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)
“What was that?” Grace asked.
Audrey cleared her throat. “There’s a dog here.”
“Here where?”
“Grace, I love you, but you need to trust me and let it go.”
I grunted in annoyance, not happy to hear her say those words to anyone but me.
“Okay. Oh, before I forget. I heard on the news that Paul Barrington is dead.”
Audrey gasped and then sighed. “Good riddance,” she muttered.
“Agreed. I guess it was a drug overdose. No one was shocked by that, and they already closed the case. Oh, and my dad said he’s looking into the disappearance of the girl from your dorm?”
“Yeah, I didn’t know what else to do.”
“He told me he acquired some information about her and was able to talk the police into finally opening a proper investigation.”
Audrey closed her eyes and sighed. “Finally.”
“I’ll keep you updated...wait. Why didn’t you call me from your phone? Whose phone is this? Are you in trouble? I’m calling my dad.”
“Grace!” Audrey cried, stopping her friend’s rambling. “I’m fine. I lost my phone”—she glared at me, and I grinned—“and I’ll call you later. Love you, bye!”
She stabbed the button to hang up the phone and slumped back into her chair as if she’d just finished a workout and needed to rest. I had let her call her friend because I thought it would make her happy. But she looked as though the ordeal had worn her out.
“If talking to Grace is going to stress you out like this, I’m not sure I’m going to allow it anymore,” I muttered. I didn’t like seeing her sad.
“Excuse me?” Audrey snapped, straightening in her seat and glaring daggers at me.
Much better. I’d rather see the wildcat and have her claws swiping in my direction than see her look so down. “You keep contradicting yourself, Merrick. I’m not a prisoner, but I can’t leave. I can make a call, but you have to listen. I can call my friend. And now you won’t ‘allow’ it." She used air quotes and scrunched her nose in frustration. Cute. “What’s next? Chaining me to the bed?”
I scratched my chin, looking thoughtful, then drawled, “Not the worst idea.”
Audrey growled but just started eating while glaring at me mutinously. Eventually, our plates were empty, and the silence between us had grown thick with tension. I didn’t like it.
I stood and went to her side, squatting down in front of her. “Kitten, everything I do is to keep you safe.”
“Okay, but…”
I cocked my head to the side and studied her as I waited for her to grasp her thoughts.
“Is this supposed to be my life? Forever? Because I can’t live like this, Merrick.”
Right that moment, I made the decision. I wanted out. But since she didn’t know I earned money by doing wet work, I couldn’t exactly explain why she had to live this way a little longer. “You won’t have to,” I vowed. “Just give me a little time.”
Audrey eyed me suspiciously. “Are you going to tie me to the bed until then?”
I grinned and caught her around the waist as I stood, bringing her up with me. “Like I said, I’m not ruling it out. But the truth is, I don’t need to tie you up, kitten. I just need to wear you out so you don’t have enough energy to defy me.”
“Defy you?” she asked with an arched brow. “And what happens if I do?”
I leaned in and put my lips to her ear, smiling when she shivered. “You know what will happen, Audrey.” One of my hands rested on her hip, and I slid the other around to palm her ass and give it a squeeze. “But if you need a reminder, I’m happy to oblige.”
Leaning back, I looked into her eyes, smirking when I saw how’d they’d glazed over with passion. Unable to resist, I crashed my mouth down on hers as I boosted her up with both hands on her ass and set her on the island.
Her legs had closed around my waist, and I yanked her forward so she was on the edge of the counter. When I pressed my hard cock into the heat between her legs, Audrey moaned and wiggled as if trying to get closer. I tore my lips away from hers and pressed them into the soft skin of her neck, kissing my way down to her collarbone. “How about just a reminder of who you belong to, kitten?” I grunted. Then I leaned back far enough to whip her shirt over her head.
I stared at her full, round tits practically spilling out of a pink, lacy bra that I hadn’t noticed when I’d been packing up her things. “You’re so fucking gorgeous,” I growled. Her breathing was choppy, making her breasts jiggle. When I yanked down the cups of her bra, she gasped, and her tits bounced enticingly.