Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 114551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Zade drags his hand down his face. “I don’t know,” he says. “But I don’t want to risk it all on a possibility. When my father rose, it was a different time. His only heir was a child. If he didn’t take leadership, Empire would have crumbled. But now, if I don’t rise, there’s someone waiting in the wings, ready to fill my shoes. Not to mention, there’s you as well, a real blood heir. There’s plenty of other options The Circle could take, and I’m not willing to risk it all on the idea that they might just let it pass.”
“Shit,” I mutter, feeling hopeless as I brace my elbows against the table before dropping my face into my hands. “It’s useless. I’m not finding anything.”
“We’re going to figure it out,” Dalton says, dropping down in the space beside me, bringing me another coffee as tears fill my eyes. He takes the old book from in front of me and slides it in front of him, picking up where I left off. “I’ll go over this one,” he tells me, giving me a warm smile that brings back just a little bit of that hope. “Go take a break, look up some monster porn or something that’ll get that tight little cunt of yours all worked up, then come back and we’ll do this together.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, I have to strain to fight the smile that threatens to spread across my face, and I get up, fixing Dalton with a heavy stare. “That’s not fair,” I tell him. “You’re not supposed to make me smile while I’m trying to fall apart.”
“My bad,” he says with a stupid smirk. “Next time, I’ll be sure to make matters worse. Until then, I may or may not know someone who has a small business making monster-shaped mega dildos. So, if you need a link, all you gotta do is ask.”
I scoff, rolling my eyes as I make my way into the kitchen and open the fridge. Pausing, I glance back at Dalton, seeing his expectant gaze still lingering on mine. “You dirty little whore. You want that link, don’t you?”
Fuck.
My cheeks flame, and I shrug my shoulders. No point in denying it now.
“Damn straight I do,” I tell him. “And they better have overnight shipping because I’m gonna need to try that.”
“Fuck yeah,” Dalton says. “Why not buy the whole collection? But babe, you better be ready because if we’re doing this, then I’m using every last one of them on you, and you better fucking love it.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal,” I tell him, a smug grin stretching across my face, amusement thick in my tone. “But fair warning, whatever you get to use on me, I get to use on you.”
Dalton laughs, but it quickly fades away as his face drops, realizing exactly what I mean, but before he can say a damn word, I scurry out of the room with a skip in my step, more than ready to explore the ins and outs of monster dildos.
Chapter 22
OAKLEY
Standing back, I stare up at the giant mural across the living room wall, my four boys’ faces staring back at me, and damn it, I’ve never been so proud. “You finished?” Dalton asks, stepping in behind me, his hands falling to my waist as I feel his wide chest pressing against my back.
“I think so,” I murmur, taking it all in as he drops his lips to my neck. I lean back into him, my heart fluttering with undeniable joy at simply being in his warm arms. “Promise me you won’t let him paint over it,” I whisper, not needing to clarify who he is.
“He wouldn’t dare,” Dalton tells me before turning me in his arms. His bright blue gaze comes straight to mine before an amused grin stretches across his delicious, full lips. “You’re a mess,” he laughs, reaching up and trying to rub charcoal from my cheek before cringing. “Oh fuck. I just made it worse.”
A devilish grin settles across my lips as I feign a gasp. “You didn’t,” I demand.
He shrugs his shoulders, not sorry in the least. “My bad,” he grins, that wicked grin making everything clench with hunger. “But you know I love it when you get dirty.”
“Really, now?” I question, my eyes sparkling with mischief as I snap my hands against his face and drag my fingers down his cheeks, the lingering charcoal rubbing off on his beautifully tanned skin. “It looks like I’m not the only one who likes getting dirty.”
Dalton grins, shaking his head as he grabs my ass and hoists me up into his arms before turning on his heel and striding through the penthouse. He takes me down to his room and through to his private bathroom, stepping right into the shower, clothes and all.