Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
“Do you have a problem?” she demands of a couple walking by.
The snooty woman huffs. “You don’t have to flaunt it.”
“Flaunt what?” I growl.
Her husband has the sense to start pulling the woman away.
“That,” the woman says, waving a manicured hand at us. “The sugar daddy nonsense.”
Anger boils in my gut, but it’s Lauren who blows a gasket first.
“How in the hell is this any of your business, lady?” Lauren bellows. “I swear to God people like you are what’s wrong with the world today. Maybe you should be more concerned over the fact your husband’s eyes haven’t left my cleavage the whole time we’ve been here!”
The woman gapes at her and then smacks her husband. I take my cue to grab the girl and go. Lauren curses as I all but drag her toward the restaurant away from the couple. Once we’re outside the restaurant, I stop and place my hands on her shoulders.
“Calm down,” I state, leaning my forehead against hers.
“Calm down? These assholes need to get a fucking life.” Her face is red and her chest heaves with her furious rant.
I caress her cheek and kiss her softly, hoping to quell the rage. It works because she relaxes and gives in to the kiss.
“You ready to eat?” I ask, my lips grazing hers.
“Yeah,” she grumbles. “I didn’t mean to explode. They just kept staring at us like we’re some kind of freak show. You don’t look that old and I’m freaking eighteen. It’s stupid. I wanted to slap the looks off every single face that walked by.”
“I should have warned you,” I say, pulling away.
“That everyone’s an asshole?”
“Well, that too.” I chuckle and tuck a golden strand of hair behind her ear. “Morris warned me that being with a much younger woman would come at a price.” I motion from the way we came. “Stares. Disgust.”
“Fuck them,” she growls.
“I agree, angel. I’m sorry they’re looking at us like we’re doing something wrong.”
“We’re not doing anything wrong.” The haughtiness in her tone makes me smile.
“Nothing wrong at all.” I wink at her. “All the wrong stuff we’ll save for later when I have you in my bed.”
“It’s breathtaking up here,” Lauren says, the grin never leaving her face.
Morris did me a solid by suggesting this place. The rooftop dining has a charming but trendy feel to it. The view is amazing and our timing is perfect with the sun beginning to set. But it’s the view right in front of me that steals the show.
Fuck, she’s so gorgeous.
There’s an innocence to her that has the inner beast inside me craving to defile and mark and own. But that innocence also begs me to protect and nurture. The innocence gets long forgotten each time her sweet laugh dances through the air or the way her pink lips pout when she’s unhappy about something. I’m fixated on the pale column of her throat that would look good painted red from my mouth and scruff. The valley between her breasts, though, is what calls to my dick. A light sheen of sweat glistens there and I’d give up my car just to run my tongue there, lapping at her salty sweetness.
“I’m not on the menu,” she teases, her brown eyes alight with mischief as she watches me.
“Not yet. Later.”
I’m still admiring her when a man approaches our table. Much younger. He seems familiar, though I can’t place him.
“Dr. Venable?” he asks, sticking out his hand for me to shake.
I return the gesture to shake his hand. “That I am. I feel like I know you.”
“Aiden,” he says with a wide grin. “I broke my wrist a while back. You were the ER doctor on duty.”
“Ahhh, Aiden with the broody twin? Right?”
He laughs. “That’s us. So cool to have you here. Although, I was warned. Vaughn told me you’d be here for dinner and to save the best seat for you.”
“You work here?” I ask.
“Own it along with my partners.” He gives me a devilish wink that I’m unsure how to interpret. “What can I get you two lovebirds?”
“A bottle of your house wine will be great to start,” I say with a smile. “And your best appetizer.”
“I’m afraid I’ll need to see some ID.” His features grow stern. Then, he starts to laugh. “Man, I couldn’t even say that with a straight face. You guys are cool. Don’t tell anyone you’re getting special treatment.”
He saunters off and I meet Lauren’s amused stare.
“Fancy doctor gets spoiled around here,” she teases.
“Yeah, yeah,” I grunt out.
“So what made you decide to be a doctor?” She sips on her water as she stares off in the sunset. I could stare at her delicate, feminine profile forever.
“Oh God,” I groan. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“Now I really need to know.”
“I was in college, living my best life, when my roommate Dale got me hooked on this new show called ER. I didn’t even want to watch the show, but he lured me in by name dropping Michael Crichton as the creator of the show. Since I was already a fan of his work, I sat down with Dale and quickly got hooked on it.” I rub at my neck and chuckle. “All the guys our age were living the typical bachelor college life, but not Dale and me. We both brainstormed on changing our majors from business to medicine.”