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)
My stomach jolted and heat rushed through me. Bantering with her brought a crooked grin to my lips. “Am I really bleeding? Or is this your way of getting my shirt off?”
She grinned back, though a flush covered her cheeks. “You’re really bleeding.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you just insinuated that I’m nuclear-level hot.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah… right.” Clearing her throat, she glanced away. “Where did you say the bandages are?”
Mouth pinching, I shook my head and flipped on the lights, illuminating the hallway and kitchen area. “The bathroom’s down the hall on the other side of the kitchen… on the left.”
What was I thinking? I wasn’t here to flirt with the woman. She was here because Vanetti thought she was a psychic who could help me figure out who wanted me dead. Besides that, I’d barely met her, so bringing her into my personal space should have been uncomfortable. But it wasn’t. Instead, a thrill went through me to have her here.
On the way to the bathroom, she took her time, glancing into the open kitchen and taking in the white cabinets, granite counter tops, and all the latest appliances.
She stepped to the right, where the short hallway opened into the living room area, with floor-to-ceiling windows on the west side, showing fantastic views overlooking the city.
As she took in the decor, featuring off-white carpet, couches, and furniture, accented by splashes of color and abstract art on the back wall, her breath caught, and her eyes widened.
She paused, looking around. “Wow, this is amazing. You live here?”
“Sometimes. It depends on what Vanetti needs, but yeah… I spend a fair amount of time here.”
She glanced my way, her eyes the color of clear, blue water, and I froze. How could anyone have eyes that color? Maybe she wore contacts… yeah… that was it. Fascinated, I took a step closer, just to see if I was right.
Her scent wafted over me, and I breathed in deeply, wanting more. I’d never had a woman in my apartment without sex involved, and having Serenity here stirred my desire. Part of me knew that I wouldn’t be satisfied until my lips were on hers and her body was crushed against mine.
Her eyes darkened, like she was thinking the same thing. She even licked her lips. Unable to stop myself, I slowly closed the distance between us, but she cleared her throat and stepped away before I reached her.
“Uh… the bathroom’s this way, right?”
As she walked away, I took a deep breath without bothering to answer. Should I give in to this attraction? Did she want me to? Was she playing this little game of cat and mouse on purpose? And more importantly, how long would she last before giving in? I’d seen the look in her eyes.
Anticipation flowed over me, and I followed her down the hall to where she waited in the bathroom. She stood on the far side of the room beside the huge walk-in shower, taking her time to examine the jacuzzi bathtub.
“Wow… this is nice… I love the tile. It reminds me of a spa.”
A beautiful pattern of sea-green and turquoise tile covered the walls, and the crystal lighting made everything sparkle. Along with the white and sea-green fluffy towels, I could see what she meant. “Do you go to the spa much?”
“Well… no. Actually… I’ve never been to one, but I’m sure it would look a lot like this… I think it would, anyway.”
“Right.” I couldn’t hold back a smile.
She shook her head and clasped her hands together. “Where are the bandages?”
“You really want to bandage me up?” There was just something so nice about that. I wasn’t used to nice… not really. I was used to sexy and daring and lust. Not nice.
“You’re hurt. You already told me you didn’t want to bleed all over your shirt.”
I studied her for a moment, until another blush rose on her cheeks.
“I don’t have to.” She shrugged. “I’m not trying to invade your personal space.”
I smirked. She’d expertly invaded my personal space so well I hadn’t even noticed. “No, I appreciate it.” I gestured to the white cabinets. “They’re in the bottom drawer on the left.”
“Right.” Nodding, she stepped to the cabinet and opened the drawer, pulling out the plastic crate full of first-aid supplies. After setting it on the counter, she turned to me, all business-like. “Do you want to do this in here or at the kitchen table?”
Again I smirked, but held back my reply. Did she know how that sounded? “Here’s fine.” I slowly unbuttoned my shirt, keeping my gaze down so she could stare if she wanted to. As I unfastened the last button, I raised my gaze to her face.
Her eyes were glued to my chest and she was chewing on her bottom lip. Her chest heaved like she’d just run a marathon, and her cheeks turned rosy. For a second, I worried that she’d clutch her chest and fall over from a heart-attack.