Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 159208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 796(@200wpm)___ 637(@250wpm)___ 531(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 796(@200wpm)___ 637(@250wpm)___ 531(@300wpm)
“What, you’re asking me to cook for you now? I suppose it’s a fair trade,” she says.
“Might take you up on that someday, but that’s not what I’m getting at,” I tell her. “You know who I gave the flowers to and why. When will you tell me who sent them?”
She goes quiet, staring out over Puget Sound and the few pinprick lights from passing ships.
Fuck.
I don’t want to ruin this, but I have to know.
“They’re from my stalker,” she says finally, her eyes meeting mine. “And not the fun kind who puts up with all of my crap and always breathes cinnamon rolls.”
“Someone’s stalking you for real?” Everything inside me turns to steel as she nods. “Dakota, talk to me. I’ll get you a protection order ASAP.”
Hell, I’d love to do more than that.
Like use every resource I have to hunt down whatever worthless ratfuck would do that to her, and have a nice, long talk with my fists.
I’m not a violent man.
I’ve only lost control once.
It should say a lot that she brings out baser impulses I’ve tried to bury, searing my vision red every time I imagine her in danger. It should run me off.
But when she turns to face me fully, running is the last thing on my mind.
“Lincoln, I don’t think he’s truly dangerous. Just really, really annoying. He won’t give up. And I think he found some website to buy phone numbers by the boatload because every time I block one, he finds a new way to come at me,” she says glumly.
My jaw tightens.
Dangerous or not, that’s not something any stable man would do.
I don’t like the sound of this one fucking bit. Silencing a growl, I pull her into my arms.
“Who are we talking about? A bad date? Some asshole ex-boyfriend?”
She clutches her glass so hard I see her fingers go white.
“The idiot who chickened out of marrying me.” She trembles slightly when she says it.
That only pisses me off more, turning the red I’m already seeing into ruddy murder-darkness.
“We’ll get a restraining order. They can cover digital harassment like the sort this little pissant is engaging in. Plus, if he’s calling you from random numbers and sending shit to the office, it’s a corporate security issue, too. I won’t stand for having my people threatened and attacked at my workplace. It’s a safe space. We can’t let this go on.”
She shakes her head, her soft hair spilling down her shoulders against my hand.
“I—Lincoln, please don’t take this the wrong way, but... I don’t want your help with this. I can handle it.” She swallows. “If I have to keep blocking him, so be it. Maybe if it escalates, then—”
“If it escalates, I’ll break his face,” I snarl. She looks up at me, her green eyes wide and glistening. I clear my throat. “Sorry. Not really. Not unless he was about to hurt you, I mean.”
Truly, I meant what I said the first time, and the fact that I’m willing to go that far almost scares me.
“Linc...”
“If you change your mind, I’m here for you. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’ve got your back as a boss and...” I pause, unsure what to even call this ball of tension and banter and gentleness between us. “As a friend.”
She looks up at me, but not before swiping her cheek, catching a tear.
“Thank you. I appreciate that, even if you’re being a little harsh.”
“What’s wrong?” I urge, pressing my finger to her face, wiping away the wet grief she doesn’t need to hide.
“W-what do you think?” she stammers.
“I’m not a mind reader. Talk to me.”
I shake my head.
She bites her bottom lip. Another tear falls, bigger and angrier.
“It’s just... I mean—okay—s-so I know I dodged a bullet not marrying the asshole. But why do you think it took him a whole year after the wedding to think he made the wrong choice? Like what made him leave in the first place?”
It’s like I can feel the stone pelting her heart, the way this boy shattered her.
Even if he was her age, he’s a fucking boy.
No man would ever abandon a beautiful, smart woman after promising forever.
No man would come crawling back like a snake a year later, angling for a shot at killing what’s left of her heart.
I wipe her face with my hand again.
If I ever see this guy, I’m going to kill him. Straight up annihilate him and expedite him to hell.
Who waits until their wedding day to leave a woman? And this woman? He’ll never find anyone else like her, and he doesn’t deserve her.
But right now, she’s crying in my arms over his damage. I wish I could erase him from her memory, her whole life.
“I-I’m sorry. This is so embarrassing. God, what’s wrong with me?” She presses her face into my chest while my hand runs through her hair.