Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“What do you do for money?” I ask. “Without parents to pay your bills. Do you have loans?”
“I have loans.” Anna nods. “But I also have a job at the library. It’s good because it doesn’t require much. I can study while I work basically.”
“I’ll take care of that,” I say immediately.
“Take care of what?”
“Your loans,” I reply. “Your bills. You can keep the library job if you’d like, but you shouldn’t have those looming over your head.”
“Blake…”
“You should be able to focus on your studies,” I tell her. “You clearly have talent. You broke me down no problem.”
The look on Anna’s face is adorable and priceless at the same time. Her mouth freezes mid-bite, and she gasps a deep lungful of air.
“Blake, no!”
“No? Why not?” I ask, forking a mouthful of pancake. Anna is unsure of what to say, so she just sort of looks back at me while I chew and swallow.
“B-but…you just met me!”
I tilt my head forward and give her a look like she’s just said something incredibly silly—because she has, and we both know it. I take her by the hand and squeeze. “Knowing what you know—do I seem like the kind of guy who would say something like this and not go through with it?”
Anna shakes her head. “No.”
“Okay then.” I smile. “Say goodbye to your school tuition.”
Then I see something I did not expect—tears begin to well up from Anna’s gorgeous eyes. She wipes at them with the back of her hand, and I quickly hand her a napkin.
“I’m sorry,” she sniffs.
“Don’t be, Anna.” I smile.
“I’ve just never had anyone be this kind to me, and I never would have guessed it would have been–”
“Blake Lockwood?” I chuckle. She smiles and nods as she continues to wipe at her tears. “Well, what can I say? You brought out the good man in me, baby.”
13
Blake
I stand beside her at the sink trying to edge in and help her do the dishes, but she’s doing a great job boxing me out.
“I told you, you don’t get to help,” she repeats for the third time. “You cooked so I clean. That’s how it works.”
“I’m just trying to help.”
“You already helped!” Anna laughs, as though I’ve said something absurd. “Making breakfast and paying for my school? I can’t let you do any more today. In fact, I think I have to be your slave woman for now into the foreseeable future.”
I feel myself swelling up underneath my sweatpants at the suggestion of such a thing coming from Anna’s sweet lips.
“That sounds great to me.” I grin. “I could get all kinds of different outfits to dress you up in. Have you ever had some real expensive lingerie?”
I already know the answer, but I smile when Anna shakes her head. “Never.”
“We’ll have to fix that,” I reply. “Especially if you’re going to be my slave girl.”
She giggles as she runs the sponge over the last pan. I swear I could make her giggle my ring tone. I’ve never felt this way before in my life. Is it possible Anna is softening me up?
Part of me doesn’t even care. I’m fine with leaving this life—retiring early and using my money to build a new life for the two of us. But another part of me knows that I have to stay strong and dangerous if I want to protect her.
Bringing her into my life means that I’m bringing a new way for people to get at me into my life. Anna is effectively a new weak point, and if my enemies find out about her, they’ll come at her.
Just the thought of that instantly gets my blood flowing and my adrenaline coursing. I don’t even notice that Anna has finished until she’s sliding her arms around my waist and looking up at me.
“I’d love to play dress-up for you,” she says in a low, sexy tone, taking my hand and guiding it up her shirt. The softness and smoothness of her skin is so alluring.
I know I have things I need to do today, and normally they’re always right at the top of my mind, but I’m going to have to ask my assistant to run my schedule by me thanks to Anna distracting the hell out of me here this morning. And that’s something that’s never happened.
“What would you like to see me in?” she asks.
I grind my teeth, trying not to let myself go to full mast right here in the kitchen. It’s the morning, for fuck’s sake. How am I going to function if I’m constantly boned up every single time Anna is in my presence?
“What wouldn’t I like to see you in is the question, baby?” I smile.
Anna shies away from me and tucks her face into her shoulder as she blushes heavily. Her cheeks are like roses in bloom. It’s just so adorable.