Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
It had happened again. The burn. The switch. Whatever it had been. She’d ignited it, and I knew I’d not be able to walk away. I would have to make sure she was safe, happy, and taken care of.
Keeping the guys away that got too close hadn’t exactly been something that made her happy. I couldn’t help that. When they kissed her or touched her, I’d become another person. My actions were no longer my own. I couldn’t allow them to take her innocence. I needed to know she was still pure. She wasn’t jaded. She was the light that I craved and could never have.
I smirked. That ship had sailed. I had her now. She wasn’t leaving me. This was mine. I never had to walk away from that fucking window or leave her room because she was waking up again.
She stretched, and then her eyes fluttered before opening. I watched as she looked over to my empty pillow, then started to sit up. Those grey eyes locked on me, and her face softened. Fuck yeah. She was happy to see me. I’d put that look on her face. Her tiny ass was all curled up on my massive bed.
“Morning,” I said, setting my cup down on the mantel.
“Good morning,” she replied, then glanced toward the windows overlooking the backyard. “I slept late.”
It was after nine, and she was normally up before seven, if not six, every day.
“I had my mouth between your legs at two this morning. You were tired,” I replied, walking over to her.
She blushed and bit her bottom lip. I should have let her sleep all night, but I’d watched her for an hour after she woke me up, talking in her sleep. The need to have her on my tongue the rest of the night and hear her moan was too much. I’d woken her while licking her clit.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the spot beside me. She crawled over to it, and I pulled her onto my lap. Burying my nose in the curve of her neck, I inhaled. The silent purr deep in my chest didn’t surprise me. Every fucking dark corner of my soul this woman seemed to bring peace to.
“What time is it?” she asked, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck.
“Nine,” I replied. It was actually nine thirty, but what did it matter? She was here in my arms. Time did not matter.
“Oh!” she said, leaning back, her eyes wide. “I didn’t ask what time I needed to be at the stables to exercise the horses.”
I brushed her hair back off her shoulder, then enjoyed the soft skin there. I fucking loved how it felt. Like silk but warm.
“Thatcher,” she said between a whine and a moan.
I grinned and placed a kiss on the spot I’d been enjoying.
“Focus. We are back, and I have a job.”
I was focused. On her. In my lap.
“Please,” she begged breathlessly as I took a nip of her earlobe between my teeth.
I wanted to keep her here all day and touch her, lick her, enjoy her little sounds.
“I need to work.”
No, she didn’t. But I had already taken Zephyr and the upcoming race away from her. I knew taking anything else would make her unhappy. I didn’t do well when that happened. Sighing, I lifted my head and looked into her eyes. She seemed anxious.
“We’ll go down to the stables after you eat. I’ll let Miller know you’ll be there to run the horses.”
She relaxed. “Thank you.”
I waited a moment to see if she would bring up Zephyr again, and she didn’t. Part of me wanted her to fight for it. Stand up to me. Just so I knew she felt secure that I wouldn’t hurt her. The other part was relieved. I couldn’t let her get hurt. I wouldn’t survive that. No one would.
• Thirty-Nine •
I couldn’t let him ruin his life, protecting me.
Capri
King had come earlier and said something to Thatcher that caused him to leave the fence where he’d been watching me exercise the horses. I was able to focus more on what I was doing without him standing there, being a distraction. I managed to finish with Nemesis and Pharaoh while he was gone.
Dismounting from Pharaoh, I took the lead and walked him over to Derek to take back to the stables and brush down. I knew that Miller had sent for Sword next, so I glanced back at the stables to see if he was on his way out or if I had time for a water break.
The gorgeous Appaloosa that Storm had bought for his fiancée, Briar, exited the entrance with Briar leading her. I tried not to let my insecurities go running wild at the sight of her. She wasn’t like the girls that I’d seen Thatcher with. She was on another level. The kind of stunning that turned all heads. But the two times I’d spoken to her, she’d been nice. I liked her.