Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Audrey is running from something, and I just so happened to be the one that got in her way. Luckily for her, I’m not some crazed psycho. Well, at least compared to a mass murderer. I might have some questionable connections to the mafia, and I’ve done my fair share of dirty deeds, but I’m not going to kill her. No, I’m going to take good, good care of her.
Then I’ll find out who starved her, and they’ll regret harming one hair on her head.
“Thank you.” She smiles up at me with a soft smile of appreciation when she sees the meal, and my heart clenches. When was the last time someone was kind to her? “Aren’t you going to eat?” she asks after I place the food on a tray in front of her and take a seat in the chair next to it.
“Not right now. I want to take care of you first.”
“Oh.” Her soft cheeks flush as she looks down at the food and begins to eat. At first she’s hesitant, but after the first few bites, she begins to eat faster.
What I want to ask is how long it’s been since she had a full meal, but that would end the little game we’re playing. So instead I stick with the here and now. “After dinner I’ve got ice cream.”
“Ice cream?” Her eyes light up like a small child. “I can’t remember the last time I had it.” She stops herself and lets out a little laugh. “Of course, I can’t remember anything.”
“It’s your favorite flavor.” I grin as I sit back in the chair.
“Chocolate?”
I nod, feeling relieved that I asked the housekeeper to pick up several kinds, and that was one of them.
She’s quiet for a long moment, and then she lets out a long sigh before putting the spoon down. “Phillip, thank you for taking care of me, but—”
“Why don’t we pretend we’re strangers?” I cut her off, sensing that she was about to confess her little lies, and I’m not ready to let her go. Ever. The easiest way for me to keep her is to make it so that she doesn’t want to leave. That shouldn’t be too hard. “That way you can get to know me until your memories come back.”
“Maybe?” She looks down at her almost empty bowl of soup, and I nudge the bread in her direction.
“It will be fun. You eat, and I’ll talk.”
“Okay.” Her voice is quiet, but she tears off a piece of bread and begins to eat.
“I work as a broker between rich people and the things they want.” Her eyes widen, and I smile at her reaction. “It’s a very lucrative career.” I sit up a little and take off my jacket. She tracks every move I make as I toss it on the end of the couch. “People with a lot of money want stupid things, and my job is to hunt them down.”
A small laugh leaves her as she cocks her head to the side. “What kind of stupid things?”
“Well, not all my clients have more money than brains but one of them recently had me track down a He-Man alarm clock he had as a child.”
Her brows furrow for a second as she thinks this over. “Couldn’t he look online?”
“Not when you’ve got limitless means at your fingertips.” I lift one shoulder and shrug. “It keeps me in the lifestyle I’m accustomed to, so it’s not so bad. Sometimes I get interesting items like art and jewels.”
“Jewelry?” Now her eyes really light up.
“Oh yes. I’ve had to track down some lovely pieces. A few I kept for my own collection.” I cock my head to the side and grin. “Would you like to see?”
The way she nibbles on her bottom lip hesitantly is both adorable and sexy as fuck.
“Tomorrow, when you’re not so tired.”
“Okay,” she agrees, and I’m glad I’ve got something that has piqued her interest.
After she’s eaten everything I put on her plate, I bring her out a big bowl of chocolate ice cream, and she looks at me like I’m giving her the world. Watching her eyes close as she eats it is erotic, and when she finishes the last bite, she looks exhausted.
There’s a wall of glass beside us, and I can see that the sun is coming up soon. We were in the hospital for hours, and it’s been a long day.
“Let’s go to bed and get some sleep.”
Chapter Five
AUDREY
Phillip scoops me off the sofa and I let out a small gasp in surprise.
“I’ve got you,” he tells me, and I wrap my arms around his neck.
My head drops to his shoulder as he carries me through his home, and I suddenly feel bone tired. My stomach is full and warm, and I close my eyes, wanting to stay in this moment. I don’t know this man, but I know I’m safe right now, so my arms lock around his neck tighter.