Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Oblivious to the reason for his annoyance, Fabien dips his chin in thanks, tells me he will be back in a minute, then makes his way to Elaine.
He is barely out of earshot when Caleb says, “There’s an Uber waiting for you out front.”
“I don’t need an Uber. Fabien—”
“Got you drunk so he can take advantage of you. Don’t do this, Jessie. Don’t let my actions dampen your smarts.”
I laugh off his claims as if I didn’t have the same worry only minutes ago. “Even if he did plow me with drinks to weaken my smarts, I know how to take care of myself.”
“No, you can’t, and that is why you’re taking an Uber home.”
I stomp down my foot like a child. “I’m not taking an Uber.”
Caleb steps so close to me I see the defiance in my eyes sparkling in his. “We’re not doing this, Jessie. Not here,” he says, his tone clipped. “There is an Uber waiting for you out front. Get your ass in it now.”
Incapable of backing down without a fight, I fold my arms in front of my chest, forcing the space we desperately need, then say, “I’m leaving with Fabien, so how about you take your Uber and shove it up your ass.”
When he peers at someone behind my shoulder, I follow the direction of his gaze.
Bad mistake on my part. The unsteadiness of my legs already has me at a disadvantage, not to mention my gawk of a man with burnt orange hair and a suit matching Caleb’s leaves me defenseless to Caleb’s quick maneuver. He snatches my wrist out from under my breast, yanks me forward, then tosses me on his shoulder.
“Put me down!”
He moves for the SUV idling on the curb so fast, my squealed demand has only just left my mouth when he opens the back door, dumps me inside, then slams the door shut.
Uncaring that I’m making a spectacle of myself, I slide across the warm leather seats, toss open the door on the other side, then sprint down the alleyway as fast as my drunk ass can move.
I make it halfway to a stunned-faced Fabien before Caleb catches up with me. He bands his arm around my waist and yanks me back until my backside is squashed against his crotch. Plastering my booty to his cock is the only way he can guarantee he won’t get a knee lodged in his groin.
Fabien almost comes to my rescue. He would have if Caleb didn’t hit him with a stern finger point before telling him to walk away.
Like a man with no gull, Fabien holds his hands in the air then backs away like I’m not worth the effort. “I was just driving her home.”
“And now I am,” Caleb retorts, his voice unlike anything I’ve ever heard. “So you can kindly fuck off.”
This time, he doesn’t toss me into the Uber, then wait for my defiance to rocket. He slides into the back seat with me still attached to his front before signaling for the driver to go, which he does even without us wearing seat belts or having our own seats.
I fight to get out of Caleb’s clutch the entire way home, but the only time he releases me from his hold is when we reach our apartment block thirty long, tiring minutes later.
“How dare you do that!” I scamper off his lap and fumble out of the SUV. “I’m not a fucking child. I know what I’m doing.”
Caleb waits for the Uber to reverse out of the alleyway before replying, “He was going to take advantage of you, Jessie. He was going to hurt you.”
“And let me guess, the only person who is allowed to do that is you?”
When he takes a step back as if fatally wounded by my question, I shake my head before storming for the lobby. “You’re a fucking asshole, Caleb.”
My brisk speed slows when he mutters, “Never denied it, Jessie.”
I whip around so quickly, my hairpiece slaps my face. “Don’t do that. Stop reeling me in every time I might finally get free of you.” Tears build in my eyes so fast I can’t stop them from falling while saying, “I can’t do this anymore, Caleb. The to and fro. It is killing me, and it is making me hate you.”
He shakes his head. “You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do.”
He continues shaking his head. “No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do, Caleb!” I shout, my words ricocheting off the brick walls surrounding us and piercing my ears. “You can’t tell me what I can and cannot feel. You’re not fucking God. I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you are not him.”
He looks like he wants to shout a thousand words and share every secret his eyes guard with so much protectiveness I will never know them all, but instead of using words to express himself, he uses actions.