Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“Did you know it wasn’t poisonous?” He was still trying to wrap his brain around what she’d been through. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand torture—of all types. He simply couldn’t understand putting a child through it.
“I figured it out after a few hours,” she admitted. “It bit me many times, but I was still alive. It’s funny how logical a person can be even when they’re terrified. But seriously, Sir. It’s over. With the exception of hating tight spaces, I don’t think about it much anymore.”
“Do you still live with your father?” How could he kill her father? It would be a fun weekend project. How long did it take a man to die from having his balls squeezed in a vise?
“We’ve reached a standoff, my father and I. I do the occasional job for him and he leaves me alone for the most part. I would love to simply walk out of his life, but that didn’t work out for my mother.”
He could imagine. Now was the time when he should shrug and fuck her and move on. And yet the words that came out of his mouth didn’t even vaguely resemble what his ruthless brain was thinking. “I’ll get you out.”
He could kill the whole syndicate. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t enjoy it. His handler, Ten Smith, might have a problem with it, but he could deal with Ten.
Her eyes had warmed, her body relaxing. “Like I said before, I’m comfortable where I am now. I can’t change the past, but I can live for the now. Are you thinking about using one of the canes on me?”
He didn’t like the change of subject. It made him suspicious. Of course her boobs made him horny, and his mind and dick were contemplating war on each other. Still, suspicion was an old friend. “Why are you here, Charlie? Am I one of those jobs you do for your father?”
She shook her head. “I’m not working for my father.”
That wasn’t a complete denial. “But you are working.”
“Aren’t we always working, Master Ian?” She hadn’t moved from her position on the bed.
He suddenly wanted more control. It was odd since she was so perfectly calm, but he could feel himself losing command because he wanted to do exactly what she’d asked. He wanted to play with her. He wanted to forget his every suspicion and sink into top space and spend the rest of the night with her. “If you’re here to distract me, Charlie, it won’t work.”
He couldn’t allow it to work.
“Then you don’t have anything to worry about, Master Ian.”
His brain was working overtime, trying to find its way out of the trap. Because his brain knew she was a trap, a gorgeous, perfectly baited trap of some kind. He simply wasn’t certain why she wanted to trap him. “We don’t have a contract.”
She considered him for a moment. “Do we need one if you’re only planning on spending one night with me? I have a contract with the club. That covers us. My safe word is lemon.”
“Interesting choice. I’m not crazy about lemon.” Not that he’d had a lot of it. His mom hadn’t been big on baking. All he knew was he hated it in iced tea, and it had been super funny to watch his kid brother suck on one when he was a toddler.
He probably shouldn’t have been allowed to be in charge of Sean when they were kids.
“You would be if you ever had my lemon pie,” she replied with a smile. “It was my mother’s. I don’t make it often, but when I do it’s spectacular. If we ever meet up again, I’ll have to make it for you.”
Meet up again? She said it like she was going to disappear tomorrow and he might or might not see her again. He didn’t like that thought. It played around on the edge of his brain, the idea of keeping her close while he was here in Paris. “Charlie, I’m on a job. Like you said, we’re always working, people like us. I won’t be distracted.”
“And like I said, if that’s true, then you don’t have anything to worry about. Would you like me to leave?”
Hell, no. His dick shut that shit down and fast. Questions were one thing. Her walking out the door was completely another. He was going to have her. He merely needed to figure out how carefully he needed to handle her. “I’d like you to properly introduce yourself, sub. And then I’ll make a decision as to whether or not I have anything to worry about. Knees, Charlie.”
With a mysterious smile that went straight to his cock, she got to her feet. Rather than dropping to the floor where she stood, as almost any sub would have done, she crossed the space between them, her eyes coming up to meet his before she began to sink down slowly. Though she kept careful inches between them, he would have sworn he could feel her sliding down his body, their chests touching, her lips coming dangerously close, right where he wanted them to be.