Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
But I don’t feel happy. I’m quiet the whole ride, ignoring Jaeger’s unsettling smile.
When we get home, I make myself scarce. I have a lot of work to do to enact my plan, and I need to take advantage of the fact that Kaiser isn’t here to discover what I’m doing. My greenhouse has a sink and a small lab. With Gianni Schicchi blasting on the surround sound, I pull out the extra packet of fertilizer the bottling company sent me and get to work.
Night has fallen when Jaeger finds me.
“I’m going to leave now, so you need to come inside the house.” I could argue that the greenhouse is attached and therefore part of the house, but he’s glaring at the glass walls as if he doesn’t trust them. “There’s a guard watching the house. Kaiser will be here before midnight.”
I frown. “Why so late?”
“He’s hurt.”
“Hurt? Who hurt him?”
Jaeger raises a brow. “You care?”
“Of course I care. He’s going to be my husband.” I’m the only one allowed to hurt him.
“You want to know his weaknesses.” He gives me a suspicious look, and I suppress a smile.
“I want to help him. Isn’t that what a good wife is supposed to do?”
Jaeger isn’t buying it. “Go upstairs and get ready for bed. I’m locking down the house.”
“Aye, aye, captain.” I salute him and turn away to hide my smirk. I might regret hurting Kaiser, but I can’t wait to deal Fraternitas a death blow.
This is going to be fun.
Kaiser
* * *
When I get home, I can tell that something has shifted. My senses tingle, alerting me as soon as I open the bedroom door. I pay attention to my instincts. Time after time, they’ve kept me alive. Right now, they tell me I’m walking into danger.
And there she is, my little bride.
Kneeling on the bed.
“Hello, husband,” she says in a throaty voice. “I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”
Candles are burning all around the room, releasing a thick, musky scent. I can feel them dulling my senses as soon as I breathe in the smoky air.
In the candlelight, Bella glows.
It’s a trap, and she’s the bait.
But what lovely bait she is.
“You dressed up for me.” She’s in a gold bra and the tiniest pair of shorts I’ve ever seen.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes.” I get close to examine her. She’s done something to her face to highlight her eyes. I heard the audio recording of the sleepover, so I know she and her friends did their makeup, but I didn’t know what it looked like.
She looks like an Egyptian queen, with dark paint around her eyes, and there’s a sprinkle of glitter on her cheeks, like a spattering of gold stars. Her skin seems to shimmer, but maybe that’s a trick of the light.
She’s put her hair into ponytails. Sexy little fuck toy.
No, not fuck toy. Future wife.
She bites her lip, looking up at me. “I heard you got hurt.”
I have a shallow slice over my ribs. I can’t even feel it, but St. James insisted I get it flushed out and bandaged properly.
“Who told you that?”
“Jaeger.”
I feel an insane surge of jealousy. There’s no reason for me to want to feel rage toward my brother for being with her all afternoon. I was the one who asked him to guard her. But my emotions surge so hot, I feel dizzy.
“I’m fine.” I put one knee on the bed, getting closer to her. Her eyes roam over me greedily, then focus on my sleeve.
“You’re bleeding.”
There’s a red smear on my right bicep. “It’s not my blood.” She sucks in a breath, and her eyes go black.
Her scent fills the air. Lemon sugar with a musky edge.
I strip off my shirt and use it to wipe the blood off. Now she’s panting. Is she afraid or turned on?
I put my hand around her neck, turning her head this way and that. Her pulse flutters against my palm. “Are you my prize?”
“Do you want me to be?”
“Yes.” I release her throat and take hold of a ponytail, drawing her head back.
“Then yes.”
I drag her head to the side and fasten my mouth on her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a red mark.
She gasps. “Kaiser!”
She tastes amazing. A little salty, a lot sweet. I swirl my tongue over her skin, licking and sucking. I want to open my mouth and swallow her whole. “I want to destroy you and put you back together again.”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“You waited on your knees for me.”
“Yes.”
“You want me. You want this.”
“Yes.”
“Be careful what you wish for.” I tear her bra to shreds and drag my mouth over her perfect little breasts. I can’t get enough of her taste.
I pull her down onto the bed, my mouth still fastened to her nipples. Her flavor is like a drug. It’s woodsy and wild, Earth and salt with an edge of lemon tartness. I want to devour her. I set my teeth on her nipple, biting her a little. She jumps, and I hold her down.