Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
As I rode, my mind sifted through the information and numbers I’d gathered so far and decided exactly what I would be looking for when I got to the firm. Numbers weren’t my only talent. I was very good at reading people as well. One of the skills that made me lethal in a card game.
This was just another game—watching for the bluffs, counting the cards, and finding the ace in the hole. Whoever was trying to fuck with the Hounds of Hellfire obviously didn’t know who they’d brought to the game.
2
ACE
The heat of an August morning in Georgia soaked into my skin, sweat dampening my T-shirt underneath my cut as I pulled up to the brick building downtown that housed the compliance firm. The sun glinted off the windows as I killed my Harley’s engine, swung my leg over the seat, and stepped onto the hot pavement.
For a split second, my gaze narrowed on the glass doors, irritation flickering through me. The purr of the ride had cleared my head enough to focus on the task at hand, but it hadn’t been able to soothe all of my anger. I was still pissed as hell someone had the balls to try to fuck with the Hounds.
Grabbing the stack of files I’d prepared—full of enough financial bullshit to convince any analyst I had a legitimate reason for dropping by—I headed inside the building.
Cool air rushed over me as I stepped through the doors. The reception area was all chrome, marble, and neutral shades. I nodded politely at the receptionist behind her large wooden desk.
“Can I help you?” she greeted me with a practiced, polite smile. Her eyes darted over my tattoos and cut, quickly assessing me as someone who probably shouldn’t be there.
I wondered what she’d think if she saw my financial portfolio and the name on the building's lease. Now wasn't the time to find out, though.
“Hope so. I’d like to see a compliance analyst.” I deliberately kept my voice mild and nonthreatening so she wouldn’t immediately hit a hidden panic button. I was doing my best not to intimidate. Not exactly an easy feat for a guy my size wearing a Hounds of Hellfire cut, leather pants, and boots.
She glanced down at her computer, clearly uncomfortable. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No,” I drawled, flashing her a charmingly crooked smile as I set the files on the desktop between us. “But I’m hoping someone might be able to fit me in.”
Twin dots of pink popped onto her cheeks before she blinked and quickly recovered her professional mask.
After hesitating another moment, she picked up the phone, her voice dropping as she spoke to someone on the other end. I didn’t catch everything, but after a quiet, “Yes, sir,” she hung up and met my eyes again. “The senior analysts are all in meetings, but a junior analyst is available if that’s okay?”
Irritation flared again. I was annoyed at the idea of wasting my time with someone low-level. I was about to argue that point when a burst of vivid color in my periphery completely stole my attention. My head turned, my breath catching in my throat as a woman stepped into the lobby.
Fuck. Me.
She was color in a grayscale world. The breath left my lungs as I took her in, my gaze heating as it roamed from the top of her head down to her cute painted toes in strappy sandals. Dark honey-blond hair tumbled past her shoulders in loose waves, framing a face that made my chest ache. High cheekbones dusted with a faint blush, paired with full lips that had me instantly imagining how they’d feel pressed to mine. Bright-red lipstick made her plump mouth even more distracting, and a tiny diamond stud glittered against the warm undertone of her skin. But what drew me most was the deep hazel of her eyes, which tilted toward green, sparkling with a vibrant energy that made my pulse kick up.
And her body...damn. Everything about her was lush, soft, but clearly athletic. She was made for my hands, with subtle curves that would fit against me fucking perfectly. My eyes roamed over her, and my imagination went into overdrive as I took in the snug fit of her blouse across tits that made my palms itch to feel their heavy weight while making it impossible not to picture them spilling free for my mouth. My cock hardened painfully behind my zipper, and I silently cursed, fighting for control.
She approached slowly, a faint smile curving her lips, her eyes holding mine. “Hello, I’m Poppy Fairbanks. You needed help with something?”
Her voice was soft, like velvet stroking over my skin and sending an electric current straight to my shaft. The way her full lips parted when she spoke had my imagination running wild. I instantly pictured how they’d look wrapped tightly around my cock, her eyes wide and hungry as I took every bit of pleasure she offered.