Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Then into the morning, the light started to slice through the corners of the curtains where they didn’t quite kiss the walls.
I think at that point, I was completely zoned out, lost in my own mind. Because I didn’t hear the comings and goings of my neighbors at all.
It wasn’t until there was a loud knock on my own door that I was shocked out of it, nearly falling off the couch in the process.
“Jade, open up. I’ve got bagels,” a familiar voice called.
I didn’t stop to think about how I was still in my ripped clothes from the night before, how I was likely covered in filth from being under the bed, that I probably had evidence of crying and lack of sleep all over my face.
All I could think of was that Levee was a big, strong guy. Someone who felt safe.
And I really, really wanted to feel safe again.
So I flew at the door, disengaging the alarmed doorstop, then sliding the locks, and throwing the door open.
Then there he was.
I just barely resisted the urge to throw my arms around him and drag him inside.
CHAPTER NINE
Levee
I tapped out of the festivities after the first club, finding myself kind of, I don’t know, bored.
I’d never felt that way about a night out on town before. The only thing I could chalk it up to was the fact that I wasn’t interested in any of the women who came around our table in the VIP section.
I couldn’t even say what it was about them that didn’t interest me. They were all pretty and engaging.
But they weren’t… Jade.
I guess it came down to that.
“You’re uncharacteristically introspective tonight,” Teddy said as he brought me over a glass of scotch from his bar, then moved to sit in the chair across from me.
“I guess I am,” I agreed, taking a sip of the drink and looking around his penthouse. I’d been there a dozen or so times before, but this was likely the only time I’d seen it while not actively drunk or hungover.
As enormous as the space was, I found it surprisingly comfortable. I got why Teddy lived here instead of the many other estates he and his family owned across the country.
“Would this happen to have something to do with a favor you asked for a friend of yours?” he asked, insightful as ever.
“Think it might,” I agreed, taking another sip.
“I’m assuming this friend is of the female persuasion.”
“Yep.”
“And very pretty.”
“Gorgeous.”
“I thought so,” he said, nodding as he looked off into the distance for a moment, reaching up with his hand to rub his jaw. “I feel like I’ve been here about half a dozen times already,” he admitted.
“What do you mean?”
“One of you clueless bikers sitting across from me, all up in their heads about a girl.”
“Oh,” I said, realizing that Teddy likely was the person a lot of the guys ended up confiding in. He, like Eddie, was a friend of the club without being a direct member. And that little level of detachment made it seem like he was a safer person to confess something to.
“History goes like this. Sad sack feeling all confused and lost about a beautiful woman. Me, offering eloquent and spot-on advice on how you can’t logic your way out of feelings. Them, completely disregarding that advice and going out of their ways to be complete fucking idiots. Only to circle back around, realize I was right, do what I said to do, and get the girl and the happily-ever-after,” he said, making me let out a small chuckle, easily seeing the other guys in the club acting exactly like that. “So how about we cut to the chase and you just take my advice.”
“I’m… not opposed to that,” I said.
“I know you guys are the party hard, different girl every night, nothing serious kind of men. Which generally means you have the emotional intelligence of fleas,” he said, making me snort into my drink. “But let me break it down for you. When you finally come across a woman who makes you leave a night of partying early to come and sit in an empty penthouse with a man you barely know, that’s the woman you want to slow down and spend some time with.”
“I’m seeing her in the morning,” I admitted.
“Let me guess. She’s being chased by a dangerous member of the Russian mafia or is being stalked by an ex-boyfriend.”
“Eh, not that I know of.”
“No shit,” he said, nodding. “Interesting. Well, even better. How’d you meet?”
“She chewed me out for not taking good enough care of my uncle. She’s his neighbor across the hall.”
“And she’s not writing super secret fan fiction about you online?” he asked, making me smile at the mention of Donovan’s girl.
“Not that I’m aware of. She’s an artist, not a writer. I did offer to pose nude for her, though,” I said, smiling.