Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Does that make you uncomfortable?
No, it doesn’t, but I think maybe it should.
My balls get tight, my head clouding. Finally, I’m forced to look up when the chihuahua stops right in front of me. It’s an overfed thing, wearing a pink studded collar and repeatedly barking up at Jackal. Jackal is in his done position, so he doesn’t move. He just stares straight ahead.
“Oh my gawd,” the owner says, a woman wearing a bra and underwear. I’m sure that’s what it is, for a second, and I wonder if she’s gone nuts. I’m genuinely confused. Then I realize it’s some sort of workout gear—lingerie chic or some shit.
She bobs her blond-haired head at me as if expecting a response. “He, like, never barks like this,” she says.
I incline my head respectfully. “It’s fine. Jackal won’t respond.”
“He won’t, like, eat him?”
I inwardly cringe. I don’t want to offend this woman, but she’s annoying me. Her dog is annoying me, which makes me feel guilty. I never enjoy being annoyed by dogs, but this one clearly has never been trained. She tries to laugh. I think she might be trying to flirt.
My phone buzzes in my lap. My fingers itch to get it, but the woman steps forward, letting her dog walk almost right up to Jackal and bark at him. She giggles like this is the most amusing thing in the world.
“Trixie wouldn’t stand a chance.”
I nod, pick up my phone, and glance at the text. Sorry, was that too forward?
I reply, No, I want you to want me to watch you. Sorry, was that too complicated?
A quick response. Ha, ha. No, I get it… I think.
She’s as tentative as me. I wonder why. For what reasons? Maybe she doesn’t want to push too hard and disrupt a possibly good deal. Perhaps she’s never been lucky in love. Maybe she’s like me, and she’s hardly tried. She’s obviously had less time.
The dog is still barking. The woman hasn’t taken the hint. I finally look at her again.
“That was a bit rude,” she says, with another giggle.
“It was important,” I tell her. “You have a nice day, miss.”
She huffs and rolls her eyes. She might as well push her tits together. None of it will have any effect on me. The only woman I want—will ever want—is across the street. “I’ve seen you here before. You walk your doggie here sometimes, don’t you?”
“I have before, yeah.”
Her dog is still barking.
“So, my name is Maddie.”
My phone buzzes again. Once again, being obviously rude, I check it. She’s lucky Jackal is so well-trained. He’s behaving as if the Chihuahua isn’t even there.
Oh wow, Sam, this place is crazy! It’s so nice. There are heated floors and everything. I’ve never even been to a hotel like this before.
I grin, typing a message back. I almost say something like, This is only the start. I never had a reason to do anything other than invest my money before, but I’m going to build us a family home.
Yeah, that would be nuts. Instead, I write, I’m happy you’re happy, Katy.
I want to pick up the tablet and start watching her, but the woman is still there.
“You know, it’s bad manners to check your phone all the time.”
“That was my girlfriend,” I say.
“Like I care,” she says, leading her dog away with another giggle.
I shake my head. I’ll never understand how some women can walk around with so much on display. Or how their men can let them. What did Katy call me, sexist? Maybe that’s the sort of thinking she was talking about, but the point still stands.
I’d end up with a murder charge if Katy revealed her perfect, juicy ass to anybody except me.
Are there cameras in every room?
Yes, but the ones in the bedrooms and bathrooms aren’t activated. They’ll all switch on in an emergency so I can track any intruders. I can also activate individual cameras within those rooms, but the occupant will need to give permission via a console.
I pick up the pad, watching as Katy stands at the console in the living room, basically a tablet built into the wall. She’s wearing another plain black tee with high-waisted, hip-hugging jeans that outlines the shape of her ass and legs, hinting at how perfect her body is for childbearing. Angela and Eli are sitting in separate armchairs in the living room.
Katy takes out her phone, looks down, and bites her lip. Fuck, that gets me going, and then she lets it go like she’s mad at herself. I zoom in on the sassiness on her face. She’s even more beautiful on live video than in the photo.
Taking out my headphones, I plug them in but leave one dangling. When I turn up the volume, I know there’s no going back. I know I’ll never be able to let her go.