Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
“They’re my friends, Regent.” She couldn’t believe that any of her friends would do this.
“Baby, there are very few people in this world you can fully trust. I’m one of them. I need you to trust me to take care of you, and this is part of that.”
What was she going to do? She did trust him and she knew that he would look after her.
Also, she had no idea how to deal with this.
But she just hated the idea that one of her friends could do this to her.
“Maybe it’s not one of them. But we have to find out, don’t we?” he murmured, squeezing her hand. “This can’t be allowed to go unpunished. I will never allow anyone to threaten you.”
“What will you do? How will you figure it out?”
“Simple.” He smiled, but it was a chilling look. “I’m going to pay the blackmail.”
She blinked. “What? You can’t do that! It’s ten thousand dollars.”
“I didn’t say I would let them keep it. I might not even use real cash. I have to think about it. But I will find out who is doing this. And then the problem will go away.”
She had to admit that having someone solve her problems was appealing. Although it probably wasn’t something she should let happen regularly.
Pick your battles.
“All right. But I want to know what you plan to do.” She said it firmly and didn’t waver, even when he raised his eyebrows.
She waited for the argument, but to her shock, he nodded.
“I can agree to that.”
Huh.
Maybe she could teach him to compromise.
34
The man was impossible!
It was Tuesday evening, and she hadn’t been allowed out of bed since she’d arrived yesterday morning other than to go to the bathroom. And even then, he’d hovered over her.
He walked into the bedroom carrying yet another hot lemon drink.
Sheesh. They were tasty, but she’d be peeing all night. Again.
“Here, drink this all up.” Regent put it on her nightstand.
“You don’t have to run around after me. Even though I appreciate it, I’m feeling much better.”
He picked up the tray of food he’d brought her up for dinner earlier. “You didn’t eat much dinner.”
“I ate half of it.”
He frowned. “You can’t get better if you’re not eating.”
Dear Lord.
Jilly sighed. “I haven’t done anything all day, I don’t have much of an appetite. I’m fine.”
His phone beeped, and setting the tray down, he pulled it out. Then he frowned.
“Is everything all right?”
“Ahh, just some business stuff.”
“Oh.” Shoot. That came out sounding sad when she hadn’t meant it to. Of course he had work he needed to attend to. She didn’t expect him to sit around all day and keep her company.
Although she’d been hoping she would be awake tonight when he got into bed. She’d fallen asleep early last night before he’d made it back, and when she’d woken this morning, he was already up.
Her first night sleeping with Regent Malone . . . and she’d slept through it!
“You should go.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Regent, I’m fine. You should go.”
He glanced away. Did he look guilty?
“Will you be all right?” he asked.
“Yes! I’ll be fine. I’m just lying here, doing nothing.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “You’re to stay in bed. Promise me.”
She sighed which sparked a coughing fit. Sheesh.
“I’ll stay in bed,” she grumbled.
“Promise.”
“I promise I’ll stay in bed.”
“I’ll put Gerald’s number into your phone.” He picked it up so she could unlock it for him. “If you want anything else, message him.”
Yeah, she wasn’t going to do that, but she didn’t tell him that.
“You will message him if you need something,” he said firmly, as though he could read her mind.
“All right.”
He wasn’t abandoning her. She was fine. Just because she was in a new place where she didn’t know where anything was . . .
She was fine.
Everything was good.
Nothing was wrong.
“Hey, look at me.”
He sat facing her, cupping her cheeks with his hands.
And just like that, her doubts melted. Because he was here.
Regent Malone.
The man of her dreams.
“Are you really all right?” he asked. “What if you have another nightmare?”
“That was only because I had a fever, which I don’t anymore. Really. I feel good. My throat is fine now.” She did have a slight headache, but she thought she’d just keep that to herself.
“You’re still pale, though. Perhaps I should stay.”
Oh no.
Now look what she’d done.
Idiot.
He had been taking care of her the past few days, and now that he had a chance to work, she was holding him back.
“No. I’ll be all good. I might watch a movie or something.”
“It’s nearly your bedtime.”
“Um, I’m pretty sure I don’t have a bedtime.”
He shot her another look. Sheesh.
“But I’ll probably go to sleep soon anyway.”
“Good girl.” Leaning in, he kissed her. “I’ll check in with you later. Be good.”
“When aren’t I good?”
“Hmm, let’s see. Perhaps when your ex racks up thousands of dollars of debt in your name and instead of telling me and letting me take care of it, you get a job stripping?”