Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
He handed me a drink, and I took it down like a shot, breathing out pure alcohol.
“Why would I agree to this?” he asked. “What do I get?”
“You get to stay alive.”
He narrowed his eyes, and I honestly thought he was going to tell me to go fuck myself and try to put a bullet between my eyes. However, he knew how the game worked.
If he did this for me, I’d owe him one, and in this life…
That meant everything.
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
LUKE
I had to leave Friday morning for a meeting with a supplier, and I didn’t get back until Sunday evening. By the time I lay down in my bed, it was two in the morning, and I was beyond exhausted from the weekend festivities.
A text message came through on my cell phone from an unknown number.
Unknown number
Do you make it a habit of kissing girls and then going MIA?
I chuckled, leaning against my headrest.
Luke
Who’s stalking who now?
Duchess
I like to give the same energy I receive.
Luke
If that were true, you’d already be in my bed.
Duchess
What are you wearing?
Luke
Gym shorts and a smile. What are you wearing?
Duchess
I’m naked and wet.
I jerked back, not expecting her to reply with that.
Luke
What can I do to help?
Duchess
I’d love for someone to wash my hair.
I laughed, realizing she must have been in the bathtub.
Luke
Are we talking about the drapes or the carpet?
Duchess
I have polished floors.
I groaned, my cock twitching at the thought of her bare pussy in my mouth.
Luke
I have a big floor grinder if you’re ever in the need of some maintenance.
Duchess
How often do you lend out your floor grinder?
I smiled, chuckling.
Luke
How often do you polish your floors?
Duchess
When the mood strikes…
At least she answered my question, but I didn’t want to talk about her with other men, so I changed the subject.
Luke
Isn’t it past your bedtime?
Duchess
I’m actually a vampire.
Luke
That makes a lot of sense.
Duchess
Do you want me to suck your blood?
Luke
Name the time and place, or I can name it for you.
Duchess
I have to check my schedule.
Luke
Or you could make time for me.
Duchess
Says the man who was MIA Friday night.
Luke
I was out of town.
Duchess
In Cuba again?
Luke
Bahamas.
Duchess
You own a club in the Bahamas too?
Luke
I wasn’t there for club business.
Duchess
All work and no play make Jameson a dull boy.
Luke
Something like that.
Duchess
I’m going to polish my floors now. Sweet dreams.
Luke
They will be now.
I threw my cell phone on my nightstand and passed the hell out. The following day was filled with club business, and before I knew it, my phone dinged with a text from Duchess around midnight.
Duchess
How did you sleep last night?
Luke
Better if you were in my bed.
Duchess
Is that an invitation?
Luke
Darlin’, consider this an open invitation. My doors are always open for you.
Duchess
You’re brave for granting a vampire permission into your home.
Luke
It can be revoked anytime. I’d take advantage if I were you.
Duchess
I’ll remember that.
Luke
What are you doing tomorrow night?
Duchess
I don’t kiss and tell.
For the rest of the week, this was our exchange. Every night around midnight, she’d text me as if she knew I’d be awake. We’d talk about nothing in particular, yet it still meant something. That Friday morning, it took three rings for her to answer her cell phone.
“So we’re advancing to talking on the phone versus text messaging? Our friendship is getting a little serious, Jameson. I don’t know if I’m ready for all that.”
I smiled, asking, “Want to go to New Orleans?”
“New Orleans? When?”
“Now.”
“Right now? For what?”
“To play… meet me in two hours at my private hangar.”
“You’re insane. I have to work.”
“Your boss just gave you the time off.”
“That’s convenient.”
“I have everything taken care of. I’ll text you the address.”
“Luke—”
“That’s an order from your boss.”
“I think that qualifies as harassment.”
“Great, you can take it up with me in New Orleans.” I hung up and texted her the address.
When eleven rolled around, I was half surprised she actually showed up. I saw her pull up in a 1961 black Lincoln Continental and almost fell on my ass.
Stepping out of the plane and down the stairs, I hollered, “And the Duchess shows up as a queen.”
She smiled, closing the suicide door. “Yeah, I take her out for a spin sometimes.”
“I can’t say I’ve seen a lot of women driving around in a pristine classic car before. You may be the first.”
“I like to keep people on their toes.”
“I see that. How long have you owned this baby?”
“A few years. I don’t drive her often other than to car shows or around the beach, but I figured you’d appreciate it.”
“Any man would.”
She threw her huge bag over her shoulder and made her way over to me.
“You know we’re only going for two days, right?” I teased.
“A girl like me needs options.” We walked up the ramp. “I want the window seat,” she said in a high voice.
“There are a few.”
My cell phone rang before we could start a conversation, and unfortunately, the work call took up our entire two-hour flight. She didn’t look like she was bothered in the least, wearing her AirPods and appearing to read on her iPad.