Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
“Let’s get you to bed.” Stone got to his feet and helped me up, his arm coming around my waist. He walked me into my room and sat me on the bed, where I laid back on my pillow. “I’d offer to help you undress, but I don’t think I’d be able to leave.” His intense gaze left me breathless. “Goodnight, Serenity.”
He walked out of my room and closed the door. Part of me didn’t want him to leave, but another part breathed a sigh of relief. Totally confused, I quickly undressed and climbed under my covers. After a few cleansing breaths, I dropped into sleep.
I woke to the gray light of dawn filtering through my window. The events of the last few days came flooding back, but none of it brought the anxiety I expected. Even my headache was gone.
I stretched, realizing that I probably felt so good because of the great massage Stone had given me. Not only that, but he was here in my house and I wasn’t alone. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe and protected, which seemed a little strange since I’d nearly died yesterday.
I took a quick shower, careful with my stitches, and put on a little makeup before blow-drying my hair. It had a natural wave to it, so instead of straightening it, I put some hair product in and scrunched it using my diffuser. With a side part, it turned out great, giving me a sassy look.
To show off my blue eyes, I wore my favorite deep blue crew-neck tee that had a black dragonfly pattern on the front. Next, I found my form-fitting black jeans and slipped on my ankle boots.
By the time I finished getting ready, sunshine splashed through my windows, mirroring my good mood, and I could hardly wait to see Stone. I opened my door to the smell of coffee and found him in my kitchen using my coffee brewer.
He wore a t-shirt and gym shorts, and I wondered if he’d slept in them or just thrown them on to make his coffee. Thinking of him naked in my guest bedroom quickened my heart.
After taking a cleansing breath, I stepped toward him, noticing his hair curling over his forehead. This morning, it seemed darker than normal, making it look like deep, silk chocolate, and my fingers itched to see if it was as soft as it looked.
His dark eyes, strong jaw, and unshaven face seemed to lure me to him, and I wondered what it would be like to wake up with him in my kitchen every morning. Preferably after a night of amazing sex. Yikes! Just the thought turned my insides to mush.
He glanced my way and smiled. My heart did little flip-flops in my chest and I swallowed. I was in so much trouble. “Hey. How’s it going?”
As I stepped to his side, he studied my face. “I’m good. You look better today. Did you have a good sleep?”
“Yes. It’s probably due to that great massage. It really helped.”
He raised a brow and gave me a sexy, lop-sided grin. “Yeah… like I said last night, I’m good with my hands.”
I snorted and shook my head, not quite ready to go there. “Uh… yeah. That’s…” I heaved out a breath. “Uh… besides the massage… I think it helped to sleep in my own bed.”
His lips twisted, but he let me off the hook. “Makes sense. I don’t have that problem. I can sleep just about anywhere. I’m sure it’s from my days in the service.”
“That’s right. What made you join up, anyway?”
He snorted. “Well, it was either that or be homeless.”
“Why? What happened?”
His lips twisted. “I guess I can tell you since we’re… friends?” He met my gaze with a raised brow.
“Uh… yeah… of course.”
With a nod, he poured steaming coffee into our mugs. “Right after high school, I got into some trouble, and my old man told me that I could join up or he’d kick me out of the house. I was ready for an adventure, so I joined up the next day.”
He took a few swallows and glanced out the window, his eyes unfocused. “I thrived on the challenges and did all I could to be the best in my unit. I moved up through the ranks, got my education, and then was sent overseas. It wasn’t until I arrived in the Middle East that the whole experience began to sour. They don’t tell you how it feels to watch people die.”
He shook his head. “But when the killing started to be easy… that’s when I was done. I lost some good friends… and made a few bad ones. So, when my time was up, I resigned with an honorable discharge and ended up here. Vanetti needed a security specialist, and I met all of his qualifications.” His lips twisted. “Plus… the pay is excellent.”