Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
He shrugged. “Business.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I shot daggers at him. “What am I going to have to do to get rid of you?”
He stepped out of the Jeep, leaving very little space between our bodies. “You sure that’s what you want?”
I raised my eyebrows, trying to move back, but being boxed in by the car beside him made that difficult. “You’re the human lie detector. You tell me!”
The sardonic smile that spread across his face made my hand itch to slap him. “I think your panties are wet right now because you’re thinking about early this morning.” The husky sound to his voice sent a shiver through me.
They weren’t, but now … DAMMIT!
“That was a mistake,” I bit out. A massive one.
He leaned in close. Too close. “Sure didn’t sound like it with the way you cried out my name and God’s at the same time.”
Placing both my hands on his chest, I tried to shove him back. I was done with this. He liked playing with me. He knew he got to me. I’d made that very clear both times he got his hands on me.
“I’m done with your sick games,” I told him.
He ran his fingertips over the side of my face. “You sure? No more spreading those pretty legs and letting my mouth on that needy pussy?”
I held my breath while I mentally scolded my body for reacting. Clamping my teeth together so that I wouldn’t respond.
“If you want to get rid of me, then tell me what you’re lying about other than the fact you like my tongue lapping at your cunt. You prove me wrong, and I will walk away.”
I was a game to him. He found humor in the fact that he could make me pant for him so easily. Everything I was disgusted him. I was feeling something for a man who had no respect for me and might actually loathe me—I wasn’t sure exactly how deep his hate for me went.
His hand dropped then, and he moved so quickly that I almost lost my balance as he pushed me back into the Jeep and headed off toward … my Buick. Oh God! Scrambling up from where I’d caught myself before completely falling back into his seat, I took off running to stop him. He couldn’t see Dovie. How would I explain her? I didn’t trust him. He wasn’t one of the good guys who would help me. He could use her to hurt me.
“STORM!” I screamed his name, realizing he was almost there and my legs weren’t long enough to catch him.
He didn’t slow or even glance back at me. He was there at the passenger door, looking inside, and I was helpless to stop it. I let out a cry of frustration as I took two more long strides and stopped. Staring at him, I waited.
When he finally turned to look at me, I couldn’t read his expression. It looked as if he’d shut off all emotion.
“Get her out.”
Horror gripped my chest. How was I going to save her now? What did I do? I had led her to this man. MEN who could use her for what? Why was he doing this? I had to think of something. We had come too far for me to mess up and let her down now.
“Why?” I asked.
I thought I could hit him hard enough to possibly knock him out. No, probably not. He was fast and smart. He dealt with bad men all the time.
“Because you’re both getting in my Jeep.”
“Where are we going?” I wished I could yell at Dovie to run. But where would she go that he wouldn’t catch her?
“We can start with an explanation.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I did not trust this man. I had never trusted Dovie with anyone, but especially not Storm Kingston. He’d done nothing to earn my trust. He’d done everything to make sure I didn’t trust him.
“Just let us go. You know she’s not Roger. That’s all that concerns you.”
His brows drew together. “You have a minor hiding in your car, Briar. That concerns me.”
“She’s with me by her own choice. I didn’t kidnap her if that’s what you’re worried about.”
He gave me a look that said he did in fact think I’d taken her against her will. What? Did he think I was abducting kids for money now? My stomach twisted at that thought. If I could take every girl from the horror Dovie had been in, that I’d been in, and run away with them, I would. The law hadn’t protected us. No one had saved me. I’d be damned if I let it happen to Dovie too.
Dovie sat up in the seat, and her eyes swung to me. I could see the wide, fearful look there, and I hated Storm for putting it there. Why couldn’t he just get in his Jeep and leave us alone?