Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
But from the moment I saw her, I wanted her. I desired her when I shouldn’t have, when she wasn’t a day older than sixteen. I waited for her, counting the days until she turned eighteen. And when I finally took her, I knew I’d never get enough. I waited another year to put a ring on her finger, which, looking back, felt like the longest year of my life. And now she’s here, in my arms, the woman who’s plotting my downfall.
The woman who’s destined to destroy me.
As always, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. I can eliminate Lavigne and remove the threat—and in good time, I will—but there will always be another Lavigne, someone else in the force willing to make a deal.
I’m bone-fucking-tired. I’m tired of fighting and pushing and keeping her at a distance. I’m tired of being on my guard twenty-four-seven, making damn sure I don’t arm her with the ammunition she needs. This business of watching and waiting for the moment she betrays me again is exhausting. I don’t think I’ve ever been this worn out, not even when I took over my father’s business and worked eighteen-hour days.
I think about last night, about who my wife met and who she spoke to. This is legit business. The people who were invited aren’t criminals like me. There wasn’t anything to hide from her, which is the only reason I brought her. Her choices are placing enormous limitations on our life. I can’t take her anywhere without analyzing every minute detail of the event—who will be there, who they’re connected to, and how she may use what they say. I can’t let her live under my roof.
And now there’s Sophie. Fuck. As well as the other children. Sophie will be devastated that Sabella can’t live with us. My niece feels safe with Sabella. She likes her. They made a connection. I can’t deny that Sabella is good with her. Pride warms my chest. My wife will make an excellent mother. That, in itself, is the biggest fucking problem of all, because when there are children, I’ll have to separate them from their mother.
The thought physically hurts. I have good memories of my mother taking care of us. Those times were special, even if I didn’t tell her and show her enough gratitude. My children won’t make the same memories with their mother. Their mother will always be banished, living in a house at the far end of the property, and they will live in their rightful place with me.
It’s not ideal. It’s not conducive for a healthy childhood, but she doesn’t leave me a choice. During the week, they’ll be under my care. I’ll make sure they’re properly educated and that their every need is met. We’ll live like a divorced couple with Sabella getting the weekend visitation rights. Even then, I’ll have to be careful, making sure she doesn’t get information on me via the children. Because if there’s one thing I’ll never allow, it’s letting her run to freedom and taking any child of mine away from me.
The fucked-up situation weighs down on me. The complications keep on piling up. I’m worried that the whole house of cards is going to come tumbling down. Sometimes, I feel that a pending doom is hanging over our heads, the cloud ready to burst and shower us in a shitstorm. The darkness keeps creeping up, blackening the edges of the picture of our future in my head. I can’t shake this premonition that it’s all going to fall to pieces, that it’s not a bullet that’s going to slay me but my weakness for Sabella.
Sabella stirs, sighing softly in her sleep.
Even with the thoughts milling in my head, I tighten my arms around her. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Making her kneel started out as a way of humiliating her. A punishment. Last night, I turned it into something different. I turned it into a game of submission and domination. I get off on it. I get off on the control but also on taking care of her.
She stretches, pushing her ass against my groin. My cock has been hard since I blinked myself awake. I’d love nothing more than rolling her on her stomach, pinning her down, and fucking her senseless, but we have a flight to catch.
Kissing the shell of her ear, I whisper, “Wake up, cara.”
She utters a small protest. It hurts me to deny her sleep. We both need the rest, but a glance at my watch tells me we’re already running late.
“Wake up,” I say, lust turning my voice thick.
When I nip her earlobe, she opens her eyes.
I lick away the sting of my teeth. “We’ve got to go in fifteen.”
She turns on her back and looks at me. Her beautiful brown eyes are warm and fuzzy with sleep. Dreamy with desire. Her naked body is a temptation too big to resist.