Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Mila waved a dismissive hand. “Plenty of guys sleep with women they don’t know. It doesn’t make you a shitty person.” She cocked her head. “Have you ever been in a relationship?”
A smile softened his mouth. “What, you’re wondering if maybe a girl once broke my heart, and I’m determined to avoid feeling that pain again? No. Nothing like that. There are a few reasons why I’ve avoided relationships. Mostly, I just don’t think it’s fair to start a relationship with someone unless you can be sure that you’ll be what they need.”
Mila pursed her lips. “I get it. While coming to terms with the fact that I’d never have my true mate, I stuck to shallow flings because I just wasn’t in an emotional place where I had anything to give. I’d have had no right to ask for a commitment from anyone.”
“And now you are in a place where you have something to give?”
“I think so.” She exhaled a heavy breath. “I’d say we should go sit out on the balcony and relax—it’s a real pretty view. But Vinnie’s paranoid that there could be a sniper waiting on a rooftop somewhere, pointing a rifle at my apartment.”
Dominic frowned, tensing. “Could they shoot through the glass?”
She shook her head. “All the windows and balcony doors in the building are bulletproof. Vinnie’s into illegal shit, remember? He wanted to be sure that no one in his pride paid for that.”
As something occurred to him, Dominic asked, “There’s no way that the person who put the bounty on your head did it to get at Vinnie?”
“It seems more likely to me that they’re trying to flush out Alex. Besides, Vinnie has a lot of contacts. If someone in his circle put a hit out on me, he’d have heard about it.” Pushing off the chair, Mila added, “I just need to finish unloading the dishwasher and then I’ll be back. Want a beer?”
“Sure.” As she passed, Dominic grabbed her hand and smoothly pulled her onto his lap. “Or you could just straddle me like this. Yeah, I prefer that.”
Mila probably should have pulled away, but she could almost feel his need for touch. Wondered if he even sensed that need himself. She found she couldn’t deny him.
They sat in silence as he smoothed his hands up and down her back, doodled patterns here and there, massaged her nape, dragged his fingers down her neck and along the curve of her shoulders. It was as if he was tracing her, memorizing the dips and curves.
All the while, he pressed soft kisses to her face and neck. His cock was rock hard, but he didn’t make any moves to seduce her. She got the feeling that he needed comfort more than he needed sex, so she let him have his way. Massaged his chest and shoulders until his muscles were no longer rigid.
Although the anger hadn’t quite left him, a growl of contentment rumbled out of his chest, and she had the feeling that it came from his beast. “Your wolf seems to have relaxed.”
Dominic raked his teeth down her throat. “He has what he wants now. He’s been hounding me all day to come see you. Touch you. Take you.”
Drawing back a little, she said, “I got the feeling you were saying a permanent goodbye to me this morning.”
“I was,” he admitted. “You tempt me to break my own rules, and that’s not good. But I was kidding myself when I thought I could stay away from you.” And then he closed his mouth over hers and sank his tongue inside. Before long, he had her naked and riding him right there on the sofa. He came like a fucking freight train.
They showered before tumbling into her bed, where he took her again after indulging in a long, thorough taste of her pussy. They fell asleep, but he woke sometime in the night, just as he always did unless he was in his own bed.
Not wanting to sneak out—and knowing she’d probably hear him if he tried—he lightly trailed his fingers down her arm and said softly, “Mila? Mila?”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Hmm?”
“I gotta go.”
“’Kay.” Her eyelids fell shut. “Leave the money on the nightstand, would ya?”
His mouth quirked. “After the stuff I did to you last night, you owe me money.”
She smiled but flicked her fingers. “Be gone. Some of us like to sleep.”
He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and then rose from the bed. Having pulled on his clothes, he said, “I’ll call you later.”
“You don’t have my number.” Frowning, she looked up at him. “Do you?”
He just gave her a mysterious smile. “Later.” Ignoring his wolf’s growl of displeasure and his own desire to get back in that bed, Dominic forced himself to leave.
CHAPTER TEN
A week. That was all the peace Dominic got before Pierson struck again.