Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Drowning her dreams.
Obliterating her hope.
Suffocating her existence.
“I’m not a trusting-relationship guy.”
She shook her head. “You saved me.”
“I killed a man to do it.”
“Because you love me.” The gold flecks in her deep brown eyes shined when she lifted her gaze to mine.
“Because it’s …” I stopped short of the truth.
I could protect her.
I could fuck her.
I could be her illusion.
But I couldn’t tell her the truth. It wasn’t my job to tell her the truth.
“It’s what?” Her fingers teased the palms of my hands hanging limp at my sides.
With a smile that felt sad but completely real, I interlaced our fingers and guided our hands behind her back. Her chest pressed into my stomach as her head fell back. “It’s fucked-up, Liv,” I whispered, my mouth descending upon hers. “It’s my job to make sure no one ever ties you up,” I murmured a breath away before kissing her.
Chapter Seventeen
Livy
“Say something romantic.” I grinned, shimmying back into my shorts as Wylder stared at me from the bed—white sheet tangled around his legs and midsection, head propped up on his arm.
“Wrong guy.” He shook his head like I should have known better.
No tying up.
No whispered words to make my heart swoon.
I twisted my lips to hide my frown. “Fine. What are you thinking right now?”
“Nothing romantic.”
With a slight roll of my eyes, I grumbled, “Just tell me.”
“I don’t know. A couple things are playing around in my head at the moment.”
“And they are?” I finished hooking my bra and pulled my tank top over my head.
Scratching his chin, he smirked. Wylder with a mischievous grin and naked in bed … it had to be a dream. I’d had many dreams about him long before he offered me the slightest act of kindness.
“I’m thinking about the rest of the pizza downstairs.”
I laughed. “And?”
“And I think after you get settled and your dad goes home, we should see if you’re really as good at surfing as you say you are.”
There was no way I could have predicted that. I shoved my shoulders back and plastered a confident, maybe even a little cheesy, grin on my face. “Oh, Wylder … the only thing I’m better at than sex is surfing.”
On a throaty chuckle, he sat up and pulled on his jeans sans underwear. “Interesting comparison.”
“Sex and surf are life.” I checked my watch and hustled my ass down the stairs with twenty minutes to get back to the hotel. “When are you going to tell me what you’re building in the garage? Or where your family lives? Or your favorite dessert? Basically anything?” I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my phone and keys from the counter.
He flipped open the pizza box and folded a piece in half before taking a monstrous bite while offering me nothing but a shrug.
“I’m going to start charging you for sex. You tell me something personal about yourself, and I’ll give you some of this.” I waved a hand up and down my body as I backed up toward the door. “And here you thought I wasn’t a whore who charged for sex.” I winked.
“Where’re you going?” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“I told you. Ten o’clock curfew.”
“I hate that your dad has that kind of power over you.”
“He’d say the same thing about you.” I grinned.
“Stay.” He scratched his bare skin below his navel, drawing my attention to his happy trail.
Not fair.
“Nope.” I shook my head but failed to keep my gaze away from his hand.
“Oatmeal chocolate chip.”
Tearing my attention from his partially fastened jeans back to his face, I squinted. “What?”
“My favorite dessert is oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.”
“Really? Huh … wouldn’t have guessed that. Thanks. See you in the morning.”
“Livy …” He drew out my name like a warning.
“I have to go.” I wrinkled my nose.
“I just paid for something.”
“Noted. The bank is closed. But you can make a withdrawal tomorrow.” Turning, I opened the door.
“Orange zest.” Wylder’s voice closed in behind me. Just his nearness made me shiver … made my pulse pound harder and faster. “My mom used to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. And I didn’t know why I loved them more than anything I’d ever had at a bakery or friend’s house. Then she told me her secret ingredient—orange zest.” He pressed his naked chest to my back.
I reacted by leaning forward, the door closing under my weight. “Wylder …”
“That’s two things about me. You made the rules. I expect you to follow them. Clothes off, Liv …” His hands pressed to the door above my head. I turned in the cage of his body towering over mine. His stance did all kinds of perfect things to his torso, including forcing his loose jeans down another inch.
I wasn’t sure who had the most formidable expression—Jackson Knight or Slade Wylder. All I knew for certain was both men were playing me. Dad and his guilt trip. Slade and his … everything.