Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“Go for it. Thank you for going above and beyond.”
Jamie works for me around the clock when I’m on tour, doing press for an album, or recording, so I try to give her as much time off as I can when I’m in my writing cave.
It’s really the only vacation she gets, and even then, she’s on call. Like if I need egg whites or a suit dry-cleaned. I try to make it a point not to annoy her so she can enjoy her time off, though.
Iris hands me the suit.
“When do we have to leave?” I ask.
“Go shower and get dressed. I’ll make you breakfast,” Brix says.
“Let me guess. Breakfast burrito. So delicious.”
Iris and Gideon both hide smiles as Brix simply stares at me.
“Breakfast burrito is fine,” I mutter and turn on my heel.
As I leave the room, I hear Gideon ask, “Is Brix magic? Harley never backs down that easily.”
Hmm, yeah, let’s go with magic. It’s not that he’s so fuckable I can barely control myself around him now I’ve had a taste. Nope.
And I don’t think about that while I’m in the shower. I don’t imagine Brix’s giant cock in my mouth or him coming all over my skin.
Not. At. All.
After I don’t orgasm while thinking of him, I get out and change into my crisp white shirt and royal blue suit that make my dull bluish-gray eyes a little brighter.
All heads turn in my direction as I make my way back to the kitchen to find my breakfast waiting for me. With a bite taken out of it.
“Question,” Gideon says. “Why did Brix cook you breakfast and then eat some of it?”
We laugh.
“I might’ve given Brix a list of protocols he needs to follow as a joke, and even though I’ve told him he can stop, he refuses to.”
Gideon doesn’t even question the insanity.
By the time I’ve eaten and we’re ready to head out, I’ve calmed a bit, but the anxiety comes back when we all get into the car. Gideon sits up front with the driver, and I’m sandwiched between Brix and Iris much like I was in the desert.
Those first few days after the break-in, I was rattled, but since Brix has been looking after me, I haven’t actually given the guy much thought.
Now, though, in my head, he’s about seven feet tall and three hundred pounds of muscle. I’m sure he wasn’t that big, but my mind has turned him into this Goliath of a man.
For the first time in my life, I’m thankful for LA traffic and silently hopeful we’ll be too late for the hearing.
We’re not that lucky.
Not only do we make it on time, we’re there early enough to find the guy waiting outside the courtroom with his lawyer.
Yep, definitely not Goliath-sized. Actually, he might even be shorter than me. Not by much, but still.
My mouth dries, and my throat gets scratchy.
I falter in my steps and pause. Gideon’s on one side of me, Brix on the other, and Iris is at my back. Yet I don’t feel any safer.
The guy may be smaller than I remember and may look harmless, but the helplessness that had me frozen that night has me unwilling to take another step.
“You got this,” Brix says.
No, I don’t got this. I try to open my mouth, but it’s too dry. Swallowing hurts.
“Restroom,” I croak.
“This way.” Brix takes my arm and gently leads me toward the bathrooms. “Wait here.” He leaves me with Iris outside the men’s room and reappears ten seconds later. He leans in close and smiles. “All clear.”
I appreciate the running joke, but I can’t bring myself to laugh at it right now.
Brix turns to Iris. “Don’t let anyone in.”
Iris does as he’s told and blocks the door as soon as we’re through it.
I pace the small area, trying to get all this excess nervous energy out.
Brix casually leans against the counter where the sinks are. “Breathe, Pop Star.”
It doesn’t work. I keep pacing.
“Who is he?”
My gaze snaps to his. “Who?”
“William ‘Billy’ Webber. Who is he?”
“He’s the guy who broke in. You know that.”
Brix shakes his head. “Nope. Well, yeah, he is, but that’s not all he is. He’s twenty-one. Goes to UCLA. Works part-time at Rent A Geek. His parents are divorced, he has a dog named Waffles, and he may or may not run a fan site that speculates about Harley Valentine from Eleven being gay where he notes every single instance of ‘gay’ behavior. He’s also convinced you and Ryder were in love at one point and started the hashtag trend Ryley4ever.”
I finally have the ability to stop my legs from pacing. “How do you know all this?”
He folds his arms, and his biceps flexing is enough of a distraction to keep me from going back to freaking out. “It’s my job to protect you. You didn’t think I’d research the guy who made you need protection in the first place?”