Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
Ocean chuckled. “I told Abel not to take it easy on you.” This time, he did touch me. I felt the sweep of his thumb under the tender part of my cheek. “Was I wrong?”
“No.” What didn’t kill me made me stronger, and I was done being a victim. I suspect Ocean knew that, too. I didn’t realize I was nuzzling his hand until his thumb fell to my lips. “Thank you.”
“You don’t ever need to thank me, Vengeance.” He scooped me from the floor, and I immediately felt horrible for ruining his expensive suit with my sweat—so horrible I lay my head on his shoulder while he carried me out.
“Coby’s mad at you,” I warned him groggily.
Ocean chuckled and gave me a squeeze. “I noticed when she yelled at me for half an hour, but thanks for the heads up, Vengeance.”
“Don’t be mean to her, okay? She just doesn’t want me to get hurt.”
He shook his head. “I would never mistreat her. And I don’t want that either.”
I lifted my head to stare at him in disbelief. “You hired me to protect her. The day will come when it’s either me or her,” I warned. “Coby’s more important to you. She’s more important to me.”
I looked up in time to see Ocean shut his eyes and inhale. “Please stop saying that, Hunter. It’s not true.”
“But it has to be. Coby deserves to be the only thing that matters to you. As her best friend, I don’t want anything less, so please believe I’m not saying this out of jealousy. I want you to understand that this marriage will be real for Coby and for you. Once you both say your vows, promise me you’ll let go of whatever you want from me. Let me go… for Coby.”
Ocean’s teeth were clenched as he stared straight ahead. “Like you, Hunter, if I could promise that and mean it, I would,” he said as he climbed the spiral staircase. “You deserve more than a lie. I will never let you go. I will never let Coby go. It’s the only promise you’re going to get from me.”
“How can you be sure the three of us can work?”
“I’m not, Hunter. Love has never been a sure thing. It changes faces every day, and it’s not always pretty. Coby and I took a leap of faith while you’re still standing on that ledge waiting to see what happens. You’re never going to stop being afraid of the fall. You just have to choose if you want to fall alone or with someone you love. With people you love,” he corrected.
I stared at his profile. “Are you trying to tell me you love me?”
Ocean’s gaze cut toward me before darting away. “I’m trying to tell you I’ve been falling ever since you first tried to kill me.”
And now he was putting himself on the line, hoping I’d follow…
“The last man I trusted to love me unconditionally wanted to sell me for poker chips.”
His grip on me tightened. “I know.”
“And the last man I trusted to just be a friend tried to—”
Ocean’s steps faltered. “What?”
I sighed heavily. “Let’s just say that he wanted more than he was owed, and I found myself running again.”
At least I hadn’t been alone that time.
I’d taken Coby with me.
“Hunter—”
“Where are we?” I cut him off to change the subject as I looked around and frowned. “This isn’t the way back to the cabin.”
My mental map was already coming in handy.
Ocean was scowling now as he climbed another set of stairs to the second level without answering. I knew he wasn’t upset with me, but the rage seeping from his skin gave me goosebumps anyway.
He didn’t stop until we reached a wing tucked away from everything and a room with double doors facing a large window at the opposite end of the hallway. He set me on my feet once we were inside, and I didn’t realize it wasn’t just any bedroom until it was too late. The masculine decor gave it away, but when he shed his suit jacket and tossed it on the bed, it left no room for doubt.
“Ocean, what—”
“Hey, bestie!” a welcome voice called out. “Did you have fun?”
I followed the sound to the open balcony doors, where Coby was sitting at a small table set for three, the orange glow of the setting sun beyond her.
Relief carved its way into my chest at seeing her here.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Ocean to be on his best behavior. The problem was that I didn’t trust myself. As exhausted and sore as I was, I still wanted to use and be used by him.
“I got my ass kicked,” I confessed as I stepped onto the large balcony and dropped into the seat across from her. Ocean gallantly lifted the lid off my plate and then took the seat that faced us both with his back to the railing.