Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Annika huffed. “You can’t just lock me up in your bedroom, Matteo.”
A wicked smile curled my lips. “Was that a challenge, dolcezza?”
“Um…no,” she answered hesitantly. Then she squirmed in her seat and breathlessly asked, “But what if it was?”
“Oh, dolcezza,” I crooned. “Then I’m up for it.”
The double entendre wasn’t lost on her.
9
ANNIKA
Being confined to the Hounds of Hellfire clubhouse should’ve been a punishment, except I spent most of the past two days in bed with Matteo. I couldn’t complain too much when he gave me more orgasms than I could count, fed me delicious food I didn’t have to cook, and talked me into taking plenty of naps so I was well-rested for our next round of sex. It was better than any vacation I’d ever taken, but I had reached the point where I missed being outside.
“Pretty please,” I begged, pressing my palms together while I widened my eyes with a pleading expression. “We don’t know that my accident was anything more than whoever hit me getting freaked out because they don’t have insurance, and that’s why they drove off. And the compound is surrounded by an electric fence. I’ll be perfectly safe if I go outside for a breath of fresh air.”
I loved how protective Matteo was over me. I didn’t feel suffocated by how he was because it had been so long since anyone looked out for me the way he did. Having someone in my life—besides Rachel—who truly cared meant the world to me.
“Shit.” He scrubbed his palm across his chinstrap beard and sighed. “I guess we can have lunch on one of the tables out back. We’re surrounded by woods on that side.”
“Like a picnic,” I squealed, clapping.
“Yeah, we can do that if that’s what you want, dolcezza.”
I bounced on my heels. “I do.”
Matteo and I headed into the kitchen to make sandwiches, grab a bag of chips, and pour ourselves a couple of drinks. Then we headed out back to the yard behind the addition to the clubhouse where King, Stella, and Cadell lived.
“Life is good.” The sun was shining, Matteo had me as close as I could be without sitting on his lap, and our lunch was simple but delicious.
He brushed a quick kiss against my lips. “I have no complaints.”
I took another bite of my turkey club. “Mmm.”
Matteo chuckled and wiped a bit of mayonnaise from the corner of my mouth, then licked it from his thumb. “Delicious.”
“Remind me to add extra to yours the next time we make sandwiches.” I bumped my shoulder against his.
He winked. “Tastes better when it comes from your sweet lips.”
“You say the nicest things.”
He grinned at me. “Only because you make it easy. Never been like this with anyone but you.”
That was another thing I appreciated about Matteo. He just put his feelings for me out there without trying to play any games. Which was great since I’d be at a huge disadvantage if he did.
I enjoyed the fresh air as we finished our meal. While we were cleaning up our mess, Matteo bent down to pick up a paper towel that had dropped on the ground. There was a loud, unfamiliar crack of noise, and then I felt a sharp sting on the fleshiest part of my arm.
I didn’t understand what was happening, but he quickly sprang into action, gently pulling me to the ground before rolling us under the table we’d just used for our picnic.
“What the heck was that?” I asked, reaching over with my good hand to touch the spot on my arm that was throbbing.
“Gunshot.”
My eyes widened at his one-word answer, and then I gasped when I looked down at my fingers and saw blood on them. “I think I might have been shot.”
“Fucking hell,” he growled, levering himself up enough to sweep his gaze over my body. A muscle jumped in his jaw as he spotted the blood on my arm.
“You can say that again,” I grumbled.
“It’s gonna be okay, baby,” he promised.
I flashed him a weak smile. “I know you’ll keep me safe.”
“Not sure I deserve your faith in me when I didn’t protect you.”
“This isn’t your fault,” I insisted. “If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I’m the one who talked you into having lunch out here.”
“Nobody should have ever been able to get to you. We’re on Hounds property, for fuck’s sake.”
Footsteps thundered on the ground, and then I saw boots surrounding the table. King bent down, and his face was only inches from mine. “You guys okay?”
“No, we’re not fucking okay. My woman was shot,” Matteo growled.
Ash called, “Nora’s inside. She can take a look at Annika once Kevlar and Rebel confirm that it’s safe.”
“Tell them to hurry the fuck up,” Matteo demanded, keeping his body over mine.
“They know what’s riding on their sweep of the woods,” King murmured. “Nobody’s gonna let that asshole get another shot at your woman.”