Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
He felt her shiver against him. Yeah, it was for her, and himself, but it was also for show. He knew Pace saw it.
“I think it’s adorable how Alpha you are right now,” she said against his mouth, wiping at his lower lip. “Lipstick transfer. Sorry.” She rubbed again with her thumb.
“Hey there, Daddo!” Ollie was back. Damn.
Zane turned to his son. “Hey, son.”
Ollie looked completely delighted at seeing his father with Tanya in his arms, touching his mouth.
“And you said ----” Ollie sang out, accusingly, but Zane cut a warning look at his son, knowing he was about to be chastised for acting like a couple when he’d told his son that nothing was official yet. Thankfully, his intelligent son caught it and froze mid-sentence. “said w-we could go swimming. When do we get to go home and go swimming?”
Ollie’s eyes traveled beyond Zane to where Zane knew Pace stood, on the other side of the glass doors.
Pace did not wear billowy trousers today. His long hair was tied back, and he wore a three-piece suit and suit -appropriate shoes that didn’t show his toes or his socks. If he’d been dressed like this the day prior, Zane didn’t think Tanya would’ve laughed at the man’s appearance. Zane was glad her tainted image of Pace’s lack of manliness was already cemented in her mind.
Zane found it somewhat surprising that his son, only four years old, picked up so quickly on Zane not wanting to mention Tanya’s malfunctioning ear jewelry. But given that it’d been just the two of them all this time, he knew his son read his body language and he was grateful for that. Ollie had also exhibited a finely-honed beast shit detector so far in his young life. Ollie seemed repelled by anyone with any level of arrogance to their personality and though he’d never commented on Pace, Zane suspected Ollie didn’t think much of the man.
“Soon, Ollie. I need five minutes with Pace and then we’ll head out. Get your drawing supplies and books together, as well as Chili’s things.”
“Can we bring the dancing game and that Earth screen home, Daddo? It’s so much fun. I want to play it some more. I want my friends to come over and play, too.”
“Yes, just the games and the mat. We can make it work with our screens at home, so we don’t need that one.”
“Woo hoo!”
Ollie went to the screen on the floor and unplugged the device. Tanya was still in Zane’s arms.
“Just a few minutes, shortcake.”
“Okay,” she said, looking up at him with sparkles in her eyes.
He kissed her quick and turned and went back through the glass doors and dealt with some things with Pace, whose attitude Zane really didn’t like. The man just seemed to ooze with arrogance and something else Zane couldn’t put his finger on.
“What’s your attitude about today?” Zane finally asked as they wrapped up their discussion.
“What’s your attitude about?” Pace returned.
“I don’t like your hands on her. You want to put your hands on a woman, get on the wait lists and get one of your own.”
“Fuck, Zane, it’s not like I put my hand in her pants. I touched her shoulder.”
Zane advanced and put the man against the lab counter with his hand to his throat. “Watch your fucking mouth.”
Pace lifted his hands defensively.
Zane let go of him and folded his arms across his chest.
“Your wife and son are watching you with avid interest,” Pace remarked.
“I’m sure they are,” Zane returned.
“I’m not after your woman, Zane. I merely spoke to her and I’ve always been … demonstrative with females. They seem to like it. I didn’t mean anything untoward. Please accept my apologies.”
“Why aren’t you on the wait list, Pace?” Zane glared.
“Because I’m not waiting,” the man said. “I can’t fathom waiting months or years for something that was taken from us.”
“What are you saying?” Zane had a feeling he knew exactly what the man was saying.
“I’ve got friends in low places.”
“Fuck.”
“Two hundred women are en route here. Outside Project D. They were captured and left to come this morning. And, I’ve already paid. I’ll have one of them.”
Zane closed his eyes and shook his head. Captured. Those poor women.
“I can say nothing else,” Pace told him.
“How do you think that’ll go over? How will that be explained to authorities?”
“There’s a lot happening below the surface, Zane. If the government doesn’t take the right stance on this, they’ll be overthrown.”
Zane thrust his hand into his hair.
“You’re my boss and a friend. I respect you as both. I also hope you’ll have the common sense to keep the information I shared, only because we’re friends, to yourself. A lot of powerful players are involved, Zane. A lot of them.”
Zane shook his head. “I’ve got to get my family home. I have an appointment elsewhere.”