Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he says, looking at me like I’m the most precious thing in the world.
“You don’t have to stand outside my door, Ryker. I’ll be fine.”
He just shrugs. “It’s my pleasure, Gracie. I’ve been waiting to find you for a long time.”
I lean against the door as I look up at his calm handsome face. Maybe he’s not so bad. No one has ever been so concerned with my safety before, besides my parents, but they don’t really count. It’s kind of sweet. In its own frustrating way.
I think about inviting him in, maybe even sharing a room, but I wipe that thought out of my head as quickly as it comes in. This is a work trip. I have to keep things professional. I have to stay focused on the interview tomorrow. And if I let him in, I’ll probably be up all night.
“Can I get you a chair at least? A magazine?”
He shakes his head. “I want to stay alert.”
“Suit yourself,” I say as I step into the hall. He makes a sexy little groaning sound when he sees what I’m wearing.
“Where are you going?”
“Ice machine,” I say, holding up the bucket.
I can feel his heated eyes roaming up and down my back as I head for the stairwell. Of course, he follows me. Apparently, I’m mated to a golden retriever-like man who won’t leave my side. Just my luck.
“I’m going to try one more time,” he says as we walk. “Please cancel the interview.”
I stop short in the hallway, turn, and face him with a steely glare. “Stop asking me that.”
“This man is a killer!” he says, throwing his big arms in the air. “Who cares what he has to say?”
“I do!”
“Enough to risk your life over?”
“I want to expose what he’s doing to this innocent country and get to the truth.”
“You’re going to get yourself killed,” he says, taking a step forward and getting into my face.
I step forward and get into his face right back. “That’s what you’re here for! Remember? To stop that from happening.”
He’s breathing so heavily as we stare each other down.
Lady Fate must have a real sense of humor if she put two stubborn people like us together.
“You’re my mate,” he says in a forceful tone. “I don’t want to see you in danger.”
“Then send your grizzly bear instead,” I say, glancing at his chest. “I’ll probably get along better with him than I do with you.”
“He’s even more protective than I am.”
“Of course he is,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I need that drink.”
I walk away from him and head to the ice machine with my heart pounding. This would be so much easier if he wasn’t so hot. If I didn’t want to shut him up by grabbing the back of his head and pulling his mouth to mine.
I storm over to the ice machine and of course he follows me and of course I like it.
He hovers beside me as I yank the cover open and shove the bucket into the ice.
I’m trying not to look at his big chest and those sexy muscular arms practically ripping out of his T-shirt, but my traitorous eyes keep betraying me.
“We’re going to have to figure this out,” he says as he leans on the machine and crosses his arms. “We’re mates whether you like it or not.”
“If you’re going to be my mate, you’re going to have to be okay with me doing things like this. I have a career that will put me in danger from time to time.”
“I’ll never be okay with having you in danger.”
“Well, you’re going to have to get okay with it,” I say. “Because I’m not stopping.”
He steps forward, towering over me. I suck in a breath and swallow as I look up at his gorgeous face. He’s so big. So imposing. So fucking hot.
Stay strong, Gracie. Don’t give in.
“I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m going.”
“Gracie…”
He says my name like he’s been saying it for years. It feels so natural. So right…
We’re arguing, but all I can think about is kissing him. My eyes keep darting down to his mouth. My body wants to submit to him while my mouth is going toe-to-toe with this frustrating man.
“You can’t stop me,” I tell him as I raise my chin, staring him down.
“Oh, yes I can.”
He steps right up to me and my whole body shivers. Why does he have such a strong effect on me? It’s like I don’t have a handle on my body anymore. He’s taken over the controls.
I stare him dead in the eyes. “What are you going to do?”
“How about I tie you to the bed?” he says, staring back at me.
Of course my mind immediately goes there. I can feel my cheeks flushing. Heat blooms in my core and swirls between my legs.