Total pages in book: 209
Estimated words: 196085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 980(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 654(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 196085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 980(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 654(@300wpm)
At my age, I finally know what it means to have my heart broken. In a matter of a few hours, I’ve let my guard down and look what happened.
Never again.
My hand tightens around the doorknob and I pull the door open when she appears in her bedroom doorway. She steps forward, looking like the perfect sin.
She's playing me.
Wearing a pink and lavender little nightgown deal that brushes the tops of her lush thighs, she’s the most heart-rending sight. Her breasts fill the top, her nipples poking the translucent fabric, making my mouth water.
Her face falls as she sees me at the front door.
“You’re leaving?” Her voice nearly cracks, her eyes wide.
Such a perfect actress—one I’ve just kissed and stroked and imagined walking next to me the rest of my goddamned life. Her flavor still burning through me. But, still, I don’t want to destroy her. She can’t be the mastermind behind all of this. She’s just a pawn in the game.
“I need to deal with an emergency. I’m so sorry.”
She tilts her head to the left and her brows furrow over her luminous-green eyes.
“It’s the middle of the night. You were just going to leave without saying anything? That’s sort of a dick move.” She wraps her arms around her center, jutting out a hip and I hate myself right now.
I look away.
I want to hate her. But I can’t.
Even if she's a liar.
“You’re right. I’m a dick. I’m sorry. I’m doing you a favor. Take care, Chastity.”
I shut the door behind me with a click, and steel myself against the stabbing pain in my heart.
CHAPTER 9
JACKSON
It’s been two fucking days, and I’m sitting here with a hard-on as I watch her moving around her desk.
My office at the Westwood building leads in through the back with a private elevator. The wall of screens in my office shows nothing but Chastity right now. Every possible angle is covered. I had my private security team install cameras around her desk and more along her regular routes through the building.
But that’s the least of it.
I’ve had my PI following her and digging up anything he can. Then there are the half dozen camera angles that look directly onto the front and back entrance of her apartment building, both ends of the corridor outside her apartment, the stairwell… and one installed in the building across from her apartment window, looking directly inside.
She may have been the honeytrap that could have broken me, but my obsession has not lessened. The thing is, she’s not been seen with anyone since I left her the other night, at least not outside of here with co-workers. She’s been totally alone. If she was a set-up, I’d think she would have met with someone by now.
I’m waiting for the call from Isabella that we have a new sexual harassment claim by Chastity Nash, but it’s yet to come. Maybe she didn’t get enough evidence. She could try again. As much as my heart wishes it wasn’t true, logic tells me it is.
I am sick and tired of working toward nothing, building new homes all over the world to be lonely in. Tired of not trusting anyone, but my lack of trust seems to be more necessary now than ever before.
Still, I need to know where she is at all times, I need to know no man lays his hands on her body.
I am prepared to fight and set the world on fire if it means keeping her safe.
Forget about her. You’re lucky you figured it out before it went too far. Before she got evidence. My attorney’s words echo inside my head but I can’t shake what I feel. The things she doesn’t know about me. The things I said to Chastity…
I walk to the massive floor-to-ceiling windows and look out at the Manhattan skyline. It fails to give the usual excitement of ownership as I watch over the scattering of my buildings across the city.
So far, the bullshit harassment claims haven’t brought my darkest secrets to light.
But, if there were cameras, recording equipment, even the short back and forth I shared with Chastity would be enough. My tendencies would be splashed across newspapers for the world to see. They’d call me a predator. A pervert.
News like that would destroy me.
I shake my head. There’s no point in worrying about it now. If I catch her in time, I might be able to buy her silence at a higher price than whoever is trying to destroy me. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
I unzip my fly and free my thick hard-on.
I can’t fight it. I haven’t been able to fight it since I met her in the bar.
I’ve never jerked off in any of my offices before I met her. Now, it’s multiple times a day and still I get no relief.