Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
“That's why I'm here,” Owen says after taking another drink. “If Spencer is watching, the more he sees you with me, the more he'll realize he’s not getting close to you. His little note may have said he’s not scared of me, but in my experience, that means the opposite. And, if he ever shows his face…I can be very convincing. I’ll put an end to it right there. But me and one of my trusted friends are actively looking for his location, so it's good to have two teams on it.”
“Yeah, well, I guess you are pretty intimidating,” I say, hoping his plans will come to light sooner rather than later.
He flicks his eyes over me, and a slow smile spreads over his lips. “You didn't think that a couple months ago, Kitten,” he says.
A bolt of heat zaps straight down the center of me and I gape at him. “Oh no, I for sure thought you were intimidating.”
“You weren't scared of me at all.”
I shrug. “So we're talking about the un-talkable subject now?”
Owen laughs, and the sound does all sorts of things to my body. “Why not?”
“Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't brought it up in the past week. Not to mention you stopped texting me. I thought maybe you’d written me off.” I glance down at my tea to avoid seeing his reaction to my admission.
He scoots closer to me, gently tipping my chin to meet his eyes. “I’d never write you off.”
“Then why did you stop texting me?”
He sighs. “Once I saw you as the person I was hired to protect, things got complicated. I figured if you wanted to keep the chat open, you’d be the first to make that move. I don’t want to cross any lines.”
“I didn't know if it would be professional of me to do that. I mean, you work for me now. Isn't it wrong?”
“Technically, I work for your father,” he says.
“Somehow, I think that's worse,” I say, laughing. “And besides, it was one thing to text without knowing exactly who you were, but now that I do? I'm particularly mortified.”
“Why?” he asks incredulously.
“I don't do…what we did that night. It’s part of the reason I was too scared to meet you in person. That you’d want the wild version of me and not the real thing,” I explain. “I’m a repeat girl,” I say, and then cringe at the way that sounds.
Owen laughs, his blue eyes shining with amusement. “First off, I’ve gotten to know you enough that I like all versions of you. Secondly, as for the repeat thing…I would if you would.”
My eyes widen at the sincerity playing over his features.
And the way he's looking at me...Jesus, he takes my breath away.
A fresh bolt of anticipation rushes through me, and I bite back a smile. “I have been wondering what it would be like to kiss you,” I admit. “Since the mask prevented it.”
“I've thought about that no less than a thousand times since that night,” he says. “Want to find out?”
“Just a kiss?” I ask, needing to set up some kind of boundaries for myself, because when it comes to this man I have very little.
“If that's what you want, that's what you'll get.”
“I think that's all I'm prepared for right now,” I say.
“Then that’s what I’ll give you,” he says, shifting closer, one hand sliding across my cheek, the other tugging my chair closer to his in one smooth move that has me gasping.
He grins, eyes flickering from mine to my lips and back again.
My heart races in my chest, the anticipation a culmination of two months and too many fantasies—
He slants his mouth over mine, and the warm brush of his lips strikes a match inside me. My hands fly to his chest, my fingers splaying over the muscles there as I melt into his embrace.
He’s soft at first, explorative as he gauges my reaction, then takes more control as I part my lips for him. A low groan rumbles from his chest, the sound settling directly between my thighs as he slides his tongue against mine. I whimper at the way he dips my head, kissing me at a deeper angle that has me trembling with need.
I fist his shirt, my body desperate to get closer to his, my ‘just a kiss rule’ be damned. One graze of our mouths together and I’m on fire.
“Owen,” I sigh between his lips, loving the feel of his hand cradling the back of my head, the other now sliding down my arm.
He kisses me harder at the sound of his name on my tongue, making my head spin with desire. I shift off the barstool without breaking our kiss, and he immediately mimics the move, so in sync with me we barely separate. His hands fall to my hips as he brings our bodies flush, still kissing me with that dominating, protective edge that I can’t get enough of.