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)
Had she ever heard him sound so firm before? That had her quietening more than anything else. She stuck her tongue out at The Scot.
“Tattletale.”
Relief filled his face. No doubt what he’d been intending.
“Not Starla again?” Mikey asked in a worried voice.
That was sweet he was worried about her. Sometimes, he acted a bit off, but he was young and nervous around Alejandro. She knew Alejandro likely intimidated the younger man.
Not everyone knew he was a big marshmallow.
21
Cat was quiet as they drove back to Dante’s place. They dropped Bonnie off at the house she lived in with her dad and Isabel, Dante’s mama.
Isabel waved at her from the doorway. Cat had met her the other day. She seemed like a lovely woman but quiet.
They drove on and pulled up outside Dante’s house and she walked through the private entrance to Alejandro’s wing of the house. The Scot followed her inside.
“I’m okay. You don’t have to stay.”
He eyed her. “I’m staying. Let’s get you some water, you’ve barely drunk anything.” He grabbed a jug of cold water from the fridge and poured her a glass.
She rolled her eyes at him but sipped it slowly. “I don’t think I like this bossy side of you. I’m the Queen, remember? I should get to be in charge. You should do what I say.”
“Ahh, but sometimes Little Queens don’t take the best care of themselves. And my boss is the same one as yours. I don’t want him kicking my ass for not taking care of you.”
She sighed and shook her head. “Fine. I want to go for a walk along the beach now. Is that okay?”
“If you drink your water.”
Jeez. Everyone thought they got to tell her what to do. She gulped the water down.
Ick.
She still felt out of sorts. As though someone was tickling her skin.
“Let’s go,” she said once she’d drunk the water. Really, what was wrong with just drinking chocolate milk?
“Go apply some more sunscreen and put your hat back on,” The Scot bossed. “Then you can go.”
Sheesh.
“You spend too much time around Alejandro and Reuben. They’re rubbing off on you.”
He just grinned and shook his head. “Thanks. But compliments aren’t getting you out of applying more sunscreen.”
“So darn bossy.” But she ran up to reapply her sunscreen.
Alejandro had made sure she was covered in sunscreen this morning before she’d left.
That had been fun.
She grabbed Roger, hugging him close. She knew people might look at her strangely, but the staff here were discreet.
And she didn’t care. She needed Roger’s comfort.
“Do you think Ortega is all right?” she asked The Scot as they moved down toward the beach. Ortega hadn’t reappeared before they’d left.
“I think he can take care of himself.”
She nodded. She thought so too. Although everyone needed someone to take care of them. She stared out at the waves as she walked along the shoreline for a while, before wandering up toward Dante’s swimming pool. She loved the view from here. And she wanted to be close to Alejandro who was still in his meeting with Dante.
She sat there for a bit longer until she started to fall asleep. The sun would be going down soon. Surely, Alejandro was nearly finished.
Standing, she stretched and turned, looking through the open glass doors into the large entrance beyond just as Alejandro and Dante walked out with another man. She couldn’t see his features that clearly. He was older, with salt and pepper hair. But he was well-built. Thick and tall.
He turned, staring right at her. Then he spun away abruptly and Alejandro turned to see her there. Immediately, he left the other two and strode out toward her.
When she took another look, the stranger and Dante were gone.
“Mi Pequeña, what are you doing out here?” Alejandro asked in concern. He shot The Scot a look.
“Sorry, Boss,” The Scot said. “I didn’t think that Emiliano would see her from here.”
“Hopefully, he takes no notice. We won’t be here for much longer anyway. Dante is negotiating a deal with him.”
“Dealing with the Curse of Colombia. That smart?”
Alejandro sighed.
“What? Who? What sort of deal?” she asked as Alejandro lifted her into his arms, cradling her against him with his arm under her bottom.
“That’s not for you to worry about,” he told her firmly.
“Papi, you can tell me things. I’m not a child.”
“You are my Little one. And I’ll take care of you as I see fit. What happened? The Scot texted to say you were all right, but that you cut your shopping trip early.”
Crap. Seemed he wasn’t going to tell her anything.
“Who was he?” she asked stubbornly.
“Mi Pequeña, you’re heading for a spanking if you don’t let this go.”
She leaned back to glare up at him, just as Dante walked out onto the patio.
“What’s going on? Why are you back from shopping early? Are you all right? Is Bonnie okay?” Dante asked.