Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 72340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Amara has slept the whole afternoon, and though I want to wake her, every time I walk into the room to do it, I can’t. She looks so at peace in bed, and I know if I wake her, the peacefulness that resides within her now will be gone.
Instead, I sit in the chair across from the bed and watch her delicate body. I appreciate her plump lips, the slope of her back, and the way her mouth parts as she allows a sigh to escape her lips as she sleeps.
She is magnificent, and she is mine. No longer able to hold back, I slip back into bed beside her. I need her to wake up. I need to talk to her, tell her how much her life has changed. The moment she saved my life is the moment she became a part of this war.
“Piccolo…” I whisper in her ear. She doesn’t move, and for a moment, I think she doesn’t hear me. That is until my eyes sweep across her face. Her big, brown, doe eyes are wide open, peering up at me.
“What time is it?” she asks, her voice full of sleep. I smile at the sound.
“It’s late. I just figured after letting you sleep all day, you would want to get up.” She rolls over, stretching. My dick automatically awakens, rising to the occasion. Of course, the fucker wants to interfere right now when I have business to discuss.
Her eyes roam the room as if she is looking for something. I wonder what she is thinking. Is she scared, worried, afraid? Does she think I will kill her after everything that has happened between us?
“What is going on in that head of yours?” I ask, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. I have never been the type to caress, touch, love. There isn’t a bone in my body that is made for such simple touches.
“I’m just thinking about how much things have changed. When I woke up, it took me a second to realize where I was and what was going on.”
Sighing, I look deeply into her eyes. “Things are going to change. Whatever life you had before this is gone. You and the person you used to be are gone. The second you saved my life is the second that everything changed for you.”
A smile pulls at her lips as her brown eyes sparkle brightly in the light. “My life changed the moment you took me.”
“I know that, but I mean it will never be the same. Ever. Whatever freedoms you had before, you don’t have now. I know I promised you that you could leave, and you can. I swear to God, when all this is over, if you want to run, you can. You can go wherever the fuck you want to go, but just know that while you’re here with me, you’re mine.” I’m being possessive, and I don’t even fucking care. What Jared said to me hit a nerve.
“Yours.” I kind of like the sound of that.” She laughs softly.
“Yes, mine. Now, I have a plan, and it’s going to involve us staying in hiding for a while.” I am never one for running and hiding, and if I didn’t have someone I actually cared about for the first time in my life beside me, I wouldn’t be hiding now either.
“What’s your plan?” she asks, genuinely curious about what I’m going to say.
“Mack and Eli are coming back in a few days.” She cringes slightly at the sound of Eli’s name, and I’m wondering why. Did he do something to her?
“Great. What else?” She sounds completely displeased with the idea of Eli, and I can’t help but ask again.
Moving closer to her, I rest my hand on her shoulder. “Is there something I should know about? Did Eli do something to you?” There had been so many times when I allowed him to go downstairs and check on her without my knowledge of what took place. Then again, this is Eli, one of my trusted friends. He wouldn’t go against my orders.
“No…” Amara’s voice shakes as the lie escapes her lips. Anger rushes through me as my hand slips from her shoulder and up to the back of her neck, where I grip her tightly, pulling her face to mine. Our lips are almost touching when I speak.
“Never. I mean, never lie to me. Tell me whatever it is that you have to, but never lie to me. Dishonesty will get you killed faster than anything in this world. Even if it hurts to tell the truth, say it anyway because at least you said it.”
My eyes dart over her succulent lips, and the thought of taking her tongue into my mouth is sending my thoughts to all the wrong places.