Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 138217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
That red stained his gaze when he jerked awake in the middle of the night. Instantly aware of Theo’s responding movement, he ran one hand down her side until she calmed and fell back into deep sleep.
While she’d initially agreed to him in her bed, she’d then balked. Not because she wanted to be alone but because she was scared she’d hurt him. It had taken all his bearish charm to talk her down from that.
She’d still only acquiesced after he found her accursed bracelet and let her fix it so she could wear it again. He’d had to literally grit his teeth to not destroy that monstrous “reprimand” device, but he’d known she needed to be held. And if he was holding her, he could get that thing off her the instant it activated.
He was a smart bear. He’d watched her make the repair and knew that the seam was imperfect. One hard push from a bear’s claw and it would snap open. That thing wasn’t going to be hurting her on his watch.
Now, his heart thumping, he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.
Why wasn’t the vision changing?
He still had no answer to his question by the time sleep finally found him again, some two hours later. He fell asleep curled around Theo, her heartbeat his lullaby. But that smart bear’s mind kept on ticking even in sleep, kept on turning the vision this way and that.
If he couldn’t alter the vision, he had to alter the end result.
Chapter 47
“How about a date, gorgeous? I promise to show you a beary good time.”
“I do believe I have an urgent appointment to clip my nails tonight. So sorry.”
—“The Courtship of Arwen Mercant: A Story of Death Stares, Irresistible Charm, and a Romantic Night in Jail” as told by Pavel Stepyrev
AT AROUND THE time that Yakov was falling back into a restless sleep, Pavel carefully unwrapped himself from around a sleeping Arwen and sat up to grab his glasses off the shelf next to the bed. Then he picked up his extremely high-spec organizer.
Produced by one of Kaleb Krychek’s companies, it wasn’t yet on the market and Pavel had bitten his tongue rather than ask Silver to use her connection to her former boss to get Pavel an early copy.
There were some things a good clanmate just did not do. No matter how much it pained his tech-adoring heart.
Then Ena had given it to him as a birthday present. “Arwen suggested a technological item when I asked him for ideas,” the matriarch of the Mercant clan had said. “I assumed you wouldn’t yet have had a chance to purchase this.”
Pavel had been dumbstruck. Not only because of the coveted device in his hands, but because Ena had thought to get him a gift at all. “Thank you,” he’d finally managed to say.
A steely-eyed look. “You make Arwen happy, and you’re strong enough to save him from his own soft heart.”
As far as compliments from Ena went, that was on par with being invited to the Sea House for dinner. Which Pavel had also now survived.
“Pasha bear?” A sleepy mumble as Arwen turned to curl himself around Pavel hip and leg.
His heart, it went all mushy. Every fucking time.
Petting his lover’s naked shoulder until Arwen’s breathing turned deep and even again, he pulled up the notification that had woken him. He’d set the notification to ping at a wavelength that wouldn’t wake Arwen.
The results scrolled across his screen.
Medical jargon.
Didn’t matter. He didn’t have to know what it all meant. He just needed to find it. “Pasha, you’re a genius,” he muttered.
“Yes, you are,” mumbled Arwen before falling back into sleep pressed up against Pavel.
Stupid smile on his face, Pavel leaned down to kiss Arwen’s silky black hair. “I love you, you sweet, smart, and oh-so-sexy Psy.”
Then he flexed his fingers and got to work.
Chapter 48
“Pasha bear? Have you been awake all night?”
“If I say yes, will you stay in bed longer and snuggle with me, my beautiful E with the prettiest lips I’ve ever seen?”
“Don’t try that bear charm on me. I’m immu—Pasha! Stop that! I mean it! I have a meeting with Grandmother!”
“Take it back first, moy luchik. Say, ‘Pasha bear, you are the most charming bear to ever charm his way into this world.’ ”
“Or maybe I’ll just get revenge. Never forget my stabby ancestor.”
“Did I ever tell you I read her poems to get inside intel on the Mercants when you were turning me down for dates to oil your cuticles and rearrange your spoon drawer?”
“Don’t forget the time I had to walk my fish.”
“That smart ass of yours needs to be spanked. Instead, I’m going to whisper ‘Fragments of a Torn-up Letter’ in your ear.”
“My excitement knows no bounds. Such romance you give me, such passion.”
“Oh, you’ll be surprised, my delicious little E who I have trapped in my lair. It features the line ‘Your thighs thrusting betw—’ ”