Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 15152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
“You cut the alarm and climbed in her window. What exactly were you planning to do?”
His face turns red, and I’m sick to my stomach because it’s obvious what his plans were.
There’s a knock at the door, and someone hollers, “Police!”
The blue lights are shining through the curtains.
I walk toward the front door and open it.
“Hey, Sheriff.”
I explain what’s happened, and they take the man out of the house. London joins us, and I convince the police that we’re not going anywhere, so they take our statements sitting in the living room.
As soon as they’re gone, I carry London back to her room.
I lay her back in the bed and am about to raise up when she grabs on to the front of my shirt. “Stay with me. Please.”
I nod toward the chair. “Baby, I’ll be right there. I won’t move all night.”
She shakes her head side to side. “No, I want you to hold me.”
I hesitate, knowing the temptation is too much for me, but I know I can’t tell her no.
“Okay.”
I go to the window and shut and lock it.
As I walk back to the bed, I turn off the light and then lie down next to London.
She leans into me, wrapping her little body into mine.
“Thank you.”
I rest my chin on the top of her head. “Don’t thank me.”
“I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t here.”
I sigh because she’s putting words to my own thoughts. If anything had happened to her, I don’t know what I would do.
“Can I take you somewhere tomorrow?”
She lifts her head and looks at me. “You want to take me somewhere?”
I nod. There’s a lot of things I want, but she’s been through a lot today, and I’m not going to add to it. “Yeah, I would like to.”
She huffs out a breath as if she’s thinking about it. “Okay. I have that photoshoot tomorrow afternoon, but then after that, I have a few hours.”
I caress her back. “Go to sleep.”
She leans into me, and it isn’t long before she falls asleep.
This is new for us. She’s comfortable with me, but I’ve never let myself hold her like I am now. I’ve told myself that even though I’ve wanted her and dreamed of this, I couldn’t give in. I know London deserves better than me. I know she says she wants me, but she doesn’t really know me.
Nerves set in. I wonder what she’s going to think when she sees the real me. And I wonder if she’s still going to want me then.
CHAPTER 7
LONDON
I smile for the camera.
Lights flash, instructions for me to turn this way or that way are being shouted, and I follow all the commands.
“All right, turn around.”
I turn around, and without them telling me, I know what they want. I mean, it is a photo shoot for a brand of jeans. I shift my hips one way then the other.
I hear a slow rumble from the side, and I don’t have to look to know that it’s Dillon grumbling something.
The photographer calls for everyone to come up, and soon, I’m joined by two women and three men. We are all posing for pictures, doing what we’re told.
This is all second nature for me, so I do what is asked, but all the while, my mind wanders to last night and this morning.
Dillon slept in my bed all night long. It was innocent, nothing happened, even though a part of me wished it would.
This morning, Dillon cooked me a huge breakfast, and even though I knew I shouldn’t eat it since I would be bloated, I ate anyway. Hell, I would have done anything to get that worried look off Dillon’s face.
Another thirty minutes go by, and the photographer finally comes forward. “Okay, I think we got it. Great job, everyone.”
I hug the other models and then I walk off the staging area to Dillon. He has a soft smile on his face. “You did good.”
I tilt my head to the side. “You think so? At one time I thought I heard you grumbling over here.”
He nods, looking at me intently. “I was. I don’t like other men touching you.”
My eyebrows lift. “Why?”
He takes a step toward me and puts his hand to my cheek. “I think you know why.”
My heart skips a beat. “You want me?”
He nods. “I do.”
I search his eyes, waiting for him to tell me that we can’t be together or some other excuse, but he says nothing. “And?” I ask him.
He looks over my head. “What do you say we get out of here and talk about it.”
“Okay. I’m going to get changed. I’ll be right back.”
He follows me to the dressing room. He looks inside, and when he finds it empty and safe, he waves for me to come in. Sometimes I think he’s overcautious, but after last night, I can appreciate how protective he is.