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)
All amusement was gone from his face, leaving his features stony and cold. His ever-changing eyes were back to green-blue. She didn’t know which was worse, knowing that his leopard was there staring at her like so much prey, or the man, doing the same thing.
“We are not fuck buddies,” he hissed, between clenched teeth. “You are permanent. Mine. My woman. My mate. I’m not your damn boyfriend. I’m no boy and I’m not yet your friend. We’re working on that. I’m your man. Your mate. I belong to you in the same way you belong to me. I have your body and you have mine. I want your heart and your mind. I want to be your best friend. And I want to be all that for you.”
He was nuts. Crazy. Totally insane. He was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen – and the scariest, and she’d seen plenty of scary men. She touched her tongue to her lips, trying to think. Up close to the heat of his body, breathing him in with every breath, feeling his dangerous pull, it was impossible to think straight. She looked around her, needing a reprieve. “What do you do? Why are all these men working around your home?”
“Have you ever heard of Drake Donovan? He runs a security agency.”
She’d heard of him. As far away as Miami, Drake Donovan’s name was known. She nodded without speaking, because she couldn’t say where she’d heard the name if he asked.
“He has teams all over the world. We go in and take back victims that have been kidnapped. Or we do the drop to pay the ransom. Sometimes we act as bodyguards. I run one of his branches, and most of the men take the jobs when needed. Right now, we’re trying to put this place together. There are cabins everywhere, all of which need updating. Aside from the main house, I’ll need each of those fixed up or torn down and rebuilt. The grounds need work. We have enemies, so I need a decent, up-to-date security system. And then there’s you.”
He wasn’t lying about any of those things. Gatita heard the truth in his voice, yet… Sonia didn’t altogether trust him.
I do.
You do because you want to be with his leopard, you hussy.
“Tell me the reason you’re afraid to be with me.”
“I just met you,” she repeated. “I don’t really know you. I’m not going to make some crazy commitment when I don’t have a real clue who you are.”
“Fine. Then agree to work here.” He gestured back toward the house. “You can see the work is legitimate. And agree to see me outside of work.”
The temptation was strong, even though she knew better. “It isn’t a good idea,” she said reluctantly, but he was already smiling.
“Maybe not, but we need to try.” He caught her hand. “Let me show you the cabins. I didn’t tell Jerry about them because I wanted to ask you if they just needed to be torn down. If so, my men can start that work, and you can bring in crews to rebuild. There’s history there, but the feel of them when I go inside is…” He trailed off. “I’d rather you judge for yourself.”
Sonia went with him, terrified of what she’d just done, what she’d committed to doing in the future. Seeing him. What was wrong with her? She might get him killed. But was she going to live her life completely alone? He was leopard. He obviously knew more about that world than she did. He could explain things. Teach her. Everyone thought she was dead. There was no reason anyone would be looking for her.
They moved together in silence, walking along a worn path deeper into the grove of trees. She could see that small cabins dotted the trail. They were very old and some were so dilapidated, no matter how historical they were, they were too far gone to be saved. The cabin he took her to had been updated with more modern conveniences.
He stepped back, staying on the porch, opened the door and waved her through. For some reason, that made Sonia reluctant to enter. She studied his face for a moment. It was an expressionless mask. His face looked as if it could have been chiseled from the hardest stone, and his leopard was back, those crystalline blue eyes staring at her. A muscle ticked in his jaw, drawing attention to the darker blond shadow there.
Touching her tongue to the bite mark on her lower lip, she stepped inside the cabin and knew instantly what Joshua had been talking about. Gatita went wild, throwing herself against the restraints put on her by Sonia’s human form. Snarling. Clawing. Raking for freedom. She smelled blood and torture. She heard the walls screaming. Death was there. Sonia had to fight to keep the cat from shifting. It wasn’t easy, but she kept a firm hold.