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)
The self-hatred, the disgust, in her voice tore at me as I stared at her in shock. How could such a beautiful woman think that about herself? Studying her up close I could see more hints now of where the birthmark was, and she was right, it was big, but it didn’t detract from her attractiveness one bit. She was still so exquisite that she took my breath away and made my cock thicken in interest.
Figured. My stupid dick had been practically dormant, but it decided now is the time to wake up.
I reached out to touch her, but she jerked back, distrust clear on her face.
“Stop,” I said, and to my surprise she did. “I’m not going to hurt you. I would never knowingly hurt you. I may stick my foot in my mouth, but I truly didn’t know. I thought you were injured, and the idea of anyone messing with someone as sweet as you makes me want to kil—kick someone’s ass. Anyone that ever told you that you were ugly was fucking blind. You are beautiful.”
“You don’t have to lie to me.”
“Look at me, Layla. Do I look like I’m lying to you?”
I held her eyes as she searched my face, willing her to see that I meant it. Whatever she saw there had her shuffling her feet a little bit as she looked down and let her hair slide forward. It was such a young, almost childlike gesture, and it made her appear all the more vulnerable. Everything inside of me called out to protect her, and the strength of my feelings for this stranger scared me.
“You think this mask you see is beautiful, but it’s not real.”
“No, I think you’re beautiful.”
“No, you really don’t, you just think you do. It’s all a big lie.” She took a shaky breath. “Look, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I—I have some…issues.” She gestured to the hidden side of her face. “With this. There was…my birth mother…Well, let’s just say I tend to assume the worst about people seeing me without my armor. That’s what my therapist calls my makeup—armor.”
Her breathing had begun to pick up, and Vali gave her a look that was at once alert and concerned. I stood there, helpless for a moment, torn about what to do. When she trembled, it broke my indecision. I slowly gave her a hug, giving her ample opportunity to stop me. Instead of pushing me away, she cuddled into my embrace like we’d done it a million times. The top of her head came up just under my chin, and I was surprised at how small she felt. She had curves, but most of her body was petite.
And soft.
Forcing my thoughts onto a different tract, trying to ignore how full her breasts were, I racked my brain for something to say to make her feel better.
We both startled when the elevator began to move. She didn’t say anything as she stepped out of my arms, dabbing at her face with the edge of her t-shirt, momentarily revealing a slice of her pale, slightly pudgy stomach. There was something so fucking sexy about the soft curve of a woman’s belly, that little pooch that so many women claimed to hate, but I loved. Though thin was in, my tastes had always run toward women who didn’t have hip bones sticking out sharp enough to cut me. My gaze fixated on that glimpse of skin before she dropped her shirt back in place.
The doors to the first floor slid open, and Layla took two quick steps back, slamming into my chest with a choked off gasp.
“Layla, what’s wrong?”
“Agoraphobic…” she whispered. “I’m agoraphobic. Too many people. I can’t—I can’t breathe.”
Shit, of course. She’d mentioned something about it when I was freaking out in the elevator, convinced I was being buried alive. And Vali wore a red service dog vest with all the right patches to show he’d been certified. He gave a worried whine and blocked off the doorway with his body.
Outside of the elevator, a large group of people milled about near the closed front doors, including several of the building’s security guys. Two stationed just outside the elevator started to immediately press their way in, and Layla let out a frightened whimper. Vali didn’t react, but he did move to stand directly in front of Layla in a way that let anyone with half a brain in their head know to approach with caution. Our security guards weren’t stupid, so when they saw the massive black dog, they both froze with one foot inside the elevator.
They gave Layla and Vali a suspicious look. She practically crawled inside my arms as the sound of the lobby crashed over us in a wave.
Her breathing began to pick up, and Vali gave out a soft whine as I yelled, “Back the fuck up. You’re crowding her.”