Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Do you have a name?” I asked, leaning forward.
“Of course I’ve got a name. Also have a number and address too. I’ll warn you, though, he’s the definition of a loose cannon. He tried to fight me because he thought I was robbing him when I was really just grabbing a towel to dry my hands with.”
Blake smiled at me. “Looks like we’ve got our first lead.”
“It does,” I said, wondering two things: how Blake’s eyes could be so enrapturing and whether or not it was a good idea to have him with me. My job felt split down two avenues. Protect Blake at all costs and retrieve the dagger at all costs. I knew which one I wanted to prioritize, but wouldn’t that just make me compromised?
“He lives in the Harmony District. You could walk there if you wanted to.” Caleb’s gaze flickered between Blake and me. “Or you can go on a dragon ride. Has Xavier taken you flying yet?”
Blake shook his head and turned those long eyelashes in my direction. “He hasn’t. I didn’t even know that was an option.”
I was going to say I’d just drive us there, but those damn eyes of his. They had me in a chokehold. I felt myself wanting to give him whatever he asked for and then breaking my back searching to give him even more. “Guess you’re riding a dragon tomorrow.”
Chapter 14
Creeping
Xavier
Sweat escaped my sweatband and dripped down my cheek. The summer sun scorched the air. Not even the ocean could help calm it today. That was fine; I enjoyed training in the heat. We weren’t meeting with Kalen until later in the evening, so this afternoon workout helped get me prepared.
I finished off my set of push-ups and grabbed the towel, wiping my face. My breaths were coming in hard and fast. I craned my neck back and sucked in a breath, appreciating the blue expanse of sky. A flicker of movement drew my attention to a window. A pale blue curtain settled back into place.
That was Blake’s bedroom.
Had he been watching me work out?
I grinned and dipped myself into the stream of time. I swished back my hand, time reversing for three seconds.
When it returned to normal, I was looking directly into Blake’s surprised amber eyes.
I winked at him. He stumbled backward, likely tripping. I chuckled. He was so easy to mess around with. It was very enjoyable.
I decided to keep messing with him. I grabbed my phone and shot him a text.
Xavier
Stop creeping and come hang out.
Blake
I’m not creeping!!
Xavier
Fine. My ask to hang still stands.
A slight pause.
Blake
I’m heading down.
Xavier
Awesome.
Blake
:P
That exchange made me smile disproportionately wider than the words probably called for. I grabbed two thirty-pound dumbbells and faced out over the stone perimeter. The ocean always made a great backdrop to working out. A small red speaker played my gym songs, mostly remixes and dance tracks. I finished up my set of hammer curls when Blake appeared through the arched doorway.
“Hey there.”
“Hey, creeper,” I said, teasing him.
He pouted and tilted his head. “That’s rude. I was just looking out, admiring the view.”
“I’m sure you were.” I casually flexed my biceps.
Blake’s amber eyes narrowed to slits. They appeared even more like real gold today, the soft blue shirt he wore helping bring out the shine in them. “View of the ocean.”
“You can’t see the ocean from that window.”
He blinked a couple of times and admitted defeat. “Fine, yes, I was checking you out. Is that so bad?”
“No, not at all. I do it to you all the time.”
“You do?”
“Of course. I didn’t even think I was being slick about it.”
Blake chuckled. There was a strawberry-pink hue to his cheeks that made me hungry for him. “You probably weren’t. I’m just oblivious to those things.”
“Well, here I am, making it obvious for the oblivious.” I took a step back and racked my gaze over his body, smirking devilishly when I settled on his lips. I licked my own. “That kiss we shared, it hasn’t left my mind. You did something to me in there.”
Blake’s eyes flicked down to my crotch. “Yeah, I remember.” His smile matched mine now. Only for a moment, though. It went out like a candle in the wind. He was putting up barriers again.
But why?
“Are you okay with it?” I asked him point-blank. “I don’t want to do anything you aren’t good with.”
“I’m totally fine with it as long as you are. You’re the bodyguard, after all.” He walked over to the stone wall. It reached to about his chest. He placed his hands on the mossy rock. I leaned a hip against the wall, crossing my arms and searching his expression, examining his face. He had such perfect features. Soft, inviting, and sultry as sin with the flip of a switch. He was tall but not taller than me, sexy legs covered with a dusting of hair, a juicy booty that filled out the black shorts he wore. “How’d you become a bodyguard anyway?”