Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
She nodded, her eyes shining with tears. “Yes. He’s at the law firm that moved in last year.”
Over the years they’d had several law firms rent floors in the building. His uncle often ran them off. “Yeah, I bet he won’t have a job soon.”
“It was one date, Kyle. One. I don’t get it. We didn’t get along. At least I thought we didn’t. We have nothing in common. He said he liked games, but he was talking about sports. I listened to him talk about the Cowboys for four hours then he was surprised when I didn’t invite him back to my place and he started blowing up my phone with texts.”
He hated seeing her so scared, hated the fact that he hadn’t been there.
He thought about this woman far too much for his own good. He wouldn’t be here in six months or so. He would be back to work at his real job, and she would be…
Likely with someone else. She was a sweet sub looking for a Dom to top her, and he couldn’t do that.
“And it wasn’t like I didn’t vet him,” MaeBe continued.
He let her hand go but took the keys from her. “I’ll take you home.”
“But then how will you…”
Kyle sighed. “I won’t. I’ll sleep on your couch tonight. Someone is going to be walking you up to the office for a while. I don’t like the idea of you going through the parking garage by yourself if he’s still around. Now get in and tell me how thoroughly you vetted him.”
She stopped, chin turning up so she looked him right in the eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, that tells me you probably weren’t thorough at all, and that’s a whole other lecture.”
Her head shook slightly. “I mean you coming home with me.”
“Because you don’t trust me? Mae, I would never hurt you.”
“You would never mean to,” she corrected.
He was confused. “I’m trying to look out for you. I believe this guy will go away once he realizes you’re protected, but he could also make some bad life decisions because some guys are assholes like that. Some people can’t handle rejection.”
Don’t think this is over, Kyle. You’re mine, and that won’t ever change. Not even if you try to kill me.
His stomach rolled.
“I wasn’t worried about the lawyer,” she admitted. “I was never invested in him. Like I said it was one date, and I go on a lot of first dates. And I’m not worried that you would try to sneak into my bed if you stayed the night with me. I am worried that I might try to sneak into yours.”
Fuck. His cock had gone hard. Like from nothing to ready to fuck in two point five seconds.
Oddly, it made him want to step back, to take all the words he’d said and find a way to unsay them because this was too deep for him.
She was the one who moved away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You didn’t offend me.” He wasn’t ready for her. He might never be ready for her. Up until this moment he’d thought she was a way to pass time. Not with her, of course. He was toxic and didn’t have anything more than a night to give her. But what if she wanted that night? What if she wanted him enough that she would take the risk if she fully understood what the risk was? “MaeBe, I’m never going to be able to love you the way you should be loved. I’m not that guy. I’m not going to stay in this job for more than another couple of months. I hope you won’t tell my uncle I said that, but you should know the truth. The military…not the military…things that happened to me while I was in the military fucked me up, and I’m not good for you. But I might be good for you in bed if that’s all you want.”
She chuckled, but the sound wasn’t even close to amused. One hand wiped across her eyes. “Are you offering to be my booty call, Kyle?”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “No. I was offering to spend time with you, but you would have to understand that it would only be sex. You said you wanted to climb into bed with me. Well, I want that with you, too. I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you.”
Not even the one he’d killed.
She sighed, a weary sound. “I want you, too. But I like myself, and I don’t know that I would if I ignored all the red flags and threw myself into a storm I’m not ready for. Thank you for the warning. I truly do appreciate it. I think I’ll take it and we can stay friendly.”