Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 105089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 525(@200wpm)___ 420(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 525(@200wpm)___ 420(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Alejandro sighed and drew her into his arms. “I didn’t want to leave you so early. I planned on waking you up with my tongue buried in your pussy. But something came up at The Circus.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Just some zealous asshole spray-painting Bible verses along the walls. Not the first time something like this has happened. People often assume that the girls that work there are prostitutes and that they’re giving hand jobs out the back or some shit. They dance, they strip, but that’s it. And they all get paid well. No one is there against their will.”
“I know. I’m sorry that happened.” It sent a cool chill along her spine, reminding her of the Deity.
He’s dead. So are all of his Sentinels.
“Hey. What is it? Kitten?”
“Sorry. Just thinking about the Deity.”
He swore. “I shouldn’t have told you about the spray paint.”
“What? No, Alejandro, you don’t have to shelter me from everything. I’m a big girl.”
“No, you’re my girl. And it is my right and privilege as your man and Papi to protect you.”
She knew she wouldn’t change him. And a big part of her didn’t want to. Because then he wouldn’t be her Alejandro.
Stubborn as a goat. Over-the-top protective. Crazy possessive.
“I just want you to be able to tell me things. I don’t want to be a burden.”
“Catarina De Leon. If I ever hear such foolishness come out of your mouth again, I will gag you for a day.”
Her eyes widened at his firm tone.
“Understand me? You are never a burden.” His hand tightened slightly around her neck but she wasn’t concerned. This was her Alejandro. Her protector and lover.
Her breath was his to command.
Because she only breathed for him.
Leaning forward, he nipped at her lower lip, then took her mouth with his.
“I wouldn’t exist without you,” he told her.
“I know. I feel the same about you.” Sometimes she wondered if she had existed before him. Or if all her life had just been leading to the moment she met him.
Heat filled her body as he stared down at her hungrily.
Was he going to take her? Maybe lay her out on his desk and eat her until she was screaming for more, begging for him to take her?
Lord, please.
But he drew slowly back, smiling at her huff of annoyance.
“Uh-uh,” he scolded. “You have a job to do. Then a punishment.”
“Papi, noooo,” she moaned.
He stepped to the side and gestured at the desk where he’d laid out all the items she’d covered in Play-Doh.
Oh. Crap.
There was a stapler, scissors, his favorite pen, as well as his calculator. Oh, and his whiskey decanter. That had taken a lot of Play-Doh.
“You can start with the decanter. I feel like I might need a drink soon. Before you start I do have something else to tell you.” He looked grim and worried.
“What is it?”
“Leo found Jimmy.”
“Did he get some answers from him?”
“Yeah, you could say that. Leo found Jimmy. Turns out, he was working for Ruiz and that’s why he paid Bert and Ernie to take you.”
She gasped. “He was a rat?”
“Yep. At least we know who was behind it now. Dante is going to have to do something about Ruiz.”
She nodded. “And Jimmy?”
“You don’t have to worry about him.” He cupped her face with his hand. “You’re safe.”
“I know.” She breathed out her nerves and smiled up at him. Alejandro would keep her safe.
Ruiz was definitely a problem, though.
“Good girl. Now, get to work.”
Twenty minutes later, she was about ready to pull her hair out.
“You know how you’re always telling me to buy whatever I like,” she said as she sat across his desk. He liked to spoil her.
“Si?”
“Well, why don’t I just buy you a new stapler?” It was the worst to get clean. There were bits of Play-Doh stuck into the part where the staples came out.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because that doesn’t teach you a lesson.”
“The only lesson I’m learning is that Play-Doh sucks,” she muttered.
“No, you’re learning that if you play a prank, there are consequences. You’re nearly finished. Keep going.”
With a sigh, she kept cleaning the stapler until it was free of Play-Doh.
“If I never see any Play-Doh again, it will be too soon,” she groaned dramatically, thumping her head down on the desk.
“What do you think you’re doing? Stop that. You could hurt yourself.”
“Have to have brains to hurt myself. Obviously, I have none.”
“Cat,” he warned. He came around to check her forehead. “You just added some extra lines about not hurting yourself.”
“Papi, noooo.”
“You know you aren’t allowed to harm yourself.” He kissed the top of her head.
“But it’s all fixed now with magic kisses. No harm, no foul.”
He set a piece of paper in front of her. “Twenty-five lines saying: I will not wrap Papi’s things in Play-Doh. Twenty-five more lines saying: I will not hurt myself. You may start now.”