Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
He turned her and pressed her into the mattress, rolling over her with full weight and control.
She gasped. He was hard. Her body responded before her mind could catch up. She widened her legs without meaning to. Her pulse kicked. Every part of her screamed to reach for him.
“I can,” he said. His voice stayed low, calm. “I have skills, Amka. Tell me what you need me to do.”
Her voice felt raw. “What? Skills? What are you saying?” The breath heated in her lungs.
“Whatever you need. No questions asked. Tell me.”
Holy crap on a cracker. She couldn’t deal with this. “I don’t need anything,” she managed.
“Tell me why you’re engaged to him.”
“Because I am. It’s what I want.”
He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Just looked at her as the firelight caressed his rugged face, dancing over hollows and shadows. Over hard cut bones and tight skin. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.” She said it fast. Too fast.
He dropped his head. Their noses nearly touched. “I think you are.”
“I said I’m not.”
Then he kissed her.
No warning. Just heat and pressure and those firm lips on her mouth. The kiss hit hard. She gasped into it, heart thudding, mind blank. For one second, she froze. Then her mouth moved. She kissed him back.
His hand slid into her hair and held her there, allowing her no space to move. The kiss deepened. He kissed with hunger and control, frustration folded into every motion. He didn’t push. He took. Deliberate. Sure. Focusing on her like nothing else existed.
Her body reacted first—hips arching, breath catching, skin hot.
He broke the kiss slowly, pulling back an inch at a time. His hand stayed in her hair. His breath touched her lips. “Tell me the truth.”
Her mouth opened. No words came out. She stared at him. Her body still burned from one kiss.
He hadn’t even taken off his clothes.
She hated how much she wanted him. Hated how fast it unraveled her. “It’s what I want,” she said again. Not true. Not even close. But it was something.
His jaw twitched. Just once. His eyes stayed locked on hers. Anger flickered there. Not rage. Not possessiveness. Just a clean, sharp frustration she hadn’t seen from him before.
He rolled off her.
Not away. Not distant. He shifted to his side and pulled her with him, curling her back into his chest, locking an arm around her ribs. “Go to sleep.” His hand stayed flat against her abdomen. “I’ll give you tonight,” he said, voice in her ear. “But not forever. You’ll tell me the truth.” The calm, absolute confidence in his low tone conveyed a threat much clearer than if he’d shouted.
She shivered again, not from cold this time, and in response, he held her closer.
Chapter 14
Amka awoke with a jolt and sat up in the bed. Where was she? Blinking, she looked around the small cabin. Oh, yeah. She’d slept with Christian. Who actually owned a home like he might settle down. Shocking. Yes.
She glanced at the empty space where he’d been and then pressed her hand to his pillow, finding it now cold. How long had he cradled her the night before? The daylight made the cabin feel even more bare, but the fire in the hearth gave it just enough warmth to tempt her into leaving the cozy bed.
Sliding out, she headed straight to the bathroom, where she used the facilities, brushed her teeth, and put on her now very wrinkled clothes. Her jeans were stiff from drying overnight and felt a little grimy, but they'd do for now. She tamed her long dark hair the best she could with her hands and then stepped back out into the main room.
What time was it? She’d left her purse and phone in the SUV the night before. Keeping her boots in her hand so she wouldn’t track more mud through the place, she crossed the room and opened the front door to see Christian's broad back. He sat on the porch steps, his shoulders back and his gaze fixed somewhere in the trees with a creek bubbling by to the side of the cabin. This morning, he wore jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt, regardless of the chill in the air. The rain had finally stopped, but the air felt wet, and the bulbous clouds above them promised another storm. Soon.
The trees in every direction dripped more water, while scurrying throughout the forest echoed from small animals seeking food. The larger animals were silent.
“Good morning,” he said without turning around.
“Hi.” She paused at the doorway and then stepped onto the porch. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and walked over to sit beside him.
“I borrowed your SUV and grabbed breakfast.” He handed her a closed Styrofoam container and a fork.
Oh yeah. He didn’t own a vehicle. But he did have a home. Was there a chance he’d stick around? Her stomach growled. She put the boots next to her and reached for it, flipping the lid open to reveal scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage from the Green Plate. “When did you go to town?”