Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27475 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27475 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
TORIN
The relentless Maine wind assaults my face as I bury my hands in the pockets of my wool overcoat.
“Gavno!” I spit and scold myself for making this so difficult. I grew up here! Why didn’t I think ahead? I’m about two miles into my ten-mile hike when I hear a commotion up ahead.
At first, it sounds like some drunken local boys fighting. Then, I hear it. A woman’s voice echoes on the whipping wind. I speed up until I’m practically running and see her under the streetlight. She’s a tiny thing with long, blonde hair tucked under a bright, blue hat, and she’s frantically fighting against two large men who are laughing and putting their hands on her.
Fuck no, not on my watch.
In the blink of an eye, I’m on them. My elbow comes down on the neck of the closest man, and he drops to his knees. The second turns and tries to throw a punch, but I block it and deliver two of my own. I push him against the parked car and pummel his face with rage-fueled punches until I feel the other man grab the back of my coat. I pause just long enough to slam the back of my head into his face and hear him cry out, “You broke my nose.”
Back to the other man. He manages to take three more blows to the body before toppling over in a puddle of his own making. With the threat contained, I turn my attention to the girl. I open my mouth to speak, but the words won’t come out. I’m looking at a fucking angel and it’s left me speechless.
I see the fear and concern on her face as I commit every perfect inch of her to my memory, but I still can’t help myself. Despite the cold, my palms are sweaty and my body temperature starts to rise. That’s not all that’s rising as my entire blood supply seems to be rushing to my crotch.
In my line of work, women practically take their clothes off just to get my attention but none of them have ever gotten this kind of a rise out of me.
What the hell is it? Do I know her? She’s too young to be someone from my past. Yet, she feels familiar. She feels like home. Like the feeling you get when you’re a kid and you see the packages under the Christmas tree. You’re excited because you know there’s something great inside that beautiful wrapping. Whatever this is, it’s got me wanting to just pluck her up and carry her off somewhere to live happily ever after.
I want to just blurt out that she’s the most beautiful girl in the world and that I’m going to take care of her now, but the look of concern on her face is growing. I mean, it’s probably not every day that a beast like me comes up on you. At six-foot-five, I tower over her and my arms are bigger than her head. I need to say something, but what comes to mind might scare her even more. So I hold my hands up and ask, “Are you alright, sweetheart? Did they hurt you?”
Until now, she’s tried her best to look unshaken, but when I break the silence, she breaks down. Tears stain her pretty face and her shoulders heave. I step forward and almost pull her to my chest, but her body stiffens when I move so I draw back. Still, the compulsion to touch her is all-consuming. As crazy as it sounds, maybe I just need to make sure she’s real. No woman has ever had this kind of effect on me before, and I wonder if she’s just a figment of my imagination.
“It’s alright, darlin’. I’m here now. Nobody’s gonna hurt you, I swear.” I reach out and rest my hands on her shoulders, checking her for any cuts or bruises. Then, I lift her chin for a closer look at her face. Her big blue eyes sparkle in the light and the sight of them makes me lose my breath.
She doesn’t appear injured and that’s good. If there was a scratch on her face, I’d kill both of these assholes. Jesus, I got so wrapped up in planning my future with this girl I forgot all about them. By the time I look for them, they’re limping down the street away from us. I can chase them down in a heartbeat, but I don’t want to leave her. Besides, it’s probably not a good idea to call the police when I’m trying to keep a low profile.
“I’m sorry. No, they didn’t hurt me. They just scared me. If you hadn’t come along, they would have…oh god…they would have…”
“Hush now, little girl. There’s no reason to think about what they might have done. They didn’t and they won’t. You’re safe with me.”