Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Why not? Why can’t we just leave it at that? Sex. It’s good. Better than good.” She shivered and rubbed her hands down her arms.
Joshua realized the night had turned a little cold with the breeze rising to a wind. He slung his arm around her and walked her toward the door. Weather could change quickly, raining one minute and the sun breaking out the next. The moment he stepped into her house, his leopard went wild. Wild. He could barely contain the snarling beast. Every muscle contracted, his skin rippling as the cat tried to force his way out.
He thrust her away from him, pushing back at the animal fighting for supremacy.
“What is it?”
“He smells another man.” He could barely get the words out. His skull didn’t fit in his skin, the pressure causing blinding pain. His teeth filled his mouth, pushing to be more.
“It was Bastien Foret. He came here to check on my friend Molly.”
The absence of any indication of hesitation or lie saved them. Joshua had never once experienced his leopard fighting for takeover. Not like that. That battle had been swift and brutal. He was angry with his cat. Furious. What the fuck did you think you were going to do? Hurt her? Hurt my woman? It was the first time he’d ever been truly incensed at his leopard.
The cat backed down immediately. Never. I would hunt down and kill this man.
He is innocent. You reacted before she had the chance to tell us. You would have killed an innocent man. What the hell is wrong with you?
The leopard was silent as if trying to regain his formidable temper. She will not commit to us. She wants to take Gatita and run.
Joshua’s heart thudded, and he looked at Sonia. She stood waiting, knowing he was struggling with his leopard, but instead of fear, she was unmoving.
“You act scared of me half the time, the times you shouldn’t be, and then now, when my leopard is losing his fucking mind, you just stand there. He might have killed you.” He was angry with his leopard, himself and the situation.
She shook her head. “Gatita wouldn’t let that happen.”
“Leopards have vicious tempers. You know that. They can be very dangerous when they’re angry.”
“So can their counterpart,” she replied, looking him right in the eye.
He didn’t know whether she referred to him or to herself. “Tell me why Bastien felt he needed to check on Molly. She’s the landscaper, right? I haven’t been to her nursery, the gardeners have. We’re trying to use all local people, and she’s very knowledgeable according to everyone around these parts. Is something wrong?”
“That’s Molly’s story to tell.”
“So, something is wrong.” He moved deeper into her house, looking around her modernized kitchen. It was beautiful, with gleaming countertops and a tiled floor. “She’s obviously confided in you. If she’s in trouble, I need to know two things. You don’t have to be specific, just tell me if there’s something I can do to help. You know I have certain specialties. And if any of her problems leak over to you.”
She ran her fingertips along the countertop. “I think she’s talked herself into believing she’s safe when she’s not.”
His head came up, his gaze focusing on her. She was talking about Molly, but she was also talking about herself. He heard it in her voice. He wanted to grab her, take her back to his home and surround her with guards night and day. A thought shimmered into his mind. One he didn’t want to think about, but had to consider. Husband. Could she be married? His gaze strayed to her left hand before he could stop it. It was bare. He needed her to trust him enough to confide in him.
“Are you thinking of running? My cat thinks you are. It makes him uneasy and temperamental. That makes me the same way.”
Her lashes fluttered again, drawing his attention to them. Long. Thick. Dark like her hair, framing her exotic dark chocolate eyes. She was looking down at the countertop as if it would somehow come to life and save her from answering. He refrained from speaking, letting the silence stretch out until she finally sighed.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t be in a relationship with you.”
His heart did an odd clenching that told him he was in deep trouble. She fought a relationship with him when she had to know they were meant to be together. She wanted to protect him even more than herself. The thought kept growing, and he didn’t like it at all.
He took her hand, pulled her beneath his shoulder and kept walking through the kitchen. One room led straight into the next, just as it did in his home. “Why not?” They were in her formal dining room. She hadn’t yet restored this room, but she had several oil paintings hung on the wall. They were all of the swamp. They were beautiful, and he stopped to admire them.