Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
I find my answer when I reach the elevator, but I am unable to use it. There isn't a button but a screen that lights up with a digital keypad.
“The dining room is this way.” Francis says.
“Holy crap!” I jump. “Stop sneaking up on me.”
“If anyone is sneaking around, I believe that would be you,” he accuses.
“This is a fire hazard.” I point my thumb over my shoulder toward the elevator. “I bet it doesn’t meet the building code.”
“I assure you, if there is a fire, you’ll get out safely,” Francis says and steps back. He motions with his hand for me to come with him. “Now breakfast.” Does he really think I’ll eat anything he gives me? Who knows what else they’ll put in it?
“I’m not eating your food!” I say angrily and stomp past him.
There has to be stairs around here. Or, better yet, a phone. I’m pretty sure landlines aren’t a thing anymore. Francis doesn’t follow me. In fact, no one does.
A spark of excitement fills me when I walk through a door and see that it’s not the dining room but a library. My escape plan is going on hold for a second.
“Holy crap,” I say in awe as I look at the space.
Shelves of books line every inch of the walls that go up over thirty feet. There's even a ladder on tracks to reach the highest ones. I run my fingers across the books, not sure where to start. This place is like a dream. Then I see a desk and rush over to it, hoping to find a phone.
“Looking for something?”
My head pops up from where I’m searching a drawer to see Vitaly standing nearby. Why is everyone so damn quiet when they walk? It’s starting to scare me.
“I’m just nosy.” I shrug and close the drawer.
We stare at each other for a long moment, and then I’m the one to break it. Damn it. I can’t win anything with this man. Not even a stupid staring contrast.
“I was told you won’t eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” I say.
Vitaly strides across the library until he's right in front of me. “I don’t like liars.”
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. You already”—I make air quotes with my fingers—“ruined me.” I glare up at his handsome face. “So what else is there to do?” I shrug, doing my best to pretend I’m not afraid of him.
Or turned on.
“Trust me, little one.” He leans down, his mouth almost touching mine. “There are many things I could still do to ruin you.”
It’s not hard for me to believe he’s telling the truth.
Chapter Eight
VITALY
My lips are so close to hers I can feel her soft breath against my mouth. I want to kiss her. Hell, I want to bend her over this desk and fuck her into submission. But instead of doing any of that, I gently grab her upper arm and lead her out of the library.
“You’ll have breakfast with me,” I tell her.
“I said I’m not hungry.”
Before we enter the dining room, I stop abruptly and turn her to face me. “Do you know what I do when one of my men defies me?”
“Let me guess, you give them a time out?” She purses her lips, and they tempt me more than ever.
“Your mouth is going to get you in trouble.”
“It usually does.” She narrows her eyes at me as I let out a frustrated sound.
No one defies me like this, and I’m not used to being this worked up. When I tell someone to do something, it’s done, end of discussion. Pru fights me at every turn, and it’s driving me crazy. I can’t get any work done because I keep getting distracted.
“I’m not asking, Pru,” I say and point to the dining table. “You will sit down and eat breakfast with me, and then you can snoop over every inch of this house if you want.”
“Oh.” She blinks in surprise like I wouldn’t let her go wherever she wanted.
Maybe it’s a mistake to let her run free in the penthouse, but I’ve got nothing to hide.
“But first,” I say and pull her close to me. She gasps as I bend down and brush my lips over hers. The arm I’ve got across her back tightens as my other goes to her waist. The kiss is brief, but the touch she leaves against my lips is scalding. “I think you have something that belongs to me.”
My fingers dip in the waistband of her leggings, and I pull out the gun. Her eyes widen as I place it on the table beside us and then release her.
“Dang it,” she whispers as I lead her into the dining room.
I pull out the chair next to mine and place her in it. She sits with a huff and then scowls up at me as I grab her napkin and drape it across her lap.