jackals they are. They got her to get to me, of course. But I summarily dismissed her the two times she made pretty bad attempts at feigning interest in me out at some club.”
Simone stares, shaking her head before she frowns.
“But, Knox, she…” her face darkens. “God, Bianca did work for The Agency, though,” she says quietly, lips pursing tight. “Knox, there were men she did jobs for.”
There’s a sickly tone to her voice as her face sours.
“My friend had to go seduce three—”
“No.”
I smile, and Simone frowns.
“Excuse me?”
“Simone, your friend has, shall we say, embellished quite a few factors of her life. She did work for The Agency, but it wasn’t the number of men she told you, trust me.”
She frowns. “And how do you know?”
I grin. “Does anything about what I’m telling you make you think I’d ‘wing it’ with any part of this?”
She smiles furtively.
“Bianca didn’t have to go home with the number of men she may have told you. It was…” I smile. “Well, perhaps she should tell you. It’s not three, though. And trust me, she’s as set right now as you are, for similar reasons.”
Her brows shoot up. “What?”
“Beautiful,” I spread my arms. “There was no ‘chance’ to any part of this. I had it all planned out, including who Bianca was set up with. You should hear it from her, but trust me, she’s finding her own happy ever after right now, too.”
Simone shakes her head, a small smile creeping over her lips.
“You are a very tricky guy, you know.”
I chuckle. “Just call me Bond.”
“Bianca’s really okay?”
“She’s in very good hands, and she is much more than okay. Trust me.”
She smiles as she wraps her arms around me. “I do.”
“Good.”
I sigh, pulling her close as I nuzzle my face into her neck.
“I’ve wanted you for so fucking long, beautiful,” I growl. She turns her face towards me, and my fingers slide into her long blonde hair as our mouths come together heatedly.
“And now, I’ve got you.”
“Damn right you do,” she breathes, moaning as she kisses me. “I mean,” she giggles. “You did ask me to marry you on our first date.”
I grin. “Damn right I did.”
“That’s actually pretty hot.”
I shrug. “I know what I want, and I know when I want it.”
“And you wanted me, huh?” she breathes.
“Always.”
Our lips come crashing together again, and I growl as I scoop her into my arms and start marching for my bedroom again.
“You don’t ever get tired, do you?” she moans eagerly into my mouth.