Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
I searched my memory. I never slept with a woman. If we made it to a bed, once sex was done, I was gone. There were rarely repeats, and I never brought them here. Ever. And I never snuggled.
I blinked away my confusion when the woman cuddled into me made a little noise. I recognized that noise.
Effie.
I was in bed with Effie. I had come to comfort her and lie down to make sure she fell asleep again, only to fall asleep myself. How we had gotten into this position, I had no idea. But now, I was awake, and so was my cock. He had no objection to Effie being so close. In fact, he wanted her closer.
And naked.
I lifted my free arm, shocked at the time. It was past seven. I had come in here at midnight.
I had slept for seven hours. That never happened.
I lifted my head, wondering how to extract myself before Effie woke up and discovered we’d slept together and my morning wood was hoping to make her acquaintance. Intimately. I decided I would carefully slide out from under her and leave.
Except as I lifted my head, she did too. Her eyes were sleepy, still too drowsy to be scared or filled with memories. They were a lovely violet-blue in the morning light, and for a moment, I lost myself in her soft gaze.
Then I cleared my throat. “Morning.”
She blinked. “Morning?”
“I came to check on you. I guess I fell asleep.”
“How did I get here? With you?”
“Well, you cried yourself to sleep on the floor, and I couldn’t leave you there. I brought you to bed. How you ended up on my chest, I have no idea. Gravity, I suppose.” I managed to slide out from under her, feeling a strange loss when we were no longer touching. I dragged the pillow with me, hiding my erection. “Nothing happened.”
She was calm. “I had a nightmare. I remember that.”
“Yes. Hardly surprising.”
She sat up. “Thank you.”
I really wished she’d stop saying that. She had nothing to thank me for. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t be in this situation.
“Whatever. It means nothing,” I snapped. “I have to get ready for work. Excuse me.” I spun and walked to the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and headed to the shower. I needed relief and some space.
Maybe then I’d forget how good it felt to wake up next to that tiny woman. How right she felt snuggled into my side.
It wasn’t happening again.
But as I scrubbed my face, all I smelled was her on my skin.
And it was her name I groaned into my arm as I came under the hot spray.
And that pissed me off.
Royally.
EFFIE
I had never known anyone like Roman Costas. Then again, my world was small, so perhaps lots of wealthy people were the same as him.
But to me, he was an enigma.
Severe and scary, yet at times, when he let his guard down, I saw a different side to him. Something almost gentle.
Waking up this morning, wrapped in his embrace, was a surprise. How it felt was even more so. The sensation of being safe, protected, and…as odd as it sounded…home.
The look that passed between us when I woke had been nothing less than intimate and intense, all at the same time. He looked at me with a fierce tenderness and almost wonder. Then the shutters came down, and he rolled from the bed, dismissive and angry.
He stormed into the bathroom, and I heard the shower come on. Unsure what to do, I got up and pulled on the robe I had found and padded into his office to give him privacy to dress, although the closet was certainly large enough for him to do so if he chose.
I sat on the sofa, waiting patiently. I heard him moving around and some cursing, then he appeared in the doorway, half dressed, his hair chaotic. “What the hell are you doing?” he snapped.
“Giving you privacy.”
That seemed to surprise him. He grunted and disappeared again. When he walked back into the office, he was Mr. Costas. Perfect suit, hair in place, scowl firmly set.
“I’ll order breakfast. Give you some privacy as well,” he said, sounding dismissive. “I have meetings all day. Vi will come and visit you.”
“She doesn’t have to babysit me. No one does. If your driver could just—”
He lifted his head, glaring. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
“You expect me to sit in this room day after day? Without even a book or a TV? Let me go home.”
“You. Are. Not. Safe,” he ground out.
“When will I be?”
“When I decide.” Then he paused. “You still need to recover.”
“May I at least call Margi and check in with her?” I swallowed, hating that I had to ask permission. “I won’t say anything. I’ll stick to your story I was in an accident.”