Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
“Lioness.”
It was rumbled, even though he never took his lips from hers.
The sad truth was, this was all they would ever have. Stolen moments, and even those had an expiration date. Sooner than she would like to admit. She fisted him, pumping him, loving the feel of his heavy weight in her hand, wishing beyond anything she could have him again.
Winding one arm around his neck, she pushed herself into him more. Sucking on his tongue, she purred in the back of her throat. He traced his hands along her figure, settling upon her hips and began to lift.
Rosamunde shook her head. “No.”
He drew back enough to see her eyes. His blue eyes flickered in the fire and she whimpered. This hurt more than she thought possible.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you before? Was it too rough?” He furrowed his brow. “Was I too rough with you?”
Tears for a different reason pricked the backs of her eyes. “No, I loved everything about what happened.” She brushed the pads of her fingers along his jaw. “I have to go.”
She witnessed the immediate denial coming to his lips and she shook her head before he could voice it. Backing to the door, she pressed her fingers to her lips and forced a smile.
“Thank you for everything. There’s no need to continue our arrangement as you no longer train my brother.” Digging deep, she fought off the desire to throw herself into his arms and ask him to take her with him to America. “Goodbye, Bryn. Have a good life.”
She walked out of the room, to the front door and out of Bryn St. Martin’s life.
Her exit from the house wasn’t as private as she would have liked. Keely was there and pulled her into one last adventure together. A sad smile on her face, she climbed into the waiting carriage, trying to resign herself to a life without love after having experienced it firsthand.
* * * *
What the actual fuck?
Knees shaking from the intensity of the orgasm she’d just given him, his dick hanging out of the flaps of his pants, Bryn couldn’t run after her until he’d put himself away, and his fingers weren’t the most reliable either. Once he’d managed to button up—the two goddamn buttons that had allowed the intense pleasure to happen—and stepped out into the hallway, he knew she was gone.
Felt it in his soul.
And he hated it.
This woman had given him everything he’d been dumb enough to believe he wanted. No strings. No commitment. Not even a plea or three asking him to save her, pay off the money to give her the freedom she desperately desired.
It had been all over her face how much she’d wanted to get away from the life she’d been born into. No request had ever come. She’d never even hinted at it.
Quite the opposite actually.
The times that he’d slipped up and mentioned things about the future, she’d shot him down with a laugh and some self-deprecating comment.
And now, after having the pleasurable experience of her body, her legs clamped around him as she cried his name to the room and perhaps the entire gaming hell… Enjoying the pleasure of her taste on his tongue, her nails raking his scalp as she tugged on his hair. Hell, even the unforgettable sight of her perched at the edge of her chair as she sucked his cock better than any woman he’d been with before. All of it had led to this moment. Him alone as he’d trained his brain to lie to him about in regards to her. His heart as well.
And she walks away from me.
Blow to the ego? Yes.
Breaking his heart?
Fuck yes.
Even though it was pointless, he still yanked open the front door of his family town home. Nothing. No sign of her, either direction.
“Can I help you, my lord?”
Turning, he found the family’s butler standing there, face without a shred of expression. As usual.
“Miss Fletcher?”
“She and Miss St. Martin left. I believe your sister mentioned taking Miss Fletcher home.”
Less than pleased she wasn’t with him, he knew she was safe with his sister. Still didn’t stop the gnawing at his conscience that he was making one colossal mistake letting this woman go.
Exhaling slowly, he patted the butler, Draper, on the shoulder as Bryn shuffled by him, exhausted suddenly both emotionally and physically.
“Begging your pardon, my lord, but are you well? Could I get you anything?”
He paused and turned back to the man he’d had in his life since his mother had brought them over from America, a second father if he cared to think about it. Draper traded off with Weeks a lot and so Bryn knew him very well. He’d been consistent in Bryn’s life, always there when they were in the city.
“I thought so.” He shrugged. I can’t let her go. I have to find a way to keep this woman in my life.