Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
He stepped to the back door and hesitated. “You want to touch the knob before I open the door?”
“Oh! Yes. Of course.”
Pulling off my glove, I placed my hand on the knob. Nothing came through, and I nodded. “It seems fine.”
Stone unlocked the door, and I followed him inside. After closing the door, he entered a security code into a panel beside the door and reset the alarm.
I stepped into his kitchen and dining room area, finding that it continued to the front of the house, leaving it open and airy. The kitchen sported a farmhouse sink, light wood cabinets, a stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, and white countertops.
Standing still, I soaked it all in. It was amazing, and somehow it fit Stone perfectly.
He came to my side and raised his brows. “You want to start in here… or my bedroom?”
The way he said it sounded like an invitation, immediately sending tingles down my spine. I quickly stepped away, hoping he didn’t see how his closeness rattled me.
Not only that, but this house and his yard made me view him in a totally different light. I needed to get the stars out of my eyes before I made a fool out of myself.
Our gazes met, and I saw a hint of mischief in his eyes. Narrowing my own, I played along. “That sounds like a good idea. Where is it?”
“At the end of the hall. I’ll show you.”
He took a step in that direction, but I put my hand on his chest to stop him. “That’s okay. I can find it. You should stay out here. It’s better if I do this alone.” Smiling, I patted his chest and hurried to the hallway, hoping he’d stay where he was.
“Chicken.”
I ignored him and stepped to the last door in the hallway. The door was partially closed, and I slipped my glove back on, wanting to make sure I only touched what was necessary, and hoping to avoid seeing him with some woman.
Inside, his bedroom held a king-sized bed covered in a plush, black comforter. The wooden headboard and dresser had a rustic, outdoorsy finish, and the walls were painted a dark forest green. It was earthy and masculine, completely different from the contemporary look of his apartment.
Finding his closet door ajar, I hurried over and pulled it open. The large walk-in closet had clothes and shoes neatly organized on one side. The other side was empty, except for a sexy, ice blue lingerie set with a matching bathrobe. Hmm… I was not touching that, I didn’t want or need to know who those belonged to.
Closing the door, I wandered over to his dresser. Loose change and a tube of lip-balm sat on top, along with a framed photo of a much younger Stone standing beside a beautiful woman. From their similarities, it was easy to tell the woman was Stone’s mother.
A round, polished stone sat next to the photo. It was black, with white veins running through it, and would easily fit in the palm of your hand. From the shine, it looked like Stone had handled it a lot, maybe even running a thumb or finger over the smooth surface.
Should I touch it? It had to be something personal, and definitely important to Stone. Maybe it had something to do with his name? It might be just what I was looking for. Pulling off my glove, I held my breath and reached out to pick it up.
The moment it touched my palm, my vision went dark. The room disappeared, replaced by hot desert sand and blinding sun. Shouting sent my pulse racing, right before a huge explosion rocked the ground.
Screaming filled the air, and gunfire erupted. Stone emerged from the smoke, wearing military gear and dragging a wounded soldier to safety. More shots sounded and he hit the ground, instinctively covering the fallen soldier with his body.
The gunfire stopped and he jumped to his feet, rushing to pull the soldier toward a gate and the compound on the other side. Another explosion rocked the ground, and shots sounded again, but he didn’t stop. Ducking into a crouch, he moved faster, continuing to pull the soldier behind him. The gate swung open and he—
“Hey! Give me that!” Stone grabbed the rock from my hand.
The vision disappeared, jerking me back to his room. Gasping, I staggered back and collided with the edge of the bed. Off balance, I fell backwards, landing right on my wound. With a yelp, I tried to get up, only to have my feet slide out from under me. Right before my butt met the hardwood floor, Stone grabbed me under the arms and pulled me to my feet.
I shoved away from him, fury tightening my chest. “What did you do that for?”
“I… I didn’t want you to see—” He shook his head. “This doesn’t have anything to do with the current situation.”