Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
How could she sound so charming talking about death? She could be talking about a lovely garden for all the warmth in her tone. Again. It felt like she was playing a part. She was doing it well. If he hadn’t spent much of his life trying to figure out who was being true and who was lying, he would buy her story hook, line, and sinker. He was sure Jared would. The minute she walked out, Jared would be all over him, telling him how amazing she was, how good she would be for the job.
Jared was far too much an optimist.
Footsteps fell, warning him that someone was coming. One of the things he liked about the dungeon was the concrete floors and the echoing sounds. No one could sneak up on him. He could hear them coming. Except he only heard one set of footsteps.
And yet three men strode into the dungeon.
Yeah. He needed to get Shane and Dec to teach him how they did that. It might never come up in a movie, but he was a man who liked to learn. It was how he knew about firearms. His brain was a veritable pool of somewhat useless knowledge.
He noticed that Ms. Summers hadn’t turned. Merely kept her eyes on him. Most people would instinctively look back, calling it curiosity. Josh knew it was something deeper. It was the lizard part of the brain, always watching its back. Kayla Summers wasn’t worried about hers.
“You asked for us, Mr. Hunt?” Shane’s deep voice rumbled through the room.
“Yes, I wanted to know if you have any experience with Ms. Summers since you all work for the same company.”
“We work in different offices,” Shane explained. “I’m in Dallas. She’s been in London since she hired on. We’ve met before, but I haven’t worked formally with her. Hey, Kay.”
Kayla turned her head and gave Shane and Declan a friendly nod. “It’s nice to see you both.”
Dec’s mouth quirked up in a smirk, though Josh rather thought that was simply how the man smiled. Anything that seemed to amuse the big fucker brought that arrogant smirk out. “I think he’s wondering about Kay’s experience, Shane. I believe the boss here wants to know if she’s padding her résumé with some skills she doesn’t have.”
Though her face didn’t change at all, he practically felt the chill roll off her.
That woman was pissed. Was she pissed because he was about to call her bluff?
Shane’s brows rose. “Oh. Shit. Uhm, she’s really good at her job, Mr. Hunt. I might not have worked with her, but I’ve read her file and heard plenty of stories. I would not fuck with her. Not at all.”
“She weighs maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet,” he pointed out.
Though she had curves in all the right places. Still, he had to know. His life was on the line. Hers, too. He couldn’t pick a bodyguard because he wanted her in bed.
Hell, he wasn’t going to pick her anyway. Any connection he’d felt had been cut by her answer about how she’d gotten involved in the lifestyle. He wanted, no, required someone who needed to submit. Not for relaxation. Not for kinky fun.
Yet he found himself drawing out the interview, wanting to see how right he was about the calm oasis of a woman in front of him. So self-possessed. Every hair perfectly in place. He wanted to muss her up a bit. The need was there, a nasty kernel rolling around in his gut.
“Ms. Summers, could I have a demonstration of your skills?”
“Of course. Who would you like me to spar with?” She was still holding that Louis Vuitton bag of hers, looking as petite and feminine a woman as he’d ever seen. A good four inches of her height came from those brilliant red Louboutins she would have to take off in order to fight.
Dec put his hands up. “Hard pass. I like my face the way it is.”
Shane shook his head. “I’m telling you, man. She is everything she says she is and I don’t want to fuck with her. I’m a bodyguard. I was a cop once. She was a CIA agent, and not the kind who didn’t get her hands dirty.”
But her hands were so fucking perfect.
“Jared?”
Jared stood up, a smile on his face. “Sure thing.” He walked up to Kayla Summers. “Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on…”
Before Jared could get another word out, his air seemed to be cut off. How had she gotten the strap of that Louis Vuitton bag around his throat that fast? How had she gotten it around his thick neck at all? Even in the heels, Jared had a good foot on her. Before Josh could stand up, Jared was on his knees beside her, his handsome face turning a nice shade of purple.