Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Then he was going over the edge with her, his big body stiff and rhythm failing as he let go.
He fell on top of her, pressing her into the bed as her blood pounded pleasantly through her veins.
He nuzzled her neck. “Did that just happen?”
She nodded. “It did.”
His head came up and he stared at her for a moment. “You won’t regret it, Taylor. You’ll see. I’m putting you first this time. No matter what happens, you come first in my life.”
She wanted to believe him and so she brushed his hair back and let resolve settle over her. This was a choice. A choice to protect herself or risk her heart and maybe get it broken. There were no guarantees in life. There was only the choice to be brave.
“You come first in mine.” A pleasant lethargy rolled over her. She hadn’t slept much on the plane. “But I do have to figure a few things out.”
He rolled to the side, gathering her close. “And I have to figure out how to survive having a drink with your uncle. I’m not dumb. He’s going to try to get me so drunk I can’t play with you tonight. It’s an old Russian technique.”
“I don’t think Uncle Nick drinks much anymore,” she said with a yawn. It felt so perfect to be close to him, like she was finally where she was supposed to be. “Just hold out as long as you can because I want to play tonight. But, babe, I think I’m going to need a nap.”
He chuckled, holding her close to his chest. “Go to sleep. I’ll handle your uncle and everything else. You rest and know I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”
She let the world go fuzzy and fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
* * * *
“There’s so many plants, man.” Kyle looked around the dungeon. He wasn’t dressed for play like the rest of the people here. He’d come down to the bar and complained bitterly about the time difference and the fact that he would have to stay up all night if he wanted to go on the planned online adventure with PnkHr123.
Apparently MaeBe was handling her lockdown by going online and complaining to her friend Kraven, and Kyle was eating it up.
Kyle was definitely going to be staying up.
Drake intended to be in bed early. Very early. Wrapped around Taylor because he’d not only been a good modern man who let her make the decisions concerning her safety, he had managed to get through an afternoon with Nick Markovic and stay perfectly sober because his sleight of hand was spectacular.
Nick had called him down while Taylor was still sleeping. He’d known exactly what the man was doing, pouring shot after shot of vodka. He was trying to get him so drunk he couldn’t play with Taylor. Well, the joke was on him since the Russian was passed out and his wife thought it was all hysterical. It had taken two bodyguards to get him in the cab and send him home.
Damon would probably be upset when that plant died of alcohol poisoning though.
“That’s why they call it The Garden.” It was a truly magical place, and he didn’t even feel weird thinking a sex club was magical.
He wanted to play with Taylor here, wanted to have the place all to themselves so he could chase her around and they could pretend to be the only man and woman on earth.
He’d spent most of the day watching Taylor sleep. She’d laid her head on his chest and slept so peacefully. He’d felt like something was settled between them.
I have to ask you a question. I promise you I’ll only ask it once. Did you have anything to do with my father’s death?
His heart had threatened to break, and then it had been put back together again because she’d accepted his answer. It was the truth. He knew nothing about her father’s death that she didn’t know. He hadn’t been part of Julia’s plan.
Julia. There was a reason he’d asked Kyle to meet him down here.
Kyle had slept the afternoon away, too, so this was his first chance to speak to his friend.
“We need to talk. Julia came to see me.”
Kyle’s jaw tightened and looked to the bartender, a pretty sub with glossy black hair. “I’m going to need whiskey. Neat and a lot of it.”
He definitely would need that drink. “She’s not hiding anymore. She came to the club our parents have belonged to for thirty years.”
Kyle glanced around. “Should we go somewhere to talk about this?”
Drake had thought a lot about this and come to some conclusions. “Only if we don’t trust Damon. He’s promised me every single person in The Garden has been vetted. Unlike Tag, he doesn’t invite the local elite into his club.”