Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 139934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 700(@200wpm)___ 560(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 700(@200wpm)___ 560(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
“I see a theme,” he teased.
She flashed him a smile that nearly stopped his heart. “Happy endings or I’m not a fan,” she agreed. “What do you like to read?”
“My favorite was always Aleksandr Pushkin. I like classics, but of course Tolstoy and Pushkin. I consider Pushkin to be the founder of Russian literature. We had many arguments in my classes over this.”
“A little romance as well,” she said.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I would never admit that, not even to you.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Of course not, because you’re so tough. You worry about Evangeline, and yet you’re a tough guy.”
He wasn’t about to admit that yes, he did worry about his sister-in-law, but he had ulterior motives when it came to making certain his woman was visiting her when he was there working.
Ashe’s entire face lit up when she laughed. That laughter did something to his insides, turning him to mush, so he thought some of the ice that had frozen all emotions so many years earlier had melted and allowed her in deeper.
“Eat, woman. You need to keep up your strength. Your leopard is going to rise again soon and she’s going to be very demanding of us.”
She made a face at him. “She’s a little hussy. Thank you for the care last night, the soaking in the tub really helped. I can’t imagine what I’d be feeling like now if you hadn’t done that. As it is, I didn’t put on any panties because I thought exposure to the air would help heal me.”
He groaned. “Baby. Really? You’re going to tell me right now you aren’t wearing any panties and then in the next breath tell me you have to heal?”
Her grin turned mischievous and he knew she’d done so deliberately to tease him. She licked the syrup off her fork. “Yep. That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Not a stitch on under this dress. And you were delicious this morning. Shame on me for missing my opportunity to wake you up properly.”
“Now my fuckin’ cock is as hard as a rock again.” He glared at her.
She threw her head back and laughed again. The sound filled the room and his heart with joy. He hadn’t considered that having a woman could be fun. She made the simplest things exciting and amusing. He already couldn’t imagine his life without her. From the moment he opened his eyes, he’d looked forward to the day.
His phone vibrated, and he took it out of his pocket and glanced down at the text. “Cops are back asking questions. Fyodor would like us over there, you for Evangeline and me to answer questions.”
“About what?”
He shrugged. “It’s always something. You’re going to have to get used to a little bit of harassment. He’s called our lawyer just to be on the safe side. Come on, we’ve got to go. Get your shoes.”
“I’ll stay here and do dishes. I don’t feel like getting dressed.”
“You’re going to have to come with me. You don’t need to get dressed, just get your shoes. You look beautiful.”
“What if the little hussy suddenly makes an appearance?” She sounded nervous.
“They aren’t leopard. They won’t be able to tell and, in any case, they won’t be there that long. Let’s go see what they want.” She was coming with him, even if he had to carry her, but he waited patiently, hoping she would come to the conclusion he wanted.
She heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. But if she comes out and gets all amorous with cops, that’s on you, not me.”
“I won’t hold you accountable.” He might kill a few cops, but he wouldn’t blame her.
They walked over to the main house, which was a good distance away. He held her hand, feeling a little bit of a fool, but liking the way it felt in his larger one. It was a new experience for him and one he savored. He’d pulled on a tight tee and loose drawstring pants. His loafers he could kick off immediately if he needed to shift.
Ashe wore her long dress and a pair of sandals. He liked that she wasn’t in the least bit shy about her lack of underwear. She seemed utterly unaware of it, while he was aware with every single step he took.
When they entered the house, Gorya nodded toward the sitting room. It was the one place Fyodor consistently took guests, especially the police. They could easily contain anyone in that cozy little room. The walls had secrets. And catching an enemy in a crossfire was extremely easy. The lighting threw more shadows than light. Timur walked in with Ashe and chose the two chairs Fyodor had left in the darkest area of the room for him.
Jeff and Ray were there, along with two other cops, one in uniform. The fact that the other man wasn’t in uniform meant he was at least a detective. Timur was introduced and found out the newcomer’s name was Anton Lipin. The uniform cop was Finn Moran, an Irishman through and through.