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)
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Were you planning on calling Molly? Or Bastien? Do you want to get them killed? Do you think I’d let them take you from me?”
She detested being weaker than he was. He could so easily use his physical strength against her.
Joshua threw his hands into the air, then pressed his fingers to his temples as if he had a headache. “I’ve had just about all I can take from you tonight,” he said quietly. “Do you need to use the bathroom, because we’re going to talk. We have to talk.”
He sighed again and ran his hand along the bloody rake mark across his chest. He looked vulnerable. Sad. He just stood there facing her, standing ramrod straight, blood dripping from his chest. His cheek. His thigh. Her heart contracted. She was terrified of him, believed he’d betrayed her, but her heart still clenched seeing him like that.
He pointed to the bathroom. “Damn it, baby, I know you’re scared and you have every reason to be, but please. I’m asking you. I’m begging you. Hear me out.”
She desperately needed to get away from him. Anything would be a respite. She nodded, trying to ignore the fact that her treacherous body knew he was close. It recognized him as the one who owned it, who ruled it. She wouldn’t have minded so much if it was just her body, but he owned her heart. Her soul. He’d shattered both. She thought she wouldn’t feel for him, but that look on his face, as if he was devastated. That moved her. That made her want to go over every word he’d said to her. To hear his voice, every nuance. She wanted to believe him. She turned and all but rushed toward the master bath.
“Leave the door open.”
“I’m not leaving the door open,” she protested.
He was on her again, catching her from behind, his hands on her upper arms, pulling her back to his front. Her close proximity was affecting his body the same way his was her. She felt his cock, thick and hard, pressed tightly against her. His hands were gentle on her, not hard and biting. His breath was warm against her skin.
“You all but told me you were willing to commit suicide, Sonia. I drove you to that. That man who loves you more than his own life. More than anyone’s life. I’m not taking chances with you. You have to hear me out. If you still can’t be with me after the threat to you is gone, I’ll try to let you go. I won’t lie to you. You walk out on us, my leopard will lose his mind. So will I, but I won’t have you so unhappy that you contemplate taking your own life.”
She closed her eyes. She couldn’t take his gentle. His sweet. She didn’t hear a single lie in his voice, but how could she trust herself? She didn’t even trust Gatita to ferret out truth from lies. “I don’t want that hunter’s death on me, Joshua. Please tell the others not to kill him if he comes looking around.”
“No one is going to harm him,” he said. “Just get into the shower. I’ve gotten blood all over you.”
He nuzzled her neck, pushing her hair from her nape. Each time she moved, even a little, his cock slid deliciously over her skin. She was ashamed for even thinking any kind of sexual thought, but it was far worse with her body reacting to his. She ached and burned, but more, her heart was bleeding.
“I’ll take a shower with the door open,” she conceded.
His hands dropped away, and he turned his back on her, pacing across the room. She noticed he didn’t turn on the lights. She didn’t either. She all but ran into the bathroom, straight to the shower. The hot water poured over her, and with it came tears. She didn’t understand what was happening.
She loved him. Loved him. How did she see the truth through that? How did she see betrayal through that? She’d been in exactly the same situation, maybe a different kind of love, but love all the same, and the man she’d believed since her childhood had tried to kill her. Was it really a coincidence that Joshua had a meeting with Nikita? Was that even possible? She wanted it to be but… She didn’t know what to do, what to believe.
She had a healthy sense of self-preservation. Maybe her body didn’t and it still wanted Joshua the second he was close to her, but her brain screamed out to run. She didn’t have that luxury so, standing under the spray of hot water, she forced calm back into the chaos. She had to think. She knew her brain was her greatest weapon. If she could think straight, she had a chance of divining the truth.