Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Brody wasn’t an aggressive kisser. He was soft, almost tentative. But it was like a balm to her ravaged soul.
What she needed right now was sweet and tentative.
Definitely not commanding and assertive. Dominant.
Nope, she didn’t need those things.
The banging on the front door gave her a fright. She rushed over to check the screen only to see Jake standing there.
What did he want? Was he here?
Was it her allure?
Urgh you don’t have allure, idiot.
“Girl? You in there?”
Swallowing heavily, she debated about whether to pretend she wasn’t home. But what if Mrs. Ellison needed something? Jake might be intimidating, but Mrs. Ellison was sweet.
So she opened the door, staring up at him. He was wearing a leather jacket and motorcycle boots and his hair was tied back.
“Girl,” he said gruffly. “Was starting to think you weren’t home.”
She opened her mouth and nothing came out.
So. Embarrassing.
“I’ve got to leave town again. Got a big job. Client wants me urgently.” He eyed her curiously. Why was he looking at her like that? “Wanted to tell you so you can watch Mrs. E for me. She’s getting older. Needs more help.”
She nodded. Of course.
And still, she had no words.
“You be careful, girl. Know you’re protected, but still, there are sharks out there. Got to go. Job’s urgent and I won’t be back for a long time. The pay was too big to turn down.”
He walked off, whistling. She wanted to ask what he meant by sharks. But no words would come.
And maybe she was better off not knowing.
12
Brody entered his apartment, looking at the time on his Batman watch.
Okay, he’d quickly tidy up, then text Autumn. While she was driving over, he could shower and change.
He looked around his living room with a grimace. Urgh, why did he never put anything away? Walking around, he gathered up bits of clothing and shoved them in the washing machine.
Wait. What if she wanted to stay the night?
Shoot. He better change the sheets on his bed. He went red at the thought of her staying over. Sleeping next to her last night had been a delicious torture. When he’d woken up, he’d had a raging hard-on. He’d been relieved that she’d already gotten out of bed so he didn’t have to try and hide it.
Although had she seen it before she’d left the bed?
Oh no, he hadn’t scared her off, had he?
Idiot.
It wasn’t as though he could help it, but he still felt awful that she might have felt uncomfortable.
He knew he had to go slow with her. She’d been assaulted. He wasn’t certain whether sex was something she ever wanted to experience again.
Because she won’t talk to me.
He sighed.
He had to figure out how to help her. That was his job as her boyfriend.
Not an easy task when he struggled to take care of himself.
Deciding he needed a drink before he tackled the rest of the tidying up, he moved into the kitchen.
Moving to the fridge, he opened it, smiling as he remembered her attacking a juice box the first day he’d met her. She was so cute.
Pulling out the bottle of juice, he shut the door before screaming as he saw a man standing next to the fridge. Stumbling back, he hit the counter behind him in the small galley kitchen.
“Who . . . who are you?” Panic filled him as he studied the man. He had short brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard. “What do you want? Why are you in my apartment?”
Ink was always telling him that he needed to learn how to defend himself, but why would a tech guy need to know how to take down an attacker or fire a gun?
This is why! Idiot!
“Can’t you guess?” the other man said in a low voice. He stalked toward him, resting his hands on the counter on either side of Brody, caging him in.
Okay, it was hugely inappropriate to get turned on right now. There was a strange man in his kitchen! Someone who had broken into his apartment. How long had he been here?
“How did you get past my alarm?”
The other man clicked his tongue as he stared down at him. There was nothing particularly remarkable about his face, and yet . . .
There was also something mesmerizing about it. Brody stared up at him, swallowing heavily.
Things were finally going well for him, and now he was going to get murdered in his own apartment.
That just sucked.
“I’m dead,” he said hoarsely.
“I’m not going to kill you.”
He breathed out a sigh of relief.
“I have some questions I want answered first. Answer them correctly, and I’ll let you live.”
“And if I don’t, you’ll kill me.”
“Hmm or maybe I’ll just kidnap you, lock you up in my den, and keep you there. Better?”
“Oh, definitely,” Brody said sarcastically.
“Good.” The other man smiled back as though he hadn’t caught the sarcasm in his voice. Maybe he hadn’t.