Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
We walked up the ramp.
Our men circled the station, creating a perimeter that was fifty feet away.
Harlem continued to play in the sand, rolling around and playfully snatching at some of our men's pants.
Emily remained on the platform and leaned against the ramp.
I hugged her from behind and inhaled her lovely scent. “Do you want to sit down?”
“The chairs are inside and it's locked.”
“Again. You're with the Lion.” I left her, took off my robe, and wrapped it around my arms.
She turned around. “Really, Kaz?”
“Really.” I slammed my arms into the glass door. It shattered instantly, breaking into thousands of shards that fell to the floor.
I unfolded the robe, stretched it out, and lay it over the pile of glass.
Smirking, she pulled off her robe, walked over, and also placed the garment over the glass covered path too. “That's breaking and entering.”
I smirked. “Is it?”
“It is.”
“Am I going to jail?”
“You sure are.”
“Will you help break me out?”
“I wouldn't be me, if I said no.” She slowly walked over the robes. “Be careful, Kaz. I don't want you to cut your feet.”
“A lion's feet don't cut.”
She let out a loud groan and went to the tiny desk at the edge of the room.
“They don't, mysh.”
She hopped onto the desk and sat on it. “I can't with you.”
“You can and you will all night long.” I stalked over to her. “How are you feeling now?”
“Much better.”
I stood in front of her. “Are you hungry? I can have some food brought to us.”
“To the lifeguard station we just broke into?”
“Of course.”
She chuckled. “We are paying the city for the damages? Right?”
I sighed. “Yes, mysh.”
“I'm just saying.”
Her heart is too big.
Smiling, I kissed her.
She closed her eyes and tilted her face up to me, giving me more access to that sweet mouth.
I pulled away, touched her neck, and traced my fingers down to her collarbone. “You didn't answer me.”
“I'm a little hungry.”
"Okay." I left her, went over to the glass window, and tapped it.
Two men rushed up the lifeguard station's ramp and then stood near the doorway. Glass crunched under their shoes.
I turned to them. "Wake up the hotel's chef. My mouse and baby are hungry."
One nodded. "Should I bring a menu?"
"Have the chef make everything."
Emily chuckled. "We are not doing that, Kaz. A simple plate of eggs and toast is fine."
I hit the men with an intense gaze. "Everything."
They nodded and rushed away.
"Kaz, seriously? That's ridiculous. We're not going to have the chef—"
"We are and we will." I looked at her.
"Whatever we don't eat, we give to your men and—"
"I have asked you to stop caring so much about our people."
"I can't help it."
"Your only focus should be on me."
She grinned. "Is that correct?"
"Yes."
She licked her lips. "I can do that."
"Can you?"
The smirk left. Pain filled her eyes. "I love you so much, Kaz."
My body warmed. "And I love you too."
"Come here, baby."
I gave her a devilish grin. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want.”
“You need me to knock the edge off?”
She chuckled.
My cock jerked in my pants. “Do you?”
“Yes, and fair warning, it is a whole lot of edge to knock off. Tons of edge.”
I prowled Emily's way and stopped right in front of her. “It's not.”
“Kaz. . .” She widened her eyes. “I'm fucking crazy.”
“But, we already knew that.”
“Not to this level.”
“What are levels to the Lion and the Mouse?”
Her expression softened.
I leaned in and tenderly nibbled on her ear. “Lucky for you, I am very eager to knock, slam, and pound any worries away.”
She bit her bottom lip.
Desire burned through me.
“Hmmm.” I stepped several feet back. My cock bulged in my pajama pants.
“Come back.”
“Take off the gown.”
“Take if off for me.”
“If I do it, you will not have anything to wear on the walk back.”
Chapter 9
Lifeline
Kazimir
In the darkness of the lifeguard station, moonlight spread in glowing ripples on the walls, blurring into streaks and creating a spider web of dark and light within the room.
Silent, I remained several feet from my mouse, needing to restrain myself, hoping to remain calm.
Instead of sleeping this evening, my thoughts had wandered through her pain, her suffering, her unbearably traumatic childhood.
With it, an unwavering sense of protection pulsed within my body, heart, and soul.
But something else did too—a deep sadness welled up within me and a profound empathy and. . .compassion. All of it flowed through my body like a warm ocean current sifting through the rocky sand and softening it into something else entirely.
Tonight, I'd turned into a different man.
Always, Emily made me feel in new ways, just from looking at the reflection of her soul, her strength, her utter will to survive in this cruel world.
Always, she was constantly changing me, melting away the coldness within the Lion.
Even now—with the space between us—my arms ached to hold her, comfort her, heal her all at once by mending every damned wound, every traumatic cell.