Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
It wasn’t rational, but the way she seemed to be forever attempting to evade my nearness was grating on my nerves. I grabbed my suit jacket off the table and closed my hand around her upper arm.
Three men in suits waited in the hallway when I swung the door open.
“Take care of that.” I jerked my head toward the room.
The tallest one nodded. “Yes, boss.” He motioned for the other two to follow him as he crossed the threshold and closed the door.
I dragged a resisting Madison down the narrow hallway as numerous people cast us curious glances even as they scurried out of our way.
When we neared a set of metal double doors, Madison dug in. Pulling back on my grasp, she cast her head left and right, searching for help that would not arrive. “What are you doing? Where are we going?”
“We’re leaving.”
Her mouth dropped open and she leaned away from me, trying to break my grasp. “I can’t just waltz out of the courthouse! I’m still under arrest!”
I curved a hand around her neck at the base of her skull and yanked her forward. Uncaring that we had an audience or what the consequences of my actions might be, I claimed her mouth. Swallowing her whimper, I pushed my tongue past her lips, needing to taste her, to feed on her.
When she wrenched free, the blush had returned to her cheeks.
I leaned forward and swept my tongue across her bottom lip. “When are you going to learn, babygirl? I’m in charge. The rest of the world be damned.”
I kicked the doors open and hauled her outside into the thunderstorm that was already raging. It had nothing on the storm brewing inside of me.
CHAPTER 15
MADISON
This was insane.
No, it was completely fucking certifiable.
His grip on my hand tightened as he dragged me across the parking lot to some super-expensive-looking black car. The rain hit like needles against my bare arms. My flats slapped through puddles, soaking my feet, every step sending a hard jolt up through my shins.
I looked over my shoulder expecting to see a small army of guards with guns drawn running after us, but no one came.
Who the hell was Pierce Worthington?
Did money really buy this much power?
This was another setup. It had to be.
Pierce opened the passenger door and motioned with his head. “Get in.”
Not caring about the rain pouring down on us, I shook my head and backed away.
He shifted his grip from my hand to my hair, twisting his fist into the now wet and tangled locks. “That wasn’t a request, Madison.”
Wedging my palms against his chest, I shoved backward to try to break free. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
With a growl, he tossed his suit coat into the car then slammed my back against the slick side of the car, pressing his body into my front. The metal was ice-cold through my wet blouse. He was not. His body heat burned through his soaked shirt and into my skin, and I hated that my body registered the difference.
His eyes slipped from my mouth to my eyes and back again. “What makes you think you have a choice?”
Cold drops of rain skimmed over his hard cheekbones as his black hair curled at the ends.
“I’ll scream.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Go ahead. See if anyone dares defy me to save you.”
I raised my chin, ignoring the hard press of him against my stomach. His thigh had wedged between mine when he pinned me, and every time I shifted to get away, I only pressed closer. I stopped moving. “You’re setting me up again. They were going to find me not guilty, and you knew it.”
He ran the backs of his knuckles down my cheek before grabbing my chin. “Babygirl, there wasn’t a chance in hell that jury was going to find you not guilty, even if your lawyer had done his job. I made sure of it.”
For one stupid moment in that conference room, I’d thought I was safe with him. But no, he was still the monster from my nightmares come to life. I would be smart to never forget that.
There was a flash of lightning as the storm intensified, but it was nothing compared to the dark look Pierce was giving me.
The raindrops stung as they pounded against my skin.
Once again, his stare shifted over my face, but this time it slipped lower.
The rain had soaked through the thin silk fabric of my blouse. Every swirl and filigree of my white lace bra could be seen through the translucent fabric. My nipples had hardened from the cold—at least that was what I told myself—and there was nowhere to hide it.
With a cry, I raised my arms to cover my chest.
Pierce snatched my wrists and pulled my arms away, pinning them against the car on either side of my shoulders. “Don’t,” he snarled.