Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
I leaned over and turned on the nightstand light before looking down at him. “Excuse me?”
With lightning speed, his arm snaked out and pulled me underneath him. “You’re an admitted wannabe thief. An art forger. A troublemaker by continually putting yourself in dangerous positions I’m forced to rescue you from—”
I gasped. “Rescue me? I’ll have you—”
His glare stopped me. “You don’t listen. You’re difficult. You’re argumentative. And you lie, both to me and yourself. And you’re a pain in my ass. What man in his right mind would want you as a girlfriend?”
My mouth opened and closed several times as I took in all the incredibly insulting, if not completely true, things he’d said. “Well, if I’m such a pain in your ass, why am I in your bed right now?”
“Because I also happen to find you adorable, funny, intelligent, and entertaining as fuck. It doesn’t hurt that I love your filthy mouth and your body, which I swear came straight from hell to tempt us mere mortal men.”
I turned back on my side, away from him. “Fuck you too, you—wait. What?” My torso twisted as I turned my head over my shoulder to look at him.
Well, damn. I hadn’t expected him to turn things around so smoothly.
My gaze narrowed as I flopped forward, turning my back on him again. I punched my pillow as I huffed. “Well, in case you’re wondering, I think you’d make a terrible boyfriend. You’re controlling and demanding and bossy and domineering and a pain in my ass!” Each word was punctuated by an uppercut to my down pillow.
Before he could respond, I reached over and turned off the light, then curled on my side. “Goodnight,” I grumbled.
Once again, he pulled me close to his body before whispering in my ear, “Goodnight, beautiful girl.”
Crap.
He was right.
I was a fucking liar.
CHAPTER 28
VAR
“What do you mean I can’t have the paintings?” Vivian launched herself out of the bed, but pulled back when she realized she was naked. “Dammit. Where are my clothes?”
I called out from my dressing closet, “They’re being washed.” I poked my head out and winked. “They were a bit sticky.”
Returning to the closet, I selected a light blue dress shirt with a darker blue vest for the day. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to spend the morning in bed with my girl, I had a quick meeting in New York that could not be postponed.
The political leader in question was only in the United States for the afternoon to give a mind-blowingly hypocritical speech to the United Nations about his commitment to rebuilding his war-torn country. While also meeting with me about laundering UN funds received the very moment they hit his country’s coffers.
Selecting a cobalt blue silk tie, I tucked it under my collar as I reached for my platinum shirt cuffs. I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about the purpose of my meeting. If the United Nations or any country was stupid enough to give funds to a known war criminal with a shit record for human rights simply because he’d granted them oil-drilling rights, then they shouldn’t act surprised when he stole from them.
My job was the lesson they should learn.
Treated to a stunning view of Vivian’s silk sheet-enclosed ass as she bent forward and wrenched the rest of the sheets off the bed to wrap around her body, I strolled to the bureau to select a belt.
“Don’t ignore me. I’m serious about this, Var.”
Tucking my shirt into my jeans as I prepared to thread the brown leather belt through the loops, I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You are literally impossible to ignore, beautiful.”
She wrapped the sheet tighter around her body, accentuating her small waist and the swell of her hips, not to mention her fabulous tits. “I don’t see why you can’t just give me the paintings back.”
Crossing behind her, I reached for the porcelain coffee cup on the silver breakfast tray brought up by my staff. As I took a sip of the strong brew, I gazed at her over the rim.
It had been surprisingly amazing to wake up next to her warm body this morning.
The faint scent of shampoo was on her still slightly damp curls as she snuggled her ass against my hard cock in her sleep, and it was all I could do not to give her a particularly pleasurable wake-up call.
In a rather uncharacteristic move on my part, I put holding her in my arms for a little longer over sex. The idea rattled me still.
There was just something so cute and cuddly about her when she was asleep… and quiet. Like the moment an adorable puppy finally runs out of frenetic energy and just curls up in a little ball. It’s so precious and sweet, you don’t want to disturb it.