Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 100680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
“Maxim, it’s okay,” she whispered.
“It’s not okay, baby. No one talks to you like that. And you thinking that it’s okay, that’s also not all right with me. You should expect to be treated with respect. All the time. And if anyone doesn’t give you the respect you deserve, you’ll come to me, understand?”
To his shock, tears filled her eyes. He heard the doctor thump out of the room, but his attention was only for her.
“I love you, Maxim Malone.”
Thank fuck.
There she was. His Rainbow. His bright spot on a dull day.
“That’s good because I love you too, Aston Symonds.”
And then he kissed her. Because that’s what you did when the woman you loved said she loved you.
She drew back and gave him a decisive nod. “Good. Then you’ll understand what I’m going to do.”
“What you’re going to do?”
“I’m going to spy on Dayton Leeds.”
26
Malone men were sexy.
Malone men were bossy.
They were overprotective.
They could be a touch controlling, but in that good way, which meant they just wanted to take care of you.
But also, Malone men were stubborn, argumentative, and they could be really, really frustrating.
“You are not,” Maxim told her sternly, glaring at her from his one good eye.
Every time she saw his face, saw him wince in pain, she wanted to murder someone.
And if her boss had anything to do with those men attacking her man . . . well, the Malones weren’t the only ones who could be protective.
“I am,” she said calmly.
“No, baby. You are not doing this. End of discussion.”
“Just because you say it’s the end of the discussion, doesn’t mean it’s the end of the discussion.”
“Do you love me?”
Dear. Lord.
It took a lot of patience to be with a Malone man . . . she’d known that already. But now she was definitely experiencing it.
All right, so she’d known that her statement would meet resistance. But she was hoping to talk them around.
Didn’t seem that was going to happen.
“You know I love you,” she replied.
“Then it’s the end of the discussion.”
“No, it is not.”
“Aston,” he grumbled.
“Honestly, I think I liked it better when you only paid attention to me when I was right in front of you.”
He shook his head at her. “You were on my mind more often than that and you know it. I thought about you all the time. Mostly, when I was in the shower, jacking off.”
“Maxim Malone!” Aston slammed her hand over his mouth as she felt her face growing red. She kept her gaze down, ensuring she did not look at his brothers.
Victor let out a deep laugh and Maxim tugged her hand away.
“You all right, big guy?” he asked, looking at his brother strangely.
“Yep. Just enjoying the show.”
“Glad we could provide entertainment,” Maxim muttered. He shot her a look. “My brother thinks you’re funny.”
“He thinks everything is funny.” She frowned at Victor who stared back at her warmly.
“Ah no, he doesn’t.”
“Sure he does. I’ve seen him smile at least a dozen times since I got here.”
Maxim stared at her, then Victor. Then he relaxed with a smile. “He likes you.”
“Of course I like her,” Victor replied. “Bare feet. Pajamas. Knife.”
She sighed and glared at Victor. “Are we really back at that?”
“I’m never going to forget what you did for my brother, girl,” he told her.
“None of us are,” Regent added in a low, firm voice. “Which is why we can’t allow you to put yourself in danger.”
Maxim relaxed further. “She’s family.”
Regent nodded. “Yes. She’s family.”
There was some subtext to this conversation that she didn’t understand. “What does that mean that I’m family? I’m not family.”
“Of course you are,” Victor said matter-of-factly. “You’re family. Bare feet. Pajamas. Knife.”
“Victor Malone, you better stop saying that or . . . or . . .”
“Or what?” Victor raised his eyebrows.
“I’m gonna tell Gracen.”
Victor’s eyes filled with amusement. She didn’t understand why Maxim said he didn’t smile much. He seemed to be constantly amused. Often, she thought, at her expense.
And yeah, she knew her threat was pretty empty. What was she going to tell Gracen? That her crazy fiancée kept saying the same words over and over again.
“I didn’t do anything that amazing.”
Regent walked forward and sat in a chair next to the bed while Victor leaned against the wall at the end of the bed. She hadn’t taken much time to look at the bedroom. It was masculine but still warm, done in navy blue and maroon tones. A couple of really comfortable blue armchairs and an enormous bed were the main furniture in the room as well as two big bookshelves that framed a large TV on one wall. And there was an attached bathroom.
It was comfortable and nice. Welcoming.
“You don’t consider saving my brother to be that important?” Regent asked.
“That’s not what I meant. I just . . . I . . . don’t want to make a big deal of it.”