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)
She sniffed. “Fuck you.”
I kicked her in the ribs. She fell against the wall and rolled onto her side.
“I said get up.”
Pushing up on her palms, she slid along the wall as she slowly rose.
I placed a hand over her head and leaned in. “Good girl. Now, as I said, the drug you gave him will put him in a coma. When it hits the news, you will rush to the hospital and play the grieving fiancée. Understood?”
She swiped a hand over her cheek. She opened her mouth to speak.
“What?”
Her cheeks flushed red. “Nothing.”
“Is there something I should know?”
Her eyebrows rose. “No.”
“Skylar?”
“There is nothing.”
Of course there was nothing. She was stupid but not stupid enough to lie to me. She knew the consequences of that.
I continued. “You’ll say the two of you reconciled in secret and he proposed. Unfortunately, you then fought and broke off the engagement. In his despair, he tried to kill himself.”
“Pierce would never—”
“He’ll be in no position to object.”
The plan was simple. The easiest way to lose a body was in a morgue. The same paramedics who I blackmailed to switch out my body after the crash with a cadaver will helpfully cart Pierce’s dead body away after I kill him and take his place.
I would then miraculously come out of my coma and leave for Europe for a year to recover. When I returned to Cliffs End, any slight difference in appearance or demeanor would be blamed on the long absence.
For now, I needed confirmation that the first part of my plan was in place. “Has our man called to confirm the staff have found Pierce unconscious?”
“No. Not yet.”
“He better fucking call.”
“He’ll call.”
I reached for my belt buckle. “In the meantime, you might as well make yourself useful. On your knees.”
She curled her shoulders forward as she swiped the back of her hand over her lips, smearing her lipstick…before slowly lowering to her knees.
CHAPTER 50
HAILEY
“Have you lost your ever-loving mind?”
“How kind of you to inquire after my health, but I’m perfectly fine,” he said, looking obnoxiously amused with himself.
“I will not marry you. I will never marry you.”
“You are going to marry me and let me tell you why.” He released my armrests and straightened to tower over me, making me realize exactly how trapped I was in this giant metal tube in the sky. “Because of the way you scream my name when you come on my tongue. The way your body clenches me when you come on my cock, and how no matter what you say to deny it, your body melts in my arms when I kiss you.”
He reached for me, but evading his grasp, I slid out of my seat and took a step back.
“I’m not going to marry you just because you’re good in bed.”
“Little bird, we both know I’m far more than just good in bed,” he smirked. “But if you require more reasons, fine. Because I am ridiculously rich.”
Hands on hips, I snorted. “Wow. The Pretty Woman argument actually gets more offensive each time you use it.”
He tipped my chin up, all traces of amusement gone from his eyes. “And because I am the only one keeping you alive right now.”
I shifted back slightly, breaking his grasp.
I didn’t like his nearness…his maleness.
He raised an eyebrow. “My maleness.”
Dammit. “I said that out loud?”
He ran the back of his hand over my cheek. “It’s adorable.”
“It’s annoying.”
He leaned in close, his lips brushing my ear. “I’d know what you were thinking even if you didn’t.”
I bit my lip and reached out for the back of a chair to steady myself. “Has anyone told you, you are an arrogant pain in the ass.”
He ran his mouth along my jaw as my head fell back. “Many. Many. Many times.”
I reached for the lapels of his suit jacket, holding on to him. “You don’t have to marry me to keep me safe.”
“No, I get to marry you to keep you safe.”
Taking a deep breath, I broke free and slipped out from under his raised arm to place some much-needed distance between us. I needed distance…
“And if I refuse?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“It’s not really a choice you’re going to make, little bird.” He took a step toward me, and my back hit a partition.
“We’re not alone on this plane. There is staff, a pilot. I can tell them the truth, and—”
“And they have all been paid obnoxious amounts of money for their loyalty. No help for you there. Looks like you’re stuck with me.” He traced his finger along my collarbone. “So you should consider being a good girl and coming up with a creative way to stay in my favor.”
“Go to hell.” I put my hands on his chest and tried to push him away. He clasped his hands over mine, anchoring me to him.