Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Kingsley had sent a team to exonerate Phoenix, and now here he was on the other side of the globe, living in New Zealand at an amazing vacation resort. Granted, so far, he’d spent nearly every waking moment helping rescue each of his teammates’ women from dire situations.
When the first marker had been called for Rocco, Phoenix and the other five men had made a pact to stick together and help each other accomplish their assignments.
What they couldn’t have predicted or believed was that, somehow, Kingsley was a master matchmaker. Each of the four women they’d rescued so far had ended up being the perfect Little girl for the Daddy assigned to protect her.
It had taken the entire team to keep each Little safe. With each rescue, the men had grown closer. Now, with only Caesar and him left to complete their obligation, he trusted these men with his life. And my Little’s—maybe. That was a hard thing to predict, honestly.
Phoenix had remained skeptical that he could be so lucky. After all, he’d known he was a Daddy all his adult life. He’d dated vanilla women now and then, but he’d never met anyone who enjoyed an age-play lifestyle until he’d come to Danger Bluff.
Jealousy had grown inside him as each of his teammates had met and claimed their perfect Little girl. Could it really happen for him?
With a deep breath, he opened the file. The first thing he saw was a picture of her. It took his breath away. It was a candid, carefree shot of her. She was standing barefoot on the beach somewhere, wearing a flowy white skirt that reached mid-calf. Her white blouse was sleeveless. The contrast of that stark, pale color against her brown skin made her look sun-kissed.
Lyra’s arms were spread out wide, giving him the impression this still shot had been taken while she’d spun around in circles. Her head was tipped back. She was laughing. Unruly brown curls were flying in the wind.
Phoenix was so mesmerized by her that he couldn’t take his eyes off her, not even to turn to the next photo and, eventually, the information Kingsley provided about her.
What sort of mess are you in, Little one? he pondered, hating the fact that she was indeed in some kind of trouble. After all, he’d been assigned to protect her.
“You okay?” someone asked gently. One of the Littles. Maybe Sadie.
Phoenix shook himself out of his stupor and sat up taller, clicking the mouse to switch to the next screen. It was another photo of her, this one totally different. She was wearing a long black gown. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun. Subtle, perfect makeup.
But more importantly, she sat with a quartet, playing the cello. Like the picture from the beach, it was an action shot. Her expression was serious, deep lines etched between her brows, as she leaned into the cello, the bow halfway through a note.
“Stunning…” Caesar said.
Phoenix shot him a glare.
Caesar chuckled and held his hands up in surrender. “So territorial already.”
The other men laughed under their breaths, and now Phoenix finally understood how they’d each felt from the moment they’d seen their Little girls. They hadn’t even met these women before they’d fallen for them.
Phoenix had thought it was all rather ridiculous. Who could possibly fall for someone they had so little information about and had not met? Already, his heartstrings were being tugged. He wanted to know everything about her. Every detail. He wanted to meet her. Now.
He wanted to rescue her from whatever sort of trouble she was in, and the uncertainty was making his chest tighten.
Phoenix was a big man. He was strong and worked out more than just about anyone, but his hand trembled as he switched to another tab to pull up information on Lyra.
The first thing he did was skim through her bio. He would go back and absorb every word later. For now, he wanted the gist. Cellist, thirty years old, from Kentucky. She played in a quartet and was apparently well-known. Her group was currently on tour in New Zealand.
All the air left Phoenix’s lungs as he read that she was in a relationship with her agent, a man who traveled with her. And then his body stiffened as he learned this man did not have her best interests at heart and was using her. For what? Money? How much money do famous cellists make?
“Wait…” Sadie’s voice interrupted Phoenix’s thoughts. “What was her name again?”
“Lyra Bloom.”
“I knew I recognized that name. She called earlier today. I had an ad looking for local musicians to play in the lobby and in the dining room. I hired her for this weekend, and she booked a room for a week.”
Phoenix spun around. “When does she arrive?”
“Tonight. She’s driving and said she’d be here in the evening.”