Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
“Baby, you may think you have that stony school teacher thing going on, but it’s seriously sexy as fuck.”
“I can not believe you! You lied to me. Tell me why I shouldn’t put your ass out.”
The humor disappears, and he sits straighter. “Darla’s MO is cunning and destructive. I couldn’t let any of that touch you.”
“So, you were protecting me?”
Realization dawns as he picks up on the irony.
“Julianna, it’s not the same thing.”
“Yes, it is. You want to keep secrets about birthday surprises or Christmas presents, that’s one thing. But when a woman from your past—who wants you back desperately—resurfaces with crucial information about your deceased best friend, you don’t keep it to yourself. Instead, I find a seedy envelope stuffed under my door at eleven o’clock at night.”
The air in the room goes static again, and he snatches the envelope and inspects it. “She put it under your door?”
“Where’d you think she put it?”
“I assumed you found it on your car.”
“No, it’s creepier knowing she knows where I live.”
His phone is back to his ear. “Ace.”
I squint at the clock and note it’s four a.m. Major has no problem waking anyone up. “He’s at the station.” He reads my mind.
“Yeah, she’s okay now.”
Is he talking about me? Why wouldn’t I be okay?
“Her phone wasn’t dead. Jewls came home to find an envelope with pictures from this morning with Darla. They’re made out to prove a point. She jumped to conclusions.”
“Wait, are you blaming me?” I prop a hand on my hip and promptly drop it when his eyes heat.
A loud rumble sounds through the line, and I can’t make out what Ace is saying.
“She knows the truth. But we have a problem. Jewls rents this place. There’s nothing tying her to the mortgage. How’d Darla find her?”
“Yeah, great. Talk tomorrow.”
He disconnects and tosses the phone on the dresser.
“Why aren’t you at the station?” Why this is the first question I ask is beyond me.
“Because I was going out of my mind not being able to reach you.”
It’s belatedly I notice he’s also out of uniform.
“Are you going to be in trouble for leaving mid-shift?”
He gives me a sideways glance. “I don’t get in trouble.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“You have about five seconds more of space, then I’m coming to you.”
I throw my hand out. “No, we aren’t done talking.”
“We’re done.” He steps forward, and I step backward.
“Not until you promise no more lies.”
“Can’t promise that if I’m protecting you.”
Another step forward. “Major! Not the right answer. We will never work if you lie to me.”
With each step he takes my way, I retreat until I hit my wall. He grins devilishly, trapping me with his body.
“We will always work, Jewls.”
“Not if I can’t trust you.”
His grin dies, and he cups my chin, his blue eyes sobering. “I’m sorry, Julianna. I planned on telling you tomorrow, but let my guard down and didn’t see her coming at you with those pictures. You said something earlier, something that needs negating. You let her get into your head that I’m not over her. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m so deep into you, it’s borderline obsessed. The teenager who thought he knew love had no idea this kind of feeling was possible. That woman—no woman—will ever turn my head. You are it for me.”
For the third time tonight, I can’t breathe. My vision goes spotty as I grow lightheaded.
“Air, baby,” he whispers, tracing his thumb over my lips.
I inhale fast, willing my heart to slow down.
“Do you accept my apology?”
I nod.
“Do you love me?”
“You know I do,” comes out faintly.
“One more thing before I strip you out of that t-shirt. You were shocked and hurt, I get that, but you have to talk to me. Don’t shut down and freeze me out. There will always be an explanation.”
I nod again because he’s right. Darla got exactly the reaction she wanted.
“Say it.”
“I’ll talk to you if ever in doubt.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then trust in this, too. You’ll always be my priority.”
The weight of his words trickles through me, and I clutch his shirt. “We’ve been dating for like six weeks.”
“You got a timeline of these things?”
“No, but —”
“Exactly. There are no buts in this scenario. I’ve lived in hellholes in the desert for months on end and seen the toll time can take. Me holding back on this attraction for you for six months is something I can’t get back. Now, time doesn’t matter.”
“Don’t lie to me again. It crushed me more than I thought possible.”
“Believe in me and believe in us.”
“Okay, Major.”
A sense of relief washes over his feature as he lowers his mouth to mine. “You aren’t the only one in this scenario whose heart can shatter.”
That’s all it takes for any iota of my defenses to shrivel away. I whip the shirt from my body, moving frantically to get his jeans undone. There’s a flash of surprise before his hands go to my hips and tear my panties with a snap. Clumsily, I get his zipper down, pushing the boxers with them, and grasp his stiffening cock.