Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“Calm down,” I repeat. She sinks her teeth into my palm, but I just stare back at her. When she realizes she’s not hurting me, she quits. After a moment, I lift my hand.
“So what am I then? Your slave?”
I cinch her wrists into my left hand and brush a strand of hair from her face. “Is that the kind of man you think I am, princess?”
Christ, I love the way she fights back. Her cheeky backtalk and fiery insolence makes the blood rush to my center, and my adrenaline skyrockets as I gaze down at her beauty. That innocent face combined with the untamed wildness in her eyes as she searches for an opportunity to get the best of me. The tender, buttery soft flesh of her young breasts and her smooth, long thighs leading down to my treasure between them.
I growl, picturing my lips tracing the silky skin of her belly and my tongue parting her lips to get a taste of her honey.
“You’re military,” she says, so sure of herself. “Your knife—military issue. The way you move. What are you? A Navy Seal?”
“You got a brother in the service, sweetie?”
I can already tell she doesn’t. This girl’s an only child, but she’s also smart as a whip. She pegged me for what I am almost instantly. Though she did make one mistake: I’m not a Navy Seal. A squad of those guys couldn’t take me.
But if what she said about being sold to Damon Vale is true, there’s no way I can let her leave here. She may think she can outrun him. Find someplace new to start over. But she’s wrong.
Damon Vale will not stop until he’s found her, and when he does, he won’t keep her as his wife. He’ll bury her in the dirt for inconveniencing him.
“Now come on, Avery, let’s get that cut cleaned up—”
Her jaw drops, and she goes bug-eyed. “How do you know my name!?”
I chuckle. “Your bracelet. It’s over there on the table. I took it off because it was freezing.”
She processes, then slowly nods.
“Okay. Well, are you gonna tell me your name now?”
She’s right. That would be the polite thing to do. But I’m already getting attached to this girl. Telling her who I am would be dangerous.
“No.” I shake my head. “That would be…dangerous.”
“Dangerous? I just almost died in a car crash and then almost froze to death.” She scoffs. “Oh, and you threatened to kill me. I think I can handle your name.”
Christ. Her voice, the way she bites back at me with such energy…it’s like a drug to me. And the fact that she’s naked beneath me is making it nearly impossible not to have my way with her.
“Come on,” I finally snarl, lifting her off the counter. “Let’s get that cut patched up—”
“I’ll do it myself,” she hisses.
“Oh, no you won’t. Do you have in-the-field medical training?”
She swallows and glances to the side. “No.”
“I do. And I’m going to make sure that doesn’t get infected.”
Another pause. “All right, fine.”
“Good.”
I take the lead toward the bathroom, and this time, she doesn’t run for it. I almost wish she would, just so I’d have another chance to snatch her up and get my hands on her luscious body. She has her hips twisted from me now, hiding her treasure. And her arms crossed over her breasts. Is she trying to tease me?
I run the hot water in the sink and point to the vanity. “Hand me the green bottle in there.”
“Get it yourself.”
I chuckle, licking my top teeth. “I’m doing you a favor here, and you can’t even help out?”
“A favor? How many other girls have you told that and they actually believed you?”
If this girl only knew what I went through to save her life. Speeding through the blizzard of the century without a shirt on because I knew I had to get to her immediately if she was going to have a chance. My eyes drag up her body again, drinking in every succulent inch. It’s been years since I’ve wanted a woman, let alone touched one. If she only knew the feelings I had for her at this moment—the promise I’ve made to protect her from everything.
“Get the bottle,” I growl.
She glares back at me for a moment, then turns and moves to the vanity, giving me my first glimpse of her perfect ass. What a peach. I’m practically drooling as I watch her take the bottle and bring it to me.
“Disinfectant,” I explain. “Military issue.”
“So I was right.”
She smiles proudly, covering herself again. For a brief moment, her eyes dart past me to the door. I turn and twist the lock.
“You won’t make it,” I assure her. “I’ll catch you, or the storm will kill you.”
She purses her lips, then slowly nods.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”