Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“I’m taking you.”
She moved my hand, revealing a small smile. “You’re really bossy.”
“I’ve been told that before.”
“I believe it. Listen, I appreciate the offer, but I’m okay to drive. Besides, how are you going to get home after dropping me off?”
“I’ll have someone come pick me up. Where are you parked at?”
When I stood, she tilted her head so her hair slid slightly to the side, revealing a shadow of the side of her face discolored by the birthmark. “You’re really not going to let this go, are you?”
I held out my hand, a sense of almost relief filling me as she took it and stood. “Nope.”
“Fine, come on.”
While we walked to a nearby parking garage, I was well aware of the way Layla kept sneaking peeks up at me. I had yet to release her hand, and I told myself this was just because I was concerned about her. The episode seemed to have drained her, and I was glad I’d taken the initiative to see her home safely. It had been a long time since I’d allowed myself to give a shit about anyone outside of the cartel, but Layla needed me.
And I was the kind of man who liked to be needed.
It wasn’t long after Layla programed her address into the GPS that she fell asleep in the passenger seat. The SUV was a nice one, a baby blue Mercedes that was a few years old, and smelled of her strawberries and vanilla perfume. It was clean but lived in with little bits of her life strewn about. A partially opened bag with workout clothes sat open in the backseat next to Vali. He was strapped into some kind of doggy seatbelt, and also slept as we drove north.
Thank God the roads were pretty empty this time of night, because my attention wasn’t on the lane in front of me. While Layla slept, I took the opportunity to study her, to drink in her beauty. Just looking at her made me feel good, like a little sniff of cocaine lighting up my brain. I even allowed myself to reach out and slowly sift my fingers through her silky hair, torturing myself.
When the GPS announced that we approached our destination, I frowned.
The street was long, with the houses well-spaced out on good-sized lots that had to be at least an acre each. Most of the homes were nice, with tall adobe walls blocking off big backyards. Layla’s sprawling ranch style home was well kept, and I couldn’t help but smile at the large dragon statue that stood next to the stone pathway leading from the driveway to the house. It was really cool, done in a combination of wood and what looked like bronze with bright turquoise blue glass accents.
I’d never seen anything like it, so I took a moment to admire what had to be Layla’s creation. When she talked about sculpting dragons, I imagined something…smaller. This art piece had to be at least six feet tall. Next to it, a giant silver windmill made out of hundreds of different spoons spun. The way the dragon and the wind sculpture were situated, it almost appeared the dragon blew on the spoons the way a kid would blow a dandelion.
As I scanned her yard, taking in the flowering desert plants and mature palm trees, my gaze reached her neighbor’s house and I frowned.
Though it was just as big as Layla’s place, it was nowhere near as well kept. At one point, it had probably been a nice home, but neglect had hit it hard. A few windows were boarded up, and the paint on the front door had peeled off in the desert heat. Dry grass and weeds grew between the slabs of concrete that made up the driveway, and various pieces of decaying furniture sat piled up by the side of the house. The place looked like a drug addict’s crash pad, and I did not like the idea of Layla living next to a trap house.
After I turned off the SUV, I texted my guy that had followed us to wait at the curb for me.
Vali began to stir in the backseat while I gently shook Layla’s arm.
“Hey, sweetheart, we’re home.”
She roused slowly, turning her head and looking at me with confusion. Damn, she was adorable. Her eyes grew wide with fright for a moment as she stared at me, then she relaxed with a small smile.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
Her voice, rougher since her nap, seemed to rub over my dick like a soft, feminine hand.
Trying to ignore the way my hardon was being pinched by my pants, I smiled at her. “No worries.”
She sat up and stretched, her surprisingly full breasts pressing against her shirt. “Oh man, I’m tired. Guess you made the right call about driving me home, huh? I probably would’ve pulled over and slept on the side of the road.”