Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
All I know is that I am now changed.
The girl I was before has become something new. And it’s all because of him.
He taught me how to please him. How to accept him. How to take him.
And I loved every second of it.
I can still hear the growls and groans he let out when he first entered me, when he was pounding me, when he was spraying inside of me, so warm and sticky, holding me in his arms like he’d been wanting me forever.
“It was impressive how you handled that situation back there,” I tell him, thinking back to how he seemed to dominate the entire room with his presence when questioning Barry back at the manor. “I really understand why–” I stop, not wanting to say Fitch’s name out loud. “I understand why you were hired.”
That’s better.
I read something in Conrad’s eyes. Did he just catch what happened? He must have. “I was just doing my best to protect you, Belle.”
“So you can make sure the wedding happens?”
He pauses, then slowly looks away. “That’s what I’ve been hired to do.”
I reach out and take his hand in mine, caressing it gently, tracing the hard lines of his palm with the tip of my pinky. It’s a hand that shows a lifetime of work. Something Fitch would have no idea about.
Holding his hand is like holding on to a moment in time–a moment so brief where everything feels wonderful. A moment I know will be gone in an instant, but if I could only clutch on to it for a little longer, maybe I would finally be happy.
I watch Conrad’s eyes as they sweep the hotel room, noticing every detail. “Checking for stalkers?” I tease, drawing his gaze back to me.
“You mean you already see the stalker?” His response startles me, and I quickly glance around, my heart racing. I see nothing, and when I look back at Conrad, I see him smirking, aiming a finger at himself. I let out a relieved sigh and giggle.
“Oh, of course!” I reply sarcastically. “Seriously, though, you have been following my every move since the bomb threat. And you were assigned to protect me before that. You could be my stalker.”
“I could.”
“Wouldn’t you have to have been parked outside my house and following me off-work to be a true stalker, though?”
Conrad opens his mouth like he’s about to say something but then closes it again.
Maybe he was going to make a joke and just couldn’t think of one.
“You know, I was just thinking of how pompous this room is,” he finally says.
A laugh bursts from my lips. I nod quickly. “Totally! It’s one of the reasons I’ve never been comfortable at the manor. Everything is so stuffy, uptight, over-the-top elegant. I didn’t grow up like that.”
“Me either,” Conrad chuckles. “Lots of bread and pasta when I was a kid. I don’t think I saw real meat until I was seven.”
“Microwaveable frozen fish sticks was a staple at my house,” I say. “Dad would buy them in bulk and freeze them, and Mom would serve them with apple sauce.”
“Talk about gourmet.” Conrad grins.
“Oh, totally!”
It suddenly occurs to me that I can’t remember the last time I had such a great time with anyone. What Conrad and I just did was incredible, but right now, while we’re just talking? This is incredible too. And from the way he’s looking at me right now, I have to believe he’s feeling something similar.
“I don’t know if I should say this,” I whisper timidly. “But I feel safe with you, Conrad. Especially after seeing what you did with Barry, I know that you have my best interests in mind. I know I can trust you.”
“Yes,” he replies, his voice catching in his throat. “I would never let anything bad happen to you, Belle. I swear.”
“I believe you.” I smile as the urge to leap on top of him and strip out of my clothes threatens to take me over. I realize he’s squeezing my hand very tight now. So tight it almost hurts. But I don’t mind. I know he won’t do anything to cause me pain. “But I’m still worried.”
“About what?”
My eyes fall from his as a wet blanket of reality is draped over me. “The wedding, duh.” I press my lips against each other, self-soothing my fear of the future out of me the best I can. “Eventually you’ll catch the person who made the threat, and that means I’ll have to get married to…”
Again, I’m unable to say Fitch’s name out loud.
Just picturing my life with him causes me internal pain, like the nerves in my body recoiling from a future I know will be nothing but a gray purgatory, living life in a golden cage. No doubt I’ll have everything provided for me, so I can’t really complain about that, but is it worth giving up true love and any hope of a real relationship?