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)
She deserved more than staying with a guy who had to escape outside, to get away from people, more often than not. That bed in there had gotten more use the last week than it had the entire year before. He usually slept outside. Even when the weather turned worse—turned freezing. No woman would want to live like that.
Not that she’d expressed any desire to stay with him. The other day, she’d been trying to piss him off with the talk about babies and homes. Been trying to get him to back off. She’d make adorable kids.
Out there, by himself, he could imagine a little girl with her eyes and sassy attitude. Maybe a boy with those same eyes and her ability to be kind. To care about people. They’d be lucky to have her.
What did he have to offer? The promise of safety and nothing else? He could provide that from afar. Make sure nobody hurt her or anyone she loved.
But could he watch her with another man? Definitely not Jarod. The woman had punched that jackass in the stomach the night before, and Christian hadn’t had a chance to figure that one out. How angry had Jarod been? Would he have cut her brakes? If not, then who?
Christian’s muscles tensed again. At least now he could be sure that the fire and then the sniper had been after her. Why did somebody want her dead? They sure as shit didn’t care how it happened. Fire, bullets, and now drowning. The end result was all they were going after. Jarod Teller was the only person he could imagine wanting her dead.
But why? They weren’t even married. Yet.
No yet. He would not accept a yet. Amka might deserve better than Christian, but she deserved much better than Jarod.
Movement sounded from inside, and he remained in place, giving her some space. No doubt she regretted the night. She was still bruised from the explosive fire, had to be injured from the car wreck, and he’d taken her up against a stone wall with all the finesse of a rutting bull. He’d be lucky if she didn’t try to shoot him.
Minutes passed, and the door opened behind him. He steeled himself for the demand to take her home.
She padded out to hand him a steaming cup of coffee. “I borrowed more socks.”
He glanced to the side to see a dingy pair of white-ish socks with the heels up to her calves and the tops to her knees. Her thighs were bare and sexy as any mythical siren. She had the comforter wrapped around her shoulders, and she’d pulled on one of his shirts. He accepted the coffee, masking his surprise. “Thanks.”
She sat next to him, placing her coffee next to her. Then she took one edge of the bedspread and stretched it across his bare back. “Help me.”
Wait—what? He obeyed, tucking them both inside the warmth.
“Thank you. It’s cold out here.” She cuddled closer to him, tucking the cover down her shoulder to secure beneath her thigh before retrieving her coffee. “It’s pretty, though.”
Most women would’ve been pissed at finding him gone after sex. This one was confusing the hell out of him. Not knowing what to say, he took a big drink of the coffee. She’d made it strong, just like he wanted. “Sorry,” he murmured.
Her bare thigh was plastered against his. “For what?”
He cut her a look from the side of his eye. Her hair had dried around her shoulders, thick and straight. Whisker burn covered her chin from his kisses, and the sight should’ve made him feel bad. It didn’t. A sense of possession flowed through him, and he tried to shut it down. Somehow. “For leaving the bed.”
She shrugged, her small shoulder bumping his arm. “Why? You like it outside. It’s nice out here, although a little chilly. The coffee helps.”
Why wasn’t she mad? He scanned the forest around them, making sure she was safe. Tika had dropped by for a scratch behind the ears before bounding into the forest again. The wildlife made plenty of sound, so nothing was out of place there. Except the woman sitting next to him. “I don’t like being inside for long.” He had to get her to stop being so nice.
“I know.”
What was happening? “Doesn’t that bother you?”
“No. Why would it?”
His mouth opened and then closed. “I sleep outside all the time.”
“I figured that.”
Oh. Okay. So she wasn’t really thinking of having anything with him. Good. She didn’t care where he slept. That was good. All right. Irritation clocked through him, and he shoved it down. “How are you feeling?”
“A little sore, but my head is clear. The seatbelt bruised my ribs, but other than that, I’m good.” Her voice remained soft. Quiet. “Do you think someone cut my brakes?”
A fresh anger slapped him, and he kept his body calm. “Yeah. I called the Millers to get the rig out of the water, but it’s going to take a few days for them to get the right equipment. Why would Jarod want you dead?”