Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
I was lost inside a crumbling ancient castle made of gray stones. Demons were chasing me through the maze of broken walls and spiderwebs. The air was full of the smell of sulfur and death and I was afraid. From far away came the sounds of women wailing. There was a dim light burning somewhere and I began to run towards it. When I got it, I found Marco. He was standing at a window holding a lamp. He turned and looked at me.
“She is my life. Take everything I have, but please, please don’t hurt her, Dante,” he begged sadly.
“Never,” I promised.
Then I felt a wet claw clamp around my neck. The demons had caught up with me. I turned around to face them and I woke up with a jerk.
Zola was sleeping soundly next to me.
My heart was racing. I watched her sleep for a few minutes. She was so beautiful, my soul writhed inside me. I wanted to touch her, make her mine, own her forever.
But I could see Marco’s face full of sadness and reproach.
And I was filled with guilt and regret.
What I had done was wicked. I knew it then. Marco had trusted me to take care of her and I should have known better than to let myself be tempted. She was young and innocent and I had taken advantage of her in her moment of vulnerability. It was wrong.
“I’m sorry, Marco. I will never hurt her. I will protect her with my life, the way you did. I won’t let you down again,” I said quietly.
Then I carefully slid out of bed and walked away without looking back.
Chapter 26
Zola
Iwoke up to the sound of my phone ringing. My arm flailed out and hit something unfamiliar. My eyes snapped open and the fog of sleep disappeared. Ah, I was in London, in a hotel room.
Last night I did … um … things with Dante.
I hadn’t been completely drunk but at the same time I hadn’t been completely sober so I could very clearly recall the extent to which we went. There had been no penetration though.
The phone continued its shrill ring. I ran my gaze across the room in search of it and realized it was probably in my jacket. I rolled out of bed and made my way towards it.
“Where the hell are you?” Antoine demanded the moment I picked up. “I was about to send the police after you.”
“Don’t do that,” I said as I sat back against the headboard.
“What do you expect me to do when you suddenly disappear and refuse to answer my call?”
“You’ve only just called,” I pointed out.
“And I’ve sent you a bazillion texts.”
“I was asleep. Switch to video, I need to multitask,” I said, taking the phone with me to the bathroom. His worried face filled the screen.
“Where are you anyway?” Antoine asked.
“London.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“It’s a long story,” I replied, as I positioned the phone against the vanity mirror. I put a T-shirt on and stared at myself in the mirror. I looked like a hot mess.
“Tell it.”
“Let me brush my teeth first,” I said as I grabbed a toothbrush.
“No, tell me, and then brush your teeth while I ponder on how to fix your bad decisions.”
This made me smile so I obliged, and by the time I was done, he had both eyebrows raised.
“Hold on,” he got up and took the phone with him as he went to the kitchen. “I need a snack for this.”
He retrieved a tub of ice cream and jabbed a spoon in.
“That’s communal,” I reminded.
“It was two days ago, but not anymore now that you’ve run off to London,” he reminded.
Grabbing my toothbrush, I began to squeeze toothpaste across the bristles.
“So technically, you didn’t have sex.”
“Isn’t oral sex, sex?” I asked.
“Nope. Penetration is sex. Everything else is foreplay. For instance, this is the first thing I’m having since I got up, but is this a meal or is it dessert? The fact that it’s going into my mouth the same way that breakfast will doesn’t make it a meal.”
“It’s too early in the morning,” I groaned.
But then he kept staring at me with an odd smile on his face.
“What?” I asked defensively.
“I’m glad,” he said.
“Well, as you said, it is nothing without penetration,” I countered.
“Are you going to return in his jet or go commercial? I still can’t believe you flew in a jet or that you know someone who has one and I wasn't invited. I feel betrayed.”
I smiled. “I’m sorry, but you can’t be anywhere around me right now.”
“But he can?”
“Yes. He has guns.”
“And a thick dick apparently.” He shoved ice cream into his mouth while I cringed.
“Please stop. My head is still a bit sore,” I pleaded.
But he was having a blast. “Can you send a picture next time? You know I’m an expert at dick adjudication.”