Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
It was a warning, to remind him of his place in the world. At first.
But then the foul fuck had set his sights on having Kate in his bed.
So William made plans of his own. After Seamus and Owen had left, he bided his time. He’d swiped a month’s worth of debt collections and winnings right out from under their noses and flown the substantial sum out of the country, hiding it away for safekeeping.
It was enough to buy a home, a business and more, but he’d never touched a dime. Never told a soul. When he’d cooled down, when Kate was safe, he’d have given it back if he’d been able to do it without repercussions to his family.
It had been a stupid mistake. He’d let anger cloud his judgment. Make him irrational and vengeful. Worse, he hadn’t known how to fix it and keep the new life he’d been building at the same time.
Tanaka did.
Maybe. But the fact was he’d done it and he wasn’t sure how Bronte would see it. He could guess. Her brother had been a cop. He doubted she’d done one illegal thing in her entire life. All he had to do was think about her reaction to his lie about a nonexistent girlfriend to know she’d never understand his reasons. Why he’d felt the need to take the only thing the greedy bastard cared about so he would understand that there were consequences for trying to make William’s sister his whore.
The truth could break the tentative threads between them, the ones he’d been sure were strengthening since she’d arrived.
What if they should be broken for her own good?
He kept circling back to her silence. Had she held back because she didn’t trust him to take care of it, or because saying it out loud would force them to face the truth? That they were all wrong for each other?
And you thought you could deserve her.
“William?”
He stopped pummeling the bag, using his forearm to wipe away the sweat that blinded his vision. He’d spent weeks haunting this place, working out his longing for her and dreaming of their future together. Building something of his own. For her. With her.
Seeing her here, fresh-faced and beautiful in a casual pair of khakis, white tank and an open denim shirt, was like fate taunting him with things he could never have.
Just a dream.
She’d continued walking towards him, stopping when she got close enough to see the expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”
So many things. Too many. But when he looked at her, none of them mattered.
Adrenaline and arousal raced through him in a heady rush. He needed her. Now, before she told him to go to hell or patted him on the head to thank him for a fun vacation. He needed to remind her, and himself, that something they had was real.
He stalked to the edge of the mat and gazed down at her, loving the way her eyes dilated as she took in his bare chest and looked over the marks she’d left on him last night and this morning with her nails. Her teeth.
She caught a glimpse of his knuckles when he reached out to cup her cheek, her own hand covering his in concern. “Did you hurt yourself? Talk to me, William.”
“Talking is not what you want.”
She shivered and he felt a dark sense of satisfaction at how strongly he affected her. “Here? What if someone comes in?”
He didn’t bother to tell her the club was closed for the day.
The idea turned her on.
“What if they did?” He let the tip of his fingers trace the neckline of her tank. “What do you think they’d see? My hands cupping you like this?”
He squeezed her breast, his thumb scraping over her hardening nipple until she was gasping.
“Would you let me do more, Nightingale? Let me strip you and pin you down where any man wanting to go a round or two in the ring could walk in and watch me take care of what’s mine?”
He barely heard her whimpered, “Oh God” as he turned her away from him, sliding the denim shirt off her shoulders and letting it fall at her feet.
She tried to twist back to face him but his arms came around her from behind, one holding her close while the other teased the top button of her khakis. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, darlin’? To stop being sweet, obedient Bronte for a while? To be a little bad with me? Just this once?” He swallowed hard, bracing for her answer. He would stop if she said the word. “Say yes.”
“Yes,” she whispered and William sent up a silent prayer of gratitude before swiftly opening her pants and tugging her underwear to the side.
His fingers slipped easily through her arousal and he groaned. “You’re a wild one. Do you have any idea how much I want you, Mrs. Finn? How much I always want you? Do you like knowing you get me too hot to be a gentleman? That I’m too impatient to wait to get you home before I have you?”