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)
Her naturally smiling lips curled a little higher. “If you said please.”
I slid my hand under her chin, holding it. “Please. For me.”
“Then, yes.”
“Good.” I poured more tea into her cup, loath to leave her just yet. I was furious with myself, having not thought my actions through. Of course returning to her apartment would be traumatic for her. I should have insisted on her Zooming with her staff or only going to the diner. I should have known it was too soon for her to go back.
I doubted she would ever be comfortable there again. I knew I never would be comfortable with her being there—even if I had men stationed with her all the time. It was too isolated, too easily accessed. She had to be safer.
And no place was safer than this hotel, except for one.
My estate.
I shook my head, refusing to even think about that. I stood, holding out my hand. “I want you to lie down for a while.”
She let me pull her into the bedroom, and I draped the blanket over her and ran my hand over her hair. Where all these little gestures were coming from, I had no idea, but with her, they seemed to occur naturally. I went to my desk and grabbed what I was looking for, then returned to her. I crouched beside the bed, pressing a cell phone into her hand. “If you need me, you call me, do you understand? I’m on speed dial number one. Or say my name and it will dial me.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t care if you feel nervous or lonely or anything. You call.”
“Okay.”
“Vi is number two. Aldo, number three. But you call me first.”
She shut her eyes, nodding, clutching the cell phone to her chest. I hated to leave her. For the first time that I could recall, I wanted to say fuck it about the hotel. Whatever family business waited for me. Any problem I had to solve, error I had to fix, or question that needed to be answered. Instead, I wanted to stay here, watch over her while she slept. Even better, crawl in beside her and hold her.
I stood, surprised at how strong those feelings were. I bent and pressed a kiss to her head. “Call me,” I reminded her.
“I will,” she mumbled.
I paused at the door, staring at her. I had no idea what she was doing to me.
I wasn’t sure I liked it.
But I had a feeling there was nothing I could do to stop it.
I was late getting back to the suite. I rubbed my neck, tired and anxious. The casino was crazy busy with tourists, and although my managers were all experts, I always made a show of being on the floor on Saturday nights. A lot of significant people were around, and it was good to shake hands and exchange greetings. Make sure they were looked after. When they were happy and felt important, they spent more money. It was a win-win situation, although it wasn’t something I enjoyed. I put on my business face and did the job. I shook hands, listened to shit I didn’t care about, bought drinks, issued credit, assisted in setting up a private game, and schmoozed until I thought my face would crack. I was glad when Aldo decided my time was up and relieved me. I had seen all I needed to see and done everything I needed to do.
Effie wasn’t on the sofa or in the bed. She was curled up in the chair beside the window, her Kindle in her lap, and she was asleep. It felt strange needing to see her at the end of the day. Knowing she was there, safe and waiting for me, did something to my chest. I sat on the bed, looking at her. She’d obviously had a bath, her hair still damp. I grinned when I realized she was wearing my shirt I had discarded earlier. The tray beside her had a pot of tea and an empty plate I assumed had contained toast. A small container of honey sat on the tray. She was a nibbler, and unless I was there to make her eat a meal, that was what she did. Toast. Crackers. Cheese. I saw the orders and I wished she’d eat more when I wasn’t around, but I knew it was a losing battle.
I grabbed a fast shower and pulled on some sleep pants, returning to the bedroom. She slumbered away, lost to her dreams. I watched her again, fascinated. She was a mystery to me. Strong and resilient, yet incredibly fragile and vulnerable. I saw flashes of her spark, and I was confident as she moved past what happened, I would see more of it. We had been incredible together. Despite, or perhaps because of, her inexperience, being with her was incredibly erotic. Knowing she had never been touched or kissed by another man made me feel like a caveman. Possessive and carnal. Watching her learn, listening to her gasps of delight, being on the receiving end of her sexual explorations, was an aphrodisiac to me. I could barely keep my hands off her.