Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“I accepted your apology for all the brooding. I’m honestly not mad about it.” He didn’t need to do nice things for her.
“I know, which I appreciate because I am nowhere near as understanding as you are.” Knox would have lost his patience and demanded her attention because, well, he was that selfish. He placed a hand on her lower back. “Come on.” Knox guided her along the pier, across the bridge, and onto the main deck. “I want to introduce you to the crew.”
Having met the rather charming, uniformed crew – all of whom were demons – Harper tangled her fingers with his as Knox took her on a tour of the yacht. The bright and spacious interior was as impressive as the exterior. The lower deck featured a home theater, gym, guest cabins, crew quarters, engine room, and also an exterior platform with outdoor showers and plenty of “toys,” including kayaks and motor boats.
The sun terrace of the main deck led into a salon – a place to escape the sun that had comfy looking couches, a wide-screen TV, and a bar. The dining salon was just as spacious, and the galley was every chef’s wet dream. Large windows were everywhere, allowing in plenty of light.
The upper deck featured a sun terrace for outdoor dining and also Knox and Harper’s extremely decadent bedroom suite – or stateroom, as he called it, whatever. The sun deck was probably the coolest of all, though, with its Jacuzzi, wet bar, and cozy little seating area.
After the tour was over, Harper slipped on a hot-pink bikini and settled on a rattan lounger on the main deck. Smearing on sunscreen, she peeked at Knox, who was sprawled on the lounger beside hers in just swim shorts, drinking wine. He was also closely watching the movements of her hands, and she had to smile.
He looked more relaxed than she’d seen him in a while. But then, it was pretty impossible to be anything but relaxed right then. The heat of the sun, the cool spray of the ocean water, and the light, salt-scented breeze – it all created a deliciously lazy atmosphere. The only sounds were that of the engine, the hull slicing through the water, and the soft laughter of Levi and Tanner who were on the above deck. They were giving her and Knox privacy, bless them.
“I’m not sure whether this bothers me or not,” said Knox.
Confused, she frowned. “What?”
“The brand on your breast is slightly visible through the thin material of your bikini. I like that I can see it.” It was sexy as hell. “But I don’t like that it’s eye-catching enough to draw people’s attention to your breasts.” They were for his eyes alone.
She snickered. “Take the matter up with your demon.”
“Baby, that put-out tone isn’t fooling me for a second – you like that brand.”
Yeah, she did. She liked the others too, for that matter. “Whatever.” Putting down the bottle of sunscreen, she lay back.
“Did Kellen tell you why he thought you wouldn’t want to see him?”
“Yes.” Harper repeated the conversation she’d had with Kellen. “I’m surprised Bray wasn’t supportive of Kellen being in contact with me. I mean, he was upset with Carla for the way she abandoned me. He’s all about family.”
“Bray’s had it hard lately, what with Carla disappearing,” said Knox. “He probably just wanted to keep Roan calm so that he didn’t do anything else that would earn him a punishment from me.” That didn’t mean Knox could or would excuse Bray’s behavior.
“Well, his plan failed.”
Knox put his empty glass on the small table between them. “I don’t want to talk about him or anything else that could ruin the mood.”
“So I probably shouldn’t tell you that Lucian called me earlier, huh?” she said with a smile.
Knox’s demon snarled. “What did he want?”
“His emu died. He’s devastated.”
Emu? Knox’s demon rolled its eyes. “Is he coming back to Vegas any time soon?”
“No. It’ll probably be another few months before he does. Besides, he’s still sulking over my refusal to leave ‘that psychopathic bastard.’”
“He’s a waste of skin, Harper, and a sad excuse for a parent.” The only reason Knox hadn’t beat the shit out of him was that Lucian did actually care for her in his own way. She was the only person he had an attachment to, in fact.
“He’s not so bad.”
“You deserve a better father than he could ever be.”
“Your parents let you down, but you still cared for them right up until the end, right?”
“Hmm.” His parents hadn’t been biologically related to him, since his kind were born from the flames of hell, but they had cared for him. Loved him, even. They’d also fell victim to the lies and manipulation of a demon cult-like leader and failed to protect Knox from him.