Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 35106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
“This is what you’re going to wear.” He helped her out of it, and took the gown out to the waiting assistant. “Ring this up. She’ll have this.”
“What about shoes?”
“We’ve already picked them up.” He walked back into the dressing room, and grabbed the shoes. He handed them to the assistant before returning to his seat.
Minutes passed before Avery finally appeared. Her face was flushed, and she’d pulled her hair into a tight knot atop her head.
“Are we all done?”
“You’re in a rush to make it back home?”
She paused. “I … yes. I don’t like shopping.”
“Really? A woman that doesn’t like shopping?”
“It’s tedious.”
Gino laughed. “You’re the first woman to say that, and I feel I should post it all over social media.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess some women love doing this kind of thing. Me, I just feel flustered. I’m all hot and sweaty.”
He watched her, and if it was possible, her cheeks went a deeper shade of red. “And it has nothing to do with the fact I fucked your brains out.”
She didn’t answer, instead picking up the clothes. “Your footprint is on this dress. What do I do?”
“Put it on the hanger. It’s not my problem.”
“Don’t you think that’s rude?”
“Nope. What you’ve got to learn about this world, there are a lot of fucked-up people in it who don’t give a shit about anyone or anything. They’re only after what they can do by themselves. You’ve got to stop trusting everyone.”
“I don’t trust everyone.”
He got to his feet and stalked her. This time she didn’t move away or try to ignore him. “You trusted your father too easily. You shouldn’t have been at the shop that night.”
“He’s my father, and you hurt him really bad. Of course I was going to keep doing this. Regardless of what my father wanted to do or not, if you really wanted to punish him, you’d have still found me, or hurt him. I don’t regret staying.” She opened her mouth, then closed it.
“You don’t?”
“No, I don’t.” Her gaze went to his lips before she pulled away. “They’re waiting for us.”
He grabbed her arm, stopping her from leaving. She wouldn’t be able to pay for any of the clothes, anyway.
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why don’t you regret it? I’ve taken you away from who you love. You can’t see your father, and you’ve been made bored in a room for over a week.”
“I know, but … when you’re not being an asshole or trying to hurt anyone, you’re actually really nice.”
His hold on her tightened.
“Gino?”
“Don’t mistake what we’ve got here for kindness. I’m not a good man. I’ve killed people. Skinned them alive and laughed as they begged for me to stop. I’m the last person you should think I’m nice with. Once your father is done, I’ll toss you out like trash. Don’t mistake anything we’ve got here as me being nice.”
He saw he’d hurt her. Out of everything he’d done to her, it was this that finally got a reaction.
She pulled out of his hold, rushing from the room.
He took a deep breath, attempting to get his shit together. That wasn’t supposed to happen. He shouldn’t have lost it. All of his life, he’d been trained to be anything but nice.
His family may have tried to be a normal one, but they couldn’t last. His father still needed to train him to take over. Before his mother died, she also had to learn her place.
Everything was all fucked.
Since Avery had been in his life, he’d thought more and more about his mother. He needed to get his shit together.
Chapter Eight
The drive home was quiet, but it wasn’t awkward. Avery pressed her thighs together, feeling the answering pulse from their … sex session, fucking session? She didn’t know what to call it.
Everywhere ached, and not out of pain.
Much to her surprise, she felt alive, invigorated, ready for more.
When they arrived back at his home, the last thing she wanted to do was to go to her room. It had been a long day, but she didn’t want to have to go and sit by that window, watching the world go by.
“Is dinner ready?” Gino asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you ready to eat?”
Her stomach growled, and he laughed. “I guess you have your answer.”
He chuckled. “Come on.”
Gino helped her out of her jacket and made his way toward the dining room. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to allow her to wander free and to not confine her to the room. She wouldn’t disobey him and had no intention of running off.
He held out her seat, and she thanked him for it. She slid beneath the table, and they were served food minutes later.
“Did you enjoy today?” he asked when they were alone again.
“I did.” She ate some of her food. “I’m not going to run.”