Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
The feeling of contentment swept through me, washing away the world until it was just me and my Joy. She was the reason I’d held all other women at arms lenght, knowing they weren’t right for me, keeping my emotional distance from them by using BDSM as a buffer. I’d been their Master, but never their man. I wanted to be Joy’s man. I’d been waiting for her—searching without knowing—and now that I had her, I was never giving her up.
Joy tried to fight me at first, her teeth flashing as she snarled, but the pull between us was too strong. Our bodies fused together as my heart slammed in my chest. My blood burned while my dick throbbed with want, the feeling of euphoria searing my senses. The animal inside of me urged me to take, to own, to mark her, but the man I strived so hard to be held my base instincts in check, tempering my fierce arousal. My tenderness seemed to disarm her, and her hands went from pushing me away to pulling me closer.
Her low, desperate moan vibrated from her body and into mine.
For twenty-four rapid beats of my heart, she softened against me, her mouth tasting me in a way that had a deep growl ripping from chest. Her scent of strawberries and peaches, and the plush warmth of her round body against me, drove me wild. With another soft moan, she grasped my shoulders and parted her lips, the fire from kissing her burning my system like a shot of the best tequila I’d ever had. She ruined me in an instant, made it impossible to ever go back to touching another woman after I’d had the pleasure of her lips. An electric shudder ripped down my spine and into my balls, making me harder than I’d ever been in my life.
Unfortunately, my feelings appeared to be one-sided.
Just as I was about to turn around and carry Joy into the house to break my celibacy against the nearest hard surface, my mother wacked me on the shoulder.
“Ramón! You put her down right this second!”
Moms—the ultimate cock block.
Joy must have agreed with my mother, because she abruptly twisted in my arms, almost kneeing me in the junk and forcing me to drop her. A second later she slapped me, hard, across the face. The animal inside of me pushed me to retaliate, to tie her sassy little ass up and fuck her until she was weeping my name, bending to my will. A soft snarl escaped before I could stop it, but she simply lifted her cute little nose in the air in silent defiance.
Our eyes met, held, and my dick throbbed with the need to feel her body clasped tight around mine.
“Do that again, and I’ll kick your balls down your throat,” Joy snarled at me, fire and passion sparking in her green eyes.
Fuck, she was magnificent.
My mother cleared her throat. Before she could speak, I said, “Mom, Diego. Give us a moment alone, please.”
“Ramón, I don’t know if that’s the best—”
I turned and gave her a look that let her know I was done fucking around. “Please. I need a moment alone with Joy. I promise, she’ll be safe with me.”
I didn’t miss the way satisfaction flared in my mother’s gaze, or the little smile that tried to lift the corners of her mouth, but I’d deal with her meddling later.
“Joy?” she asked. My suspicions about my mother’s infamous matchmaking skills raised my hackles at her sweet tone. “Is that all right with you?”
Joy was going to object, but I stopped her by saying, “Unless you’re afraid of me.”
Just like I knew it would, any mention of weakness had Joy’s back going up. My girl had a lot of pride, and it was easy to tweak. She’d rather face me alone, something she clearly didn’t want to do, than admit I intimidated her.
She sucked on her lower lip before saying, “Do I have anything to be afraid of?”
An echo of real fear haunted her gaze for a moment, and I slowly shook my head. “No, beautiful, never from me.”
“Fine. But make it quick. I want to see Hannah.”
Closing the distance between us once again, and ignoring my mother’s unflattering mutters about my appalling lack of manners as she left, I grinned at the way Joy’s eyes went wide. What I was about to say to this little spitfire wasn’t for my family’s ears. Joy tried to step away from me with a startled squeak, but I backed her into one of the large cedar beams holding up the small Spanish tile roof over the patio area. Before her head could hit it, I had my hand there, cushioning her delicate skull. Amazing, even when she’d pushed all my buttons, drove me right into my red zone, my first instinct was to protect her from any harm.