Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Damn that was sexy.
“What is sexy?” he asked as he drew the covers up over her.
Drat. Why did she keep talking without realizing it?
“Your accent,” she mumbled. “It’s unfair that you’re already so sexy then you go and add a sexy accent. Leave something for the rest of us.”
“My apologies, Spitfire,” he told her. “I’ll try and get onto that.”
“See that you do,” she informed him. “I’m so tired.”
“I know you are.” Something heavy jumped up next to her legs and she startled.
“Shh, it’s just Tank. I think he wants to be close to you.”
“Poor Tankie. He’s probably scared. I keep you safe, Tanks. I love you. I loves all of you.”
Matthieu watched as she drifted off to sleep. He guessed her exhaustion had finally won and she’d forgotten that she didn’t have her stuffed dolphin. Although Butch had said he’d race over with it.
Maya would probably be shocked to learn how everyone was practically falling over themselves to try and help her.
Over the past few weeks, they’d all learned about her soft heart when it came to animals, the way she took on the animals no one else wanted, the emotional abuse she’d suffered from her father and stepmother. And then to have this happen . . . yep, she had everyone falling in love with her.
And he knew she wouldn’t believe him if he told her that.
But there was a lot to love about Maya.
He knew that.
He found himself wanting to be more and more for her. To be her champion, her protector, her safe space.
Her Papa.
Because he was certain she was a Little.
Could he help her? He could see how close to the edge she was, hell, she’d basically just fainted in front of him from stress and exhaustion.
Maya needed a break.
And getting her Little to take over would give her that. Letting him take control and make the decisions for her might help her. But convincing her could be an issue.
There was a quiet knock on the door and he got up, checking the camera. Butch. After turning off the alarm, he opened the door. The saferoom was probably overkill considering there was no way Vince would ever get in the building, but no one was taking any chances.
Butch handed him a box of stuff. “I did some looking around, didn’t mean to pry but I thought I might be able to grab some other things that the smoke didn’t get to. Found this stuff in the closet. Most of her clothes stink of smoke and I didn’t want to touch them.”
“No, thanks for this, though. Livvy is organizing some clothes for her.”
Butch nodded and left and Matthieu shut the door, resetting the alarm.
He set the box down and found her dolphin. It smelled a bit, but not terrible. Moving to the bed, he set it under the covers with her. With a grumble, she pulled it close then smiled.
Fuck him.
That was just too adorable.
He turned back to look in the box again, wondering what Butch might have found that he’d thought she would want.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. Lego? There were clumps stuck together. Walls? Roofs? Strange. Had she just dumped it in here half-built? Or had they been built and broken?
He set it down in the corner and pulled a spare blanket over it. He’d try to get it into the car tomorrow without her seeing. Now wasn’t quite the time to ask her about it.
But that time was coming.
He sat on the armchair next to the bed and stared at her while she slept. She looked so small like this. She was so quiet.
Finally, he let down the wall he’d put up. The one that had kept his deepest emotions at bay.
Sure, he’d felt anger and fear tonight.
But what he hadn’t allowed himself to feel was pure and utter terror. However, it had been there, bubbling away deep inside him.
He stared down at his hands as they shook.
She could have died tonight.
Matthieu didn’t know why that was hitting him so hard.
Don’t lie to yourself.
You know.
He’d never felt like this toward anyone before. Like his entire life would be over if something happened to her.
As though she was his life.
This was insane.
He’d known her less than three weeks. It wasn’t possible to fall this deep for someone in that time. He’d lived with women in the past and he’d never felt like this before about them.
Leaving them had been . . . easy. It shamed him to say that. But he’d always held part of himself back from them. And he’d never made them promises.
He’d chosen women who he knew he wouldn’t hurt when he left.
Which is why he couldn’t get close to her.
And yet, Maya had managed to work her way under his skin and into his heart.
Fuck.
She was in his heart.
Now it was time to decide.