Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“Oh, fuck no.” I spit, closing the distance in a flash and hauling that useless fuck away from the woman. I shove him repeatedly until he’s pressed against the brick wall of a utility building, my hands shaking as I restrain myself from throttling this motherfucker into the hospital. I can’t utter words—I only see red, every overwhelming urge to pile drive any piece of shit who abuses a woman surging through me.
His face turns red, then an awkward shade of blueberry, before I do the only thing I can think of to protect us both from my rage: I land a right hook to his face, hard enough to knock his fucking teeth out and leave a knot on the back of his head when it hits the brick wall. I loosen my grip on his neck, releasing his windpipe as he whistles and gasps for breath, his fingers clawing at my throat.
“Who the fuck are you?” he spits, blood pooling in his mouth.
“Your worst nightmare, motherfucker.” I tighten my hold on his windpipe again, choking off his oxygen just to show him I can do it. His eyes flash with worry as his hands claw desperately before I let him drop in a heap onto the dusty ground. “Useless.” I kick him, a cloud of dust billowing as he scrambles away like a crab—a sight that brings a smile to my face.
“Thank you.” The woman who’d been hovering out of view now hovers at my shoulder, gratitude etched on her face. “He’s been on my ass for weeks, begging me to take him back.” I shake my head, refocusing on reality as I take in her anxious features. “You might want to check on your girl though—she doesn’t look too good.” My mind races, and for the first time I turn to lock eyes with Palmer.
Except she’s crumpled on the ground, her face buried in her hands. My heart sinks.
“Oh, Jesus.” I rush to her side, lifting her face in my palms to take in her features. “Are you okay, baby?”
Every muscle trembles as she barely manages a head shake. I swallow the lump of fear in my throat, adrenaline still coursing through me after throttling that fuckhead, and now she expects me to be the tender man who rescues her.
I lift her in my arms and stride straight toward the parking lot, piling her into my truck and buckling her in safely before roaring off back to my house. We pull into my driveway in less than five minutes, and I carry her into my bed, sliding her under the covers while murmuring softly in her ear. “I’ve got you, baby—I’m right here. Nothing’s gonna happen, and that woman is perfectly fine.”
But my words seem to fall flat. All she does is tremble, tears leaking from her sad eyes.
Chapter Eight
Palmer
Hudson carries me through the door like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets me go. Strong arms. Steady hands. A grip that tells me I’m safe. But it’s the look in his eyes that shatters something deep inside me. Possessive. Fierce. Unyielding. Like he’s already decided I belong to him.
Like I always have.
The door slams shut behind us, but I barely hear it. All I hear is the thunder of my pulse. All I feel is him. The thick heat radiating off his body. The quiet storm in his gaze as he lowers me to my feet. His hands don’t leave my waist. I don’t want them to. His jaw is tight, his breathing uneven.
“I was so scared,” I whisper. “I just want you.”
Something snaps. One second, he’s staring at me like he’s trying to memorize every inch of me. The next, his mouth is on mine.
Hudson kisses like he’s devouring me.
Like he’s been starving for this.
For me.
One hand fists in my hair, tilting my head back, deepening the kiss until I’m gasping, my nails digging into his shoulders. I whimper against his lips, and he groans, the sound vibrating down my spine.
"You sure about that, Treasure?" His voice is a rough rasp against my lips.
"Yes." No hesitation. No doubt. "I want you."
A growl rumbles in his chest, and suddenly I’m weightless. He lifts me like I weigh nothing, striding toward the bedroom, his grip unrelenting. My arms wind around his neck, my heart pounding. When my back meets the mattress, Hudson looms over me, his gaze tracing every inch of my body.
“You’re mine,” he murmurs, dragging his hands down my sides, slow, reverent. “Every damn inch of you.”
I shiver as his rough palms skate over my thighs, pushing my dress up.
His mouth follows, warm lips trailing heat over my skin, up my stomach, between the valley of my breasts. By the time he reaches my lips again, I’m trembling. Needy. Desperate.
His forehead rests against mine, his breath warm.