Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“But he didn’t try to warn you against talking to this guy? Going with him?”
She shook her head. “He asked me to dance. This charming, gorgeous man and I was so . . . flattered. I hadn’t been in a lot of relationships. My work schedule made it pretty impossible. Most men didn’t want to have a relationship with someone who might take off for weeks at a time with little warning. Who couldn’t call them regularly. I’d actually given up on finding someone to call mine. I was happy to just go to Club Slade when I went back to London.”
“Club Slade?” he asked.
“The BDSM club I belonged to in London. It’s a good club. A really great reputation. The owners care about protecting their members.”
He nodded. “Right. What happened next?”
“When I returned to the table, my guide was gone. I was surprised and I tried to find him. He helped me. Looking back, I now realize that he probably had his men run my guide off. But I truly had no idea at the time. He gave me his phone number and asked me to go out for breakfast the next morning. And then the romance really started.” She shook her head.
“I still can’t believe how naive I was. On our second date, he tried to give me diamonds. I felt uncomfortable with that and turned him down, telling him that if he wanted to buy me something, to donate money to the local orphanage. And he did. He took me there the next day and gave them a large amount of money. God, I was so stupid. So caught up in the experience.”
“You shouldn’t blame yourself,” he told her. “It sounds like he knew what he was doing.”
“It was just so quick. I don’t even know why he chose me. Out of everyone there, why me?”
Travs raised his eyebrows. “Really? You have no idea why he’d want you?”
“Umm.” He seemed a bit mad so she didn’t know how to answer him without upsetting him more. “Nooo.”
“Fuck me, Caren.” He sat with her on his lap, facing him.
Yikes. She’d almost forgotten that he was holding her up. How did he not get tired?
Now she was pressed against him, her pussy against his lower stomach as he drew her close and kissed her.
Hard and deep.
Her breathing grew faster and she melted into his touch. He placed his hand around the back of her head, holding her still as he devoured her.
Then he drew back and gave her a severe frown. “You are the most beautiful, funny, kind, gorgeous woman in the world. Of course he took one look at you and wanted you.”
Wow.
Just wow.
“You really think that?”
“I know that. And I’ll tell you that as often as you need to hear it. But I’ve noticed you haven’t told me something.”
“I haven’t?” she asked with mock-innocence.
“Yeah. Who is he?”
“I can’t tell you.”
28
Yeah.
This was the part that she’d known was going to go down like a lead balloon.
And why she hadn’t wanted to tell him.
But she knew Travis . . . he wouldn’t just let things lie. And he couldn’t go looking into Aadan. Not if he wanted to keep breathing.
And she really, really wanted him to keep breathing.
“Why can’t you tell me?” he practically purred as he brushed her hair off her face.
“Because I know you. You’ll want to look into him. And he’s a dangerous guy. If he found out I’d told you about him . . . if he somehow caught on to you investigating him, he might do something to you.”
“I can take care of myself, Caren,” he replied.
“In most cases, yes. In this case, I think it’s better if you don’t know who he is.”
He drew back and she felt herself grow cold. Was this it? The moment he told her that he couldn’t be with her anymore because she wouldn’t do what he wanted?
“Don’t know what’s going on in your head right now, but I can almost guarantee I won’t like it. I will tell you this. I don’t like you keeping things from me.”
“I know.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to reject you or push you away or tell you that I don’t want you. That’s not the way this works.”
“It . . . it isn’t?”
“I’m not him, baby. One day you’re going to trust me with his name. And you’re going to know that I can take care of you and of myself.”
She sucked in a breath. “It’s not that I doubt you, Travis. It’s just he . . . he’s a monster.”
He smiled at her. “I’m used to dealing with monsters. I’m going to be your monster slayer, Goldie. I’m going to give you some time to tell me his name. To work out that I won’t let you down.”
“I never thought you’d let me down,” she protested. “And . . . just how long are we talking about?”