Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
"Do you truly understand what it means," Etienne demanded, "being my woman?"
"Uh, yes?"
"Then why the hell are you still insisting on driving for me?" The distance between the driver's seat and the backseat might as well as be a fucking ocean, since it made touching her near impossible.
Spencer blinked in confusion. "But we already spoke about this," she couldn't help reminding him, "and we agreed—-"
"It was different then."
Her confusion grew. "How so?"
Damn if he knew, Etienne thought broodingly. All he knew was that the more he had of her body, the more he craved for it, and his hunger for her now was near insatiable. Pleasures of the flesh was the weakness he was born with, that was true, but it had never ruled him the way it did now. Could this be because he had drunk Spencer's sangferia, and that was why he was getting too attached to her?
Spencer started feeling uneasy when the silence inside the car suddenly turned tense and heavy. "If it really means that much—-"
"I've changed my mind," Etienne said abruptly.
She froze. Changed his mind? Did he mean he was going to dump her just because she wasn't yet ready for the world to know about them?
"Drop me off at the Brethren, and you can head back to the office after that." With his mind already fully engaged in determining the possibility of sangferia inducing behavioral changes, he failed to notice the way his earlier words had caused Spencer's face to lose color.
It was only when they made it to the Brethren and he had stepped out of the car that he realized belatedly how Spencer hadn't spoken at all in the last few minutes of the ride. But before he could ask her if there was anything wrong, the car had already sped off and left him frowning in its wake.
"PERFECT TIMING." KIERNAN was just about to leave for her lunch break when she saw her friend stepping out of the elevator. Since the other girl could have only spent the night out with a certain someone they both worked for, she was determined to get Spencer to share all the most exciting bits about dating a gorgous billionaire.
"Hey."
Spencer's wan tone had Kiernan halting in her tracks, and the look on her friend's face wasn't any better. Relationship trouble, already? Curling an arm around Spencer's, she said determinedly, "Come on. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that bad." But Kiernan also played it safe by crossing her fingers behind her. As a closet romantic, she liked to think that all relationships were worth salvaging as long as both partners were willing to work it out. On the other hand, she also knew men like Etienne Hirsche wouldn't ever need to play by the rules, so...
Fifteen minutes and one taco salad after, Kiernan was relieved to realize that what was weighing so heavily on Spencer's mind was not that different from what fictional couples typically had misunderstandings about in her favorite romance novels.
After casting a furtive look around to ensure that no one from the office was in the vicinity, she leaned across the table and motioned for Spencer to do the same. "First of all," she declared under her breath, "I think—-"
"Wait," Spencer whispered back. "Why are we talking like this?"
"Because you're dating someone famous now," Kiernan retorted, "and you can never be careful."
"Oh. Right." Ever since becoming Etienne's "woman" and having survived a vampire attack, she had spent most of her free time studying everything she could about Caros. She had been so focused on his Caro nature that she had forgotten about his other and more famous persona, which was as one of the world's most eligible bachelors.
Spencer flashed a Kiernan grateful smile. "I forgot about that, so thanks for the reminder."
Kiernan could see that her friend wasn't lying, but...really? For Spencer to have forgotten that she was dating a billionaire...
"Aww, Spence," she couldn't help gushing. "I never imagined you could be this in love."
"Um..." Where did that come from?"
"But it's all clear now," Kiernan went on sagely.
"It is?"
"Why you're being so unusually dense," her friend pointed out. "First of all, you need to stop worrying that Mr. H is going to dump you over something so trivial."
"But he said he changed his mind—-"
"It's his way of letting you know he's hurt," Kiernan told her, "and that he expects you to do something to make up for it."
"He didn't look hurt, though," Spencer couldn't help muttering.
"Well, duh. Do you really expect a man like him to show he's hurt?"
Spencer grimaced. "Touché."
"Also, I think you should give props to Mr. H for changing the status quo between you. Most guys in his position would rather hide the fact they're dating someone working from them."
Spencer nodded. "True."
"As for why he's hurt..." Kiernan's tone turned grave. "He probably interprets your refusal as a sign of mistrust, and that you don't believe your relationship would last—-"