Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 73515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
I rose from the table and picked up my cell phone from the island in the kitchen. After returning to my seat, I unlocked the device before sliding it across the table to her.
“Go ahead, kitten. I know it would make you unhappy to have your friend worrying over you, and I want you to be happy.”
One corner of her mouth lifted slightly, but her eyes brightened, and her freckles stood out as pink bloomed on her cheeks. “Um, thanks.”
I nodded and started in on my food.
“Won’t they be able to trace the call?” she asked suddenly.
I nearly broke out into a massive grin at the sound of worry in her voice, but I managed to keep a straight face. “No, kitten. It’s an untraceable burner. Trust me, even Jonah couldn’t crack it.”
“You know Jonah?” she asked with a real smile. I would have been jealous at her obvious happiness, but some of her tension had melted away, and she was looking at me with happy eyes, not daydreaming about someone else.
“You could say that,” I hedged. I’d promised not to lie, but I also didn’t want her to realize that Jonah was the one who’d put a hit out on Barrington.
“Oh, well you should have said that back at the church,” she said as she rolled her eyes, looking completely at ease.
She dialed a number and was about to put the phone to her ear, but I tapped the table and gave her a hard look.
One of her eyebrows arched before her whole brow knitted in confusion. “I thought you said I’m not a prisoner.”
“You’re not, kitten. But I still want to make sure you don’t say anything you shouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“For your—”
“Safety,” she finished for me, obviously irritated. “So you’ve said. But—”
“And mine,” I interrupted this time. Apparently, we were one of those couples who did the opposite of finishing each other’s sentences.
“Yours?” Her tone held less annoyance and more curiosity now.
“Did you think I lied when I told you that I was taking you because you’d seen my face?” I asked with a frown. “I promised never to lie to you, Audrey.”
Her face fell. “Oh, that’s why I can’t ever leave?”
I gentled my expression and reached across the table to trace her lips for a moment. “No, kitten. That’s just an added perk.” I winked, and she flushed adorably. “I knew the second I saw you that you were mine,” I admitted softly. “The fact that you’d seen my face well...it just gave me an excuse to take you.”
Her mouth had opened into a little O, and I used the same finger to push her jaw back up. “Call Grace, kitten.”
“Um…” She blinked a few times, then dropped her eyes to the cell phone. After a beat, she hit send, then the speakerphone button, and set it on the table.
“Who the fuck is this?” a man snarled when the line clicked on. “And why are you calling my wife?”
“Give me back my phone, you caveman!” a woman shouted from the background.
“Chill, Hudson. It’s Audrey.”
“Audrey!” the woman shrieked. “Give me my phone, or I swear to all that is holy you will be sleeping with the twins for a month!”
There was a tussle, then the woman’s voice came out louder, clearly in possession of her phone now. “That’s what I thought. You’re such a boy,” she sighed, though her tone sounded as if she were trying not to laugh.
“You’re such a girl,” he volleyed back. “My girl. I’ll remind you later.”
“Hey, Grace,” Audrey said with a muffled giggle.
Grace huffed, but there was no real anger in it. “Where the hell have you been?” Ah, there was the anger.
“You missed my freaking wedding, Audrey! I’ve been so worried. I thought maybe you’d been kidnapped”—Audrey glanced at me, and I narrowed my eyes in warning—“or were dead or something!”
“Um, yeah. I’m really sorry, Grace. Something important came up or you know I never would have left before the reception.”
“What could possibly have kept you away from a party with all of my super good-looking—ewww, I can’t believe I was able to get that out of my mouth—single cousins?”
An involuntary growl rumbled in my chest, and Audrey tossed me a look that reminded me of her wildcat nature and made things very, very uncomfortable in my pants.
“I can’t tell you right now, Grace. I will eventually, I promise.”
“Audrey, do I need to call my dad?”
“No!” she almost shouted. Then she lowered her voice immediately. “No. It’s all good. I just have some stuff to deal with.” I raised an eyebrow and smirked. Audrey ignored me, making me chuckle. “I’m not sure how long it will be before I come home.”
All of my amusement fled, and I growled as I scowled at her, only to be ignored some more. Hmmm, little kitten is clearly looking for a spanking.