Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“Nothing complicated about it.” Washington’s hand snaked around my waist and gave me a possessive yank to his side. His smile was sharper than armor. “We can’t get enough of each other.”
I tried not to melt. Tried not to let my eyes flick to Omari, who still had that smooth grin as if he weren’t trying. Clearly he was.
Without acknowledging Omari’s presence, Washington’s gaze crawled over my flesh in the way it had when we’d gone through those periods. Not cold wars where neither of us wanted to fold, and we ended up tearing each other down. Not like that. No, in that delicious way when we couldn’t touch until the tension nearly took our lives.
Then I didn’t feel his eyes on me like a caress. Washington let go of me and stepped close to Omari. “You look at my woman the wrong way, and I will …” His voice dropped, too low to hear. Yet it was something dangerous and somehow sexy enough to make me wish his possessive ass still embraced me for effect.
Omari chuckled, tilting his head, a connoisseur of the challenge. “I wouldn’t dare disrespect Miss … Spencer. I know when to step back.” Even though he didn’t say the words, his brown eyes radiated, For now.
When he walked away, I pinched Washington’s bicep. It was like trying to manipulate steel. “You are ridiculous.”
“I had a similar talk with Judge Gaston DuVall. You’ll tell me if either of them glances at you sideways,” he added, voice rough with obsession.
“Sideways how? I need a definition. I doubt Omari and your mentor would look at me the same w-way …” My voice became acrid. All air. He pinned me down with an expression that said games were off the table tonight. I choked out a laugh, low-key afraid. “You are ridiculous.” I turned into a broken record.
He leaned in close, and I swear the heat from his chest almost melted the marble floor. “Ridiculous is my specialty, Maddy. And protective. Don’t forget that.”
And there I stood, smiling, blushing, and stopping myself from allowing the desire pooling in my mouth to drool onto my chin. Momma was loving this attention.
The charity event’s excitement still buzzed inside me as we reached my sister’s row house. The city lights reflected off the iron railings. I burrowed inside Washington’s red velvet tuxedo jacket while he opened the car door.
Every step up the porch echoed. That good tension had wrapped around me tonight. I slipped out of Washington’s jacket at the top step. Before I could take my key out of my clutch, he spun me around, pressed me against the door, and planted his palms on either side of my head. I didn’t know whether to thank God for the frosty night because all this fire pressed me against an ice block. With this type of heat in front of me, so close, what was so wrong with getting burned?
“Which do you prefer?” He leaned down, lips hovering near my ear. “Having two grown men after you. Or being stalked.”
I inhaled slowly, trying to hide the shivers that cascaded over my body. “You mean I can’t get stalked by the homicidal Creole and the smooth stranger who talks vases like poetry? Why can’t a girl have—”
In an instant, he jerked my hips until my thighs were around him. I sagged against the doorframe. Tried not to die, slow and utterly desired by this man.
“You can’t have both, Mrs. Babineaux.” With my body half situated over his waist, he ran a hand over my hair.
I turned my head away. “I’m Miss Spencer again.”
“I’ma amend our contract.” His mouth lingered on my pulse, a tantalizing sensation that made shivers dance down my spine.
“You c-can’t,” I moaned.
“Actually, I can. Clause fifty-nine, boo, read the fine print: Amendments. When you’re with me, you’re Mrs. Babineaux.”
“Sorry, my mom taught me lying is a sin.” I smiled, tightening my thighs around his waist. Yep. The door was getting some action. Any moment. If I didn’t wise up and shimmy down from this massive tree!
“Why not?”
“Because … this is fake. You have me trapped against a door like I’m crime scene evidence.”
“You got more? You wanna be an attorney now?” He laughed, low and throaty.
“Not even. But I’ve dissed the name already, Baby No.”
He leaned in closer, letting his breath ghost my lips, and I sucked in the condensation from his mouth. “Bébé, ain’t nothing about this fake. I went exactly this far,” he said, grinding into me. All of him. “Because I can. You will always be my wife, Madison.”
His chest crushed my breasts, and my shoulder blades bruised against the door. I didn’t mind. His words echoed in the tense silence, bringing us closer to a kiss that we’d danced around all night. Heat consumed me as he pulled up the slit of my dress, his fingers tracing the curve of my hip.