Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“You’re always going to have a larger body mass than I have, Geno. Does that mean you’re going to step between me and whatever danger is coming my way as if I can’t handle it for the rest of our lives?”
“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely I will.” He’d always been able to control his heartrate. He had the feeling the reason he couldn’t control the sudden acceleration didn’t have anything to do with the aftereffects of the poison and everything to do with his fears for Amaranthe. He still tasted the residual of fear of losing her that he’d awakened with.
“I’m a rider, Geno. I want to continue to be a rider. Do you plan to hold my hand in the shadows?”
“If I went into the shadows with you, I might hold your hand. I might try other things as well,” he added in an effort to coax a smile from her. “Most likely, you’ll take rotations as a solo rider. We’re stretched pretty thin. These were extraordinary circumstances. Until we know the immediate danger is over, I’ll be staying close to you and trying to keep my brothers close as well. There was hatred in that room when they went after Stefano. And I felt it again when the assassin was talking to you about the Ferraro family and the riders. They’ll come at us again and again until we find out who is behind this and end it.”
Geno studied her face for a long time when she remained silent. Finally, he held out his hand to her again. “I need you to come over here to me. If you don’t, I’m coming to you. You don’t seem to understand, Amaranthe. I honestly didn’t give a damn whether I lived or died. Nothing much mattered to me until I met you. Now, whether you like it or not, you’re the center of my world. I can’t lose you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”
“Has it occurred to you that I feel exactly the same way?”
“Come here, baby. You’re too far away from me.” His heart was still beating too fast. His mind felt a little too chaotic.
She hesitated. “You always get your way if I’m too close to you. We need to work this out, Geno.”
“We are working it out. Just not so far apart.”
She moved a little closer to him, but she didn’t take his hand. She came around to the side of the bed and regarded him warily. “I’m close enough, Geno.”
He had long arms and he took advantage immediately, reaching out, catching her wrist and exerting gentle pressure until she climbed onto the mattress.
“Are you always going to insist on your way?”
She looked beautiful crawling across the short distance to him. He did his best not to let his body react. He hurt like hell, and he told himself to have more discipline, but she was just too damn sensual without even realizing it, especially when she got that snippy little bite in her voice.
“Not always,” he said, mostly because he’d told himself he’d be honest with her. “But probably most of the time because you’re sweet and I’m not.”
“I don’t have to be sweet.”
Geno swept her against him. Close. His pulse couldn’t seem to settle until he felt her soft skin, warm and alive against his. She made him smile. “Yeah, you do. And once you manage to get past the emotion, which I’m thankful you have, you’ll see the logic because you’re a logical person.”
She leaned her head against his side. “I don’t like you very much right now.”
“I know, baby, I’m sorry. I can be a first-class dick. Saving your life and all. I really think it would be beneficial to watch these movies so you could change your view of my behavior and regard me as your hero. I think that would go a long way to helping our relationship.”
She glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Your brothers will be coming in any minute. They’ve checked on you every hour on the hour. I’ll ask their opinion. I presume they’ve watched these movies. See if they think your behavior was heroic.”
Geno kept his expressionless mask on the outside, but inside he was smirking. He knew Salvatore and Lucca would back him up. His woman was important to all of them. There were always stories handed down in families, and his was no different. Once the eldest son found his woman, the others weren’t far behind. That had proven to be true in Stefano’s family. Every one of his siblings had found the woman, or in Emmanuelle’s case the man, they were in love with.
“I’m certain my brothers have watched the movies multiple times, Amara. You’ll enjoy them.”
She steadfastly refused to turn her face up to his, probably knowing he’d kiss her.