Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
A large hand touched my arm, and I screamed, jumping and almost dropping the knife.
“Jesus,” Oz hissed behind me, reaching around and taking the knife out of my hand. “You’re gonna slice off a finger or toe. What the hell are you doing?”
He was going to think I was a wacko. Maybe I was. I’d been saying I needed counseling for wanting the man who had abducted me to also make me orgasm, but I mean, if I showed the counselor a picture of him, she’d probably agree that was normal. This stalker thing was not normal. Things being moved around and appearing in my apartment were far from normal.
I pointed at the towel. “See that?” I asked.
“The towel?” he asked.
I nodded, already regretting bringing it up.
“Yes.” He said the word as if he was worried about me.
“I didn’t hang it there. At least I don’t remember it. I left it on the floor of my bedroom last night.” My voice was barely above a whisper in case someone was here and heard me. “I’ve never seen that bottle of wine in my life. We can’t drink it. Someone could have drugged it—whoever put it there. Or maybe Perry pissed off someone else and they can’t get to him in prison so they’re coming after me.” I paused, then took a deep breath because this one was the scarier scenario. “Or I have a stalker who can get into this apartment.” I dropped my voice. “I was checking the place for someone.”
Oz’s hand squeezed my arm, but not painfully. “That’s what the knife was for?”
I detected humor in his tone. I was right. He thought I was crazy.
“I needed a weapon, and I don’t own a gun.”
I felt his warm breath against my cheek, and my girlie parts decided to wake up and distract me.
“I do.” His deep voice made me close my eyes for a moment.
Whew, that was nice. It would feed my time alone tonight.
“Why didn’t you ask me to search the place for you?”
That question caught me off guard.
I frowned. “I don’t know. I just…I just handle things. I don’t think about asking for help.”
I was proud of that independence too.
I was alone most of the time. I didn’t need to learn to depend on someone. It wasn’t like Oz showed up often. The only other time, I couldn’t even remember why, unless it had just been to give me the sloth. Wait…why had he come here today?
I turned around, frowning up at him. “Why did you stop by this afternoon?” I asked.
He had seen me and immediately started asking what was wrong. But why had he come here to begin with?
An almost grin touched his lips. “I wanted to see you. I’ve thought of little else since Sunday.”
The excitement at that was probably not smart because although I did not think I was in danger of this man anymore, I also didn’t know if I could take being one of his one-nighters. If I got to actually experience sex with him, there was a good chance my emotions would get involved. I’d never had casual sex. But he sure did make me want to chance it.
“Until Saturday, you hadn’t seen me in eight weeks,” I told him, refraining from adding and one day to that.
He reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “I found that was difficult. It surprised me. But I forced myself to give you some time. After everything that had happened and was happening with your brother, I saw you Saturday, and that seemed to be the limit on how long I was going to be able to leave you alone.”
Not once in all my many fantasies about this man was that what I’d thought he would say.
“You,” I said carefully, “wanted to see me? Again?”
I had not gotten the vibe at all. He’d never once acted as if he was interested in me that way.
Was this what players did? Tell a girl what she wanted to hear, and the gullible female fell for it, legs wide open, and then he walked away when he was done?
“When I tucked you in your bed and left you here”—he paused, then gave me a wicked grin—“that deserved a fucking award. What I had wanted to do was crawl in there with you.” He leaned down so close but hovered there.
My heart was going wild. He’d carried me to bed that night? He was the one who took off my shoes and pants? Not me. I’d gone all that time, having no idea. I felt robbed. That was something I’d have liked to know.
“If I kiss you right now, I’ll end up fucking you.” His voice was a dark warning. “And tonight, that’s not what you need. So, come on,” he said, straightening and taking my hand. “Let’s go get the wine open, and I’ll order Mexican.”