Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I keep reading, taking in the list of specific clothing stores, jewelry stores, hairdressers, and various places I have to shop at.
This is really insane.
Digging my phone out of the bag with the full intention of calling my mother, I open the screen only to see a message from her. Opening it, I’m bombarded with a dozen photos, all of them showing her happy smile.
Shit, I don’t want to ruin her honeymoon.
I keep looking at the photos of her and Peter at the beach, at an opera house, having dinner at some classy restaurant.
Mom looks really happy.
My shoulders sag as I realize I won’t be able to run to my mother whenever Nikolas gives me hell. I’ll have to deal with him myself.
My mind starts to race, trying to come up with a solution to this new problem.
I’ll have to spend some of the funds to get new dresses for the damn events, but other than that, I’ll continue using my usual monthly allowance.
I can donate some of the money.
A smile starts to tug at my lips.
I can also save a portion for Mom.
With a satisfied grin forming on my face, I pull my laptop out to search for non-profit organizations I can support.
Two can play this game, Nikolas.
I spend twenty minutes checking the various organizations and decide to support Greenpeace and Doctors Without Borders.
Checking my bank account, it’s to see a whopping fifty thousand, eight hundred and twenty-three dollars.
“Greenpeace and Doctors Without Borders, thank you for your support, Nikolas,” I mutter as I add their banking details to my beneficiary list.
I transfer fifteen thousand to each of the organizations and open a savings account where I place fifteen thousand for mom.
That leaves me with five thousand to pad my closet with dresses, and I’m only doing it, so I don’t embarrass Mom when I represent her at events.
It’s definitely not for Nikolas.
Feeling better, I glance at my bag. My heart sinks as I tug it closer, and taking the pieces of my camera out, I remove the memory card and insert it into my laptop. When I see the footage hasn’t been ruined, the corner of my mouth lifts.
Ten minutes later, I realize I’m watching the footage of Nikolas on repeat. I slam the laptop shut and keep myself busy by placing the broken camera in the box after removing the new one. I’ll take it in for repairs tomorrow.
I fiddle with the new one, getting to know the feel of it and every function. Hours pass, and only when my stomach growls do I realize time’s run away with me.
Getting up, I head into the kitchen and take out ingredients to fix myself a turkey sandwich. I pour a glass of orange juice to wash the food down, and leaning back against the counter, I stand and eat, my eyes dancing over the camera.
At least something good came from today.
Chapter 11
Nikolas
Temptation, wrapped in black silk, floats down the stairs, and every fucking pair of male eyes lock onto her.
The itch to rip my gun out and go to town on every fucker who dares to ogle Tess crawls beneath my skin.
This is fucking ridiculous.
Tossing the tumbler back, I down the whiskey, hoping it will calm the desire flooding my body.
The way Tess moves makes the silk shimmer beneath the electric lights. Her hair is styled straight, the tips flirting with her bare shoulders, the thin straps barely visible. The damn slit of the dress exposes too much of her leg, stopping short of being indecent.
She stays next to Athina, who stops to greet Olga, a socialite who grew up in our circle. When Tess turns to glance around the room, my mouth goes dry.
Jesus.
Her back is exposed, the silk nestled right above her ass. Fuck that ass. There’s too much skin, and her ass is fucking perfect.
Then Tess, looking like a fucking wet dream, smiles at Olga as they’re introduced.
My gaze flits around the room, and a possessive rage burns in my chest when I see the other men practically salivating at the mouth for her.
Work has kept me busy, and it will only get busier with the Sicilians crawling out of the gutters and slithering onto my streets. I don’t have fucking time for this.
What the fuck was she thinking, wearing a dress like that?
I set the empty tumbler down on the table and stalk toward Tess. When her eyes land on me, they widen, and she moves in behind Athina.
As if she can fucking hide from me.
Reaching the women, I press a kiss to Athina’s temple. “Hi. Where’s Basil?”
My sister glances around the room then gestures to the stairs. “Probably still talking with Spiros. They ran into each other at the entrance.”
Without having to look, I reach for Tess and slipping a hand over her smooth skin just above her porn-worthy ass, I tug her to me. Her skin feels so soft it makes my desire spike dangerously high.