Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Her eyes flick to the phone. “Could we at least let my mom know I’m okay? Without mentioning any suspicions, I mean.”
The urge to protect her is as strong as ever, but I also need to protect her mother. I chew on my lip, weighing the risks. “I still think we should wait,” I say gently. “At least until Dean finishes looking into Charles. If we contact your mom and he’s monitoring her phone or her messages, it could give away our location. I can’t let that happen.”
Her face falls, and guilt claws at me. But she nods, accepting the logic. “I just hate that she’s in the dark. She’s probably worried sick.”
I reach across the table and cover her hand with mine. “I know. As soon as it’s safe, we’ll figure out a way to let her know you’re okay. But we can’t risk Charles intercepting that call.” My thumb strokes the back of her hand, trying to offer some reassurance. “Trust me. We’ll do this the right way.”
She squeezes my fingers in return, her eyes glistening. “Okay,” she whispers, sounding a little defeated. “Thank you, Boone. For…everything.”
I want to say more, but the words get tangled in my throat. Instead, I give her hand another reassuring squeeze and then clear my throat, turning my attention back to the food. “We should eat before it gets cold. You worked hard on that omelet.”
A flicker of a smile crosses her lips. “Yeah, I did.” She picks up her fork again, taking a small bite.
We lapse into a heavy silence as we eat. The omelet is actually really good—she wasn’t bragging when she said she’s a great cook. But neither of us seems to have much appetite now. Every forkful is forced, the tension pressing in on us like a weight.
Eventually, I push my plate away, half-finished. “I guess we just wait to hear more from Dean,” I say quietly. “In the meantime, we stick to the plan: stay here, stay hidden, stay safe.”
She nods, her eyes dropping to the table. “Yeah. Stay safe,” she echoes, like she’s trying to convince herself it’s possible.
I stand up and start gathering the dishes. A feeling of helplessness swamps me. I hate that we’re stuck in this limbo, depending on other people to uncover the truth. But if Charles is behind this, we need real proof to confront him—or to protect Aubree’s mom from a dangerously desperate man.
As I rinse the plates in the small sink, I hear Aubree move behind me. She slides her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek to my back. The quiet gesture surprises me, but I relax into it, letting the moment soothe some of the tension.
“Thank you,” she repeats, voice muffled against my shirt.
I turn in her arms, resting my hands on her hips. “I promised to keep you safe,” I remind her. “That doesn’t stop at just physical threats. If Charles is involved, I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you or your mom. One way or another.”
She looks up at me, eyes brimming with gratitude—and a lingering sadness. “I believe you,” she says.
I nod, wishing I could do more than offer hollow promises. We stand there, locked in a wordless embrace, the faint sound of wind rattling the windows. No matter how chaotic things get, I’m determined to protect her. Even if that means tearing down her stepfather’s schemes to do it.
Eventually, we pull apart, and I give her a small smile, trying to ease the knot in my chest. With every new piece of information, the puzzle gets darker. But one thing’s certain: we won’t get blindsided by Charles or anyone else. Not on my watch.
I glance at her one last time before flipping off the kitchen light. She meets my gaze, and I pull her closer. “I don’t want you to think about any of this right now, okay?”
She nods, her beautiful, big eyes meeting mine. “Okay.” She smiles softly, and I have to fucking kiss her or I’ll die right here.
I lean in, capturing her lips with mine. “I’m going to take your mind off everything.” Together we move into the bedroom and I lean in to press my body against hers. She smells incredible. Good enough to eat… again.
She smiles up at me, gazing at me from under her long lashes. “I’m ready for my dessert,” she whispers in the sultriest voice I’ve ever heard.
My cock goes from semi to full on hard as steel. “I was kidding when I said that. I’d never…” my words die on my lips once she sinks to her knees.
Fuck me.
“Bree, baby. You don’t need…”
She shushes me as she lowers my gray sweatpants. My cock’s already hard as a rock, and she licks her lips. “I’ll never get used to the size of you.” She blinks up at me, and she looks so good down there, about to suck my dick into her mouth.