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)
The scent of his cologne lingered in the air along with the smell of freshly washed sheets. His staff was incredibly discreet and swift. Not once did we see any of them during the tour. It felt like we were blissfully alone even though we weren’t.
“I’m glad you approve,” he said as he leaned against the wall by the door.
I didn’t respond as I walked over to his nightstand and boldly opened the drawer to see what he kept inside.
Nothing.
Not even a box of condoms.
Thinking maybe I guessed his side of the bed wrong, I walked to the other side and found the same thing. Nothing at all.
Tossing a frustrated glance at Ocean, who was watching me with his fist covering his mouth to hide his grin, I hurried over to the double doors and found the closet with only a few suits hanging inside. No box of secrets or even a junk drawer.
His bathroom was just as cold and sterile, so when I emerged crestfallen, Ocean noticed immediately.
“I don’t understand,” I said so softly that I’m surprised he heard me.
“Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for, and maybe I can help.”
“You!”
“I’m right here,” he barked while throwing out his hands.
“No! I mean everything that makes you who you are. There’s nothing here. You seem to know everything about me down to my wildest dreams, but the only thing I know about you is that you’re dangerous. You don’t—” I paused with a hiccup when the answer dawned on me with the crushing weight of a sledgehammer. “You don’t really live here, do you?”
“Yes, Coby. But only when necessary.”
“Then why am I here if this isn’t your home?”
“Because where I live most of the time isn’t safe for you. At least until after the wedding.”
“Tell me why,” I demanded. When he hesitated to answer, my mind formed a conclusion of its own that my mouth didn’t hesitate to share. “Let me guess…it’s where you keep your other bitch?”
Ocean pushed off the wall and closed the distance so quickly I barely had time to do more than stumble back. “Is that the kind of man you take me for?”
“I don’t know, stalker. You know everything about me, but I don’t know shit about you.”
“Then ask.”
“Okay, what’s your favorite color?” I asked just to be a smart ass.
“Red,” he answered without missing a beat. “What else?”
“F-favorite TV show?” I stumbled to ask.
“I don’t watch TV.”
“Favorite book?”
“I don’t read.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have time, Coby. Anything else?”
“But you’re here with me now,” I argued. “You’ve been here all morning showing me around.”
“I made time.”
“Okaaaay,” I drawled, starting to feel like a bitch. “What’s your favorite memory?”
“The day I saw you.”
“Okay, Mr. Smooth. Be for real.”
“I am, mo aingeal.” His phone started going off, but he paid it no mind as he waited for me to interrogate him some. “Anything else you want to know?”
“Just one…why can’t I go home with you?”
“Because my father will kill you, and even though he needs to die, I’m not willing to use you as bait.”
Ocean’s phone started going off again, so he ripped his phone out of his pocket and checked the screen. When his gaze lifted, they were so cold and dark, I knew…
Someone was about to die.
I didn’t think for one second that it was me, but when he took my arm and led me out of his room, his touch was far less gentle than before. Abel was in the hall, armed to the teeth and waiting for him when we stepped out. He trailed us at a distance as Ocean and I made our way back up to the third floor.
“Ocean?” I whispered once we reached my cage and he deposited me inside. The muscle in his jaw was beating a steady rhythm. “Is everything okay?”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. You’ll be safe here,” he said. The assurance only made me feel less so—not because I didn’t believe it, but because he felt compelled to give it.
“Do I have a choice?” I snapped as I yanked my arm away from him. “You’re locking me in. Again.”
Ocean hesitated before turning away to leave and tossing over his shoulder. “The door’s not locked, wife.”
He made a swift retreat, and I was left alone trying to answer one question.
What the hell was going on?
OCEAN
“Ocean! My baby,” my mother greeted warmly as she hurried to me on the tarmac of the private airfield. Euphemia Kilpatrick was tiny, instantly reminding me of Coby, who was only a couple of inches taller. Dutifully, I leaned down so my mother could kiss my cheek and then wipe away the lipstick she left behind before gifting me with a warm smile. While I knew she was genuinely happy to see me, the tightness around her eyes told me the real truth.