Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
And not for him.
No matter what his dick might think.
“And who is going to demand that I rest?” she asked, leaning forward.
He had to force himself to raise his gaze from her breasts to her face. There was a hint of unease that she quickly hid.
Renard doubted that she let anyone see her unease. He got it. She wore her clothes, her personality like a shield. She was used to men staring at her body, lusting after her.
That was normal.
Looking her in the eyes? Not so much.
However, most of the men around these parts respected women so she best get used to it.
“Problem?” he drawled.
“I haven’t got one, darlin’.”
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “You know that the men in this town take care of the women.”
“Well, so they say. I’m Opal, by the way.”
Yep. She was still protecting herself. And he already knew who she was. The people in this town enjoyed a bit of gossip. And for some reason, people liked to talk to him.
He had no idea why.
From all accounts, her life had been pretty shit up until this point. He’d heard whispers of abuse at the hands of her last boyfriend.
Renard grunted. “Renard. And it’s true. I’ve seen it. Not saying they always do a good job, though. Often thought they don’t go far enough, myself.”
Opal raised her eyebrows. “You’d go further? What would you do?”
“Depends on the situation, doesn’t it?”
“Say someone was threatening your woman, what would you do?” she asked.
“I don’t have one of them and I will never have one.”
The idea made him feel ill.
He didn’t want a woman. He also wished that he didn’t feel so protective of the women in Haven.
But that was the price of living in a town like this. And even he had to pay his dues.
Until he left . . .
Which would be soon.
Opal sighed and waved her hand through the air. She had a number of gold and silver rings on her fingers. She looked tired.
Concern filled him, but he pushed it down.
She had people looking after her.
Yeah, but it was those damn Malones. Who knew if they were doing a good job or not? He still had to keep a close eye on Lara. And, hell, he was the one who had basically kept Hannah alive. Delivering her much-needed food. Where had her man been then? Renard couldn’t remember which one she was with. They all looked the same to him.
But they were supposed to be taking care of this woman, too. However, he bet she didn’t make it easy on them. Opal had the look of someone who had seen it all and was used to taking care of herself.
It was no wonder she didn’t fully drink the Kool-Aid.
But the people here were mostly decent.
They tried to take care of their own.
“Fine, but hypothetically, if you had a woman and she was threatened by someone, what would you do?”
“Easy.” He grinned, aware that he probably looked feral. “I would lock her up and go hunting.”
Opal didn’t shy back or look uncomfortable. Then again, he hadn’t really expected her to.
Instead, she nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought you would say.”
“You here alone?”
Opal glanced around. “I sure am.”
“Bit of a smartass, huh?”
She grinned. “I try.”
“I know what to do with smartasses.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
He leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. “I spank their little asses until they can’t sit down for a week.”
There.
That ought to get her to back the fuck off and disappear.
She smiled. “Hmm. Promises, promises.”
Fuck.
“I am not for you, girl,” he told her in a rough voice.
That smile disappeared. “Didn’t say you were. Had plenty of men spank me before, doesn’t mean they became mine. And I’m not a girl.”
No, she wasn’t.
But he’d chosen to call her that on purpose. To put a barrier up between them.
Because there was something there . . . something he could almost touch and taste.
And he didn’t want it there.
He didn’t want to look at her and think that she was sexy as fuck. He wasn’t looking for a quick fuck or a relationship.
You need to go to the club.
He hadn’t been into Saxon’s for months. Something that was making him antsy. Itching away at him.
It was too bad that he had to steer clear of this woman.
She was fucking gorgeous and in a past life he would already have her in his bed.
“Aren’t you?” he murmured.
“No. I’m definitely not. And I’m not talking about my age. I could be ten years younger and still not be a girl.”
He wondered how old she was, but he knew not to ask. A man never asked a woman her age unless he was willing to risk his life.
Or his balls.
“I get that,” he said gruffly, staring down at the glass of rum still sitting in front of him.