Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“Thanks,” she murmurs. She still won’t look me in the eye as she turns away and toes off the sneakers.
“Throw those away.”
“I will when the new ones get here.”
“Throw them away today. We won’t train again until your new stuff arrives. That’ll give you a few days to heal.”
“I can—”
“For fuck’s sake.” I push my hands through my hair and pace the room. “Just do what you’re told for once in your life.”
Her gaze snaps up to mine, her eyes flashing with indignation. “I’m not your prisoner, your child, or your wife, Gideon.”
Wife. Fuck.
“I don’t have to do every single thing you say. I’m also not stupid. I’ll be tossing these when the new ones get here. Trust me, I don’t want to keep them, because they’re trying to kill me and now my DNA is smeared all over the heels. But I don’t have any other casual shoes here. Now stop being a bossy ass and get out of here so I can take a shower. Or don’t and get a show—I don’t really care.”
She rips her T-shirt over her head, tosses it aside, and stalks to the bathroom, where she doesn’t close the door. She keeps her back to me and pushes her thumbs into the waistband of her yoga pants, and as she starts to wiggle them down her hips, I turn my back to her and stomp out of the bedroom.
I’m going to spank her tight little ass.
I storm into my own bedroom, close the door, and strip down, then get into a cold shower. I’m going to be taking a lot of cold showers while that little rebel is in my house. Because I wanted to wrap that braid around my fist, rip the leggings in two, and fuck her into submission.
And that’s the last thing that I can do.
I never saw Lena like this. Of course, she was a child for the majority of the time I was on her detail.
But she’s not a kid now. Not by a long shot.
I’ve never had issues with keeping my hands to myself. I’m damn picky when it comes to women and who I fuck. I used to spend a lot of time with Ryker at hockey games, at after-parties where puck bunnies were plentiful and thought fucking the army Ranger turned Secret Service guy was pretty damn great.
And once in a while, I indulged.
But I’m not handsy with women. I’m not flirty. That’s all Ryker. He can charm the pants off a pineapple.
I tend to scare people away.
Maybe I just need to get laid and work off some steam.
Shaking my head, I lean my palm on the tile and fist my aching cock as visions of Lena stripping out of her shirt fill my mind. She had a simple white bra on that cupped her tits perfectly. She’s all soft, smooth skin and lean muscle and fuck.
I pump my fist quickly and grunt when the orgasm moves through me, then pull the nozzle off the wall and wash the cum down the drain.
Thirty minutes later, dressed in clean cargo pants and a T-shirt, I walk downstairs and find Lena outside sitting on the steps, staring at the mountains. Her reaction to the view this morning didn’t surprise me. It still knocks me on my ass every day.
“I’m going to sketch it,” she says, not looking my way, as I step out with her. “Probably over and over again. Do you mind tracking my order for me?”
“I don’t mind.” I pull out my phone and check my email. “Looks like two more days and it’ll be here.”
She nods. “Do you have regular paper and pencils here?”
Frowning, I sit next to her, just like this morning, sure to keep my distance from her.
“Yeah, I have those. You can have them.”
“Thanks.”
Feeling her gaze on me, I glance her way, and before I realize what I’m doing, I tuck her hair behind her ear.
Keep your hands to yourself, James.
“Sorry I snapped at you,” she says softly.
“No, you’re not.”
Those lips tip up into a soft smile. “Not really, but I don’t want to make you mad.”
“Why not?”
A line appears between her brows. “What do you mean?”
“Why don’t you want to piss me off? It never bothered you before. You pushed my buttons every chance you got.”
She takes a deep breath and turns her gaze back to the mountains. “That’s not true. It’s always bothered me, but I’m not good at saying no.”
As Lena falls silent, a bald eagle flies overhead, dips down to the surface of the lake, and then pulls up with a fish caught in its talons.
“Wow.” Lena gasps, her eyes pinned to the bird as it flies away, probably to its nest in the woods. “Holy shit, that was cool.”
“We should get over to the farmhouse for breakfast.”
I stand and hold out my hand, which she takes, and I pull her to her feet. She doesn’t flinch, but she’s careful when she walks down the steps.