Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
“I’ll be leaving soon and taking a guest with me. I don’t want to be disturbed or questioned. All problems with guests are to be handled by hotel management, understood?” Although his brows raised briefly, he quickly schooled his expression and remembered his place.
“Yes. Is there anything you need me to handle?”
“Yes. I don’t want anyone interfering with my departure or attempting to take her away.” My eyes moved toward her, but it was the bartender’s movements that caught my eye and disturbed me. I hadn’t missed his quick sleight of hand. It was time for me to act. The son of a bitch was working with the trafficker. If I had wanted to throw him out the window before, that was nothing. Now, I eagerly wanted to torture the creep.
I stormed toward them as he put his hand on her again, and then I might have lost it, my patience having slipped in public for the first time in years. Still, I didn’t show the true animal I was—just a taste to remind the room of who I am, but not enough to scare my porcelain doll away.
Chapter Three
Elizabeth
My heart picked up at the sight of a huge, six-foot-four, at least two-twenty man with broad shoulders and a suit that was definitely more expensive than my boss’s. Mr. Keaton was a billionaire, so this man either spent all his fortune on his clothes or he rolled in the same financial circles.
Either way, he was out of my league. I was just an assistant, one who had a father in prison and a mother who’d abandoned me when I was born. I didn’t belong at this party, and I certainly didn’t garner attention from men like the one standing in front of me.
“You don’t touch what’s not yours,” he told the bartender in a calm but commanding tone. He hadn’t raised his voice. No, his deep timber carried the weight of his words all on its own. My heart raced and my pussy pulsed hypnotically to his act of possession.
“Yes, Sir.” Maurice had lost all the charming male bravado he had earlier as soon as the powerful masculine man stepped in his path. My body gravitated toward him, needy with an unexplained, uncontrolled desire. Yes, I wanted to get out of my mundane and explore, but I never expected to ache to explore this giant piece of man in front of me.
He leaned over the bar and practically snarled at Maurice as the words ripped from his throat in an angry whisper, “Did you put something in her drink?”
“Just the regular ingredients,” the bartender stammered as his face gave away his lie. His eyes widened in fear and his bottom lip shook.
“Are you lying to me?” Even I could read the lie dripping from the perspiration off of Maurice’s forehead.
“No.” The one syllable turned into three as he stammered.
The handsome stranger raised his brows. “I’ll ask you once more. Did you put something in her drink?”
“Yes. A sedative.” I gasped, leaping forward to slap the shit out of the bastard, but my handsome watchdog stopped me, gripping my hand in his strong one.
“I don’t want you to sully your precious skin on such filth. It’s already disgusting that he put his hands on you.” I tried to control the urge to jump into his arms. I was turning into a horny mess. His fingers ran over my wrist, stroking my pulse. With his other hand he snapped his fingers, and then two men came up and snatched the man from behind the bar.
“What are you doing?” a woman in an elegant gown that cost more than my annual salary said.
“Replacing your bartender. He’s faulty,” he stated without waiting for her approval.
She didn’t argue. In fact, she sighed, but nodded and then said, “Very well. Can’t have a night like tonight ruined. At least try not to make a scene.”
“Layla, take over.” A woman in a pretty silver gown got behind the bar, who immediately looked at my rescuer with hungry eyes.
“What would you like?” she asked me.
“Suddenly, I’m not thirsty anymore. I think I’ll call it a night,” I replied, my stomach twisting with anxiety. I could have been drugged.
My knight intertwined our fingers as if that would stop me from leaving, and I hated to say it was working. “I hope I didn’t scare you off.”
I shook my head and looked around the room, avoiding his gaze as I spoke. “No. Thank you for your help, but I’m over my head and I’d rather not be here.” He was dangerously powerful, and I wasn’t even talking about the way he controlled the situation. He had my body at attention, and if I wasn’t careful, he’d have so much more. I’d never been in a serious relationship, and a man like him didn’t give the vibe that he did that kind of thing.