Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
She shuddered, taking a deep breath, and I leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I like the back roads, the ones that few people travel. I like to find unexpected places, and I often do.” I pulled back a little, a lopsided smile lifting a corner of my mouth. She smelled so good.
“I usually end up in a small town where everyone knows everyone else.” I grinned. “You’d be surprised at how many people you get to know when you’re on a motorcycle. I once found the best apple pie I’ve ever tasted on a trip like that.” My mouth watered just thinking about it. Or maybe it was because of Serenity. “I’d like to go back there sometime.”
She gazed at me, like she was a little dazed. “That sounds amazing.”
I tilted my head, leaning in a little closer. “And what about you? Tell me a secret. What’s something you’ve always wanted to do?”
The music thrummed rhythmically, almost hypnotically as I gazed into Serenity’s gorgeous blue eyes, now shadowed mysteriously in the dim room.
She bit her lower lip, hesitantly, before finally blurting, “I’ve wanted to be a PI since I was a kid.”
I blinked. “And that’s a secret? Why?”
“Well…” She shrugged. “It’s not a secret I kept from my family, but I stopped telling people after I turned eleven.” She bit her lips again, making me want to bend down and taste them.
“Okay… and what made you want to be a PI?”
“Oh… well… I love to read, and mystery is my favorite genre. Solving cases and putting the bad guys away just seemed so… noble. And, if I’m honest… a little romantic. But I love the challenge of figuring things out, you know?”
Her eyes shone with determination, and, in that moment, I would’ve agreed with anything she said. “I can see that. So now you’re a PI. How long have you been one?” I knew several investigators, but I’d never heard of her.
“It’s a recent development.” She blushed again. “It took over two years, but that was because I had to work full-time. Then there was the accident… and I got waylaid.”
My stomach turned ice cold, and I stopped moving. “You were in an accident? What happened?”
She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but from the pain in her eyes, I knew it was all an act. “Car accident. They ran a red light and plowed right into me. I was pinned in the seat and nearly bled out before they got me out of there. It gave me nightmares for a while.”
“Holy shit. That’s awful. But—you’re okay now?” I studied her face, resisting the urge to check her for non-existent injuries.
“Yes.” She swayed to the music, pulling me with her. “I’m fully recovered… for the most part.”
“For the most part?” What did that mean? Before she could answer, the music changed to a loud, boisterous song, and everyone started going wild on the dance floor.
Her face brightened. “Oh! I love this song!” She began to move to the beat, taking my hand to follow her lead. I moved with her like she’d cast a spell over me. The sheer joy on her face reminded me of that photo of her niece, and warmth filled my chest. Laughing, I let go and enjoyed the moment.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d abandoned my hardened persona. But with her, it was easy. My awareness of everyone around us never faded, but I couldn’t help grinning every time she laughed. I caught sight of one of the waiters staring at me with his mouth open, and I chuckled.
As we continued dancing, touching her became easy, almost like it was second-nature. She kept touching me as well and I welcomed it, each tingling caress muffling the alarm bells going off in my head.
A magnetic pulse drew me to her, and my body responded like we were meant to be together. The pull was too strong to resist, so I gave in and rode the wave into the perfect storm. I reveled in her touch and the dark desire in her eyes. Gazing at one another, we swayed in time with the beat, slowing as the song changed to one of love and longing. I couldn’t look away to save my life.
A flush stained her cheeks, and her lips parted. They were close enough to taste, but before I could lean in and kiss her, movement caught my eye. As a man reached for her, I pulled her away.
“Serenity?” He scowled, looking her up and down. Serenity’s face filled with shock. “What the hell are you doing here?” He shifted his glare to me. “Who the hell do you think you are? Get away from my wife.”
“Wife?” My stomach dropped. She was married?
“I’m not your wife anymore.” Serenity’s hands balled into fists, her glare fierce.