Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Could you?
No, that only happened in the movies, and they fade to black before the red flags start popping up. So no, you couldn’t. Or maybe some women could, but not me. I’m too cynical.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything that would make sense of what I was feeling, but no words came out—only moans of pleasure, gasps when his teeth sank into the most sensitive parts of my flesh.
The only word I knew in that moment?
Brock.
Chapter 14
Brock
As I lay awake with Sela’s magnificent curves pressed against my body, one thought played over and over in my head like it was my own personal theme song. Why? Because I was doing something I never thought I would do again. Something I promised myself I wouldn’t ever be foolish enough to undertake again: falling for a woman. The last time had ended in disaster, and keeping to my plan hadn’t been a problem at all.
Until Sela.
She nuzzled closer, and my grip tightened at her hip, pulling her even closer. What the fuck am I doing? I wasn’t a cuddler, not even when I thought I was in love with my ex-wife, but here I was, holding this woman like she was mine. Like this was more than a weeklong fling.
Sela moaned, stirring beside me. She looked up with a frown. “What’s wrong?”
How did she know? “Who says something is wrong?”
“Your heartbeat. It was steady and calming, and now it’s wild and erratic. Are you okay?”
“Fine,” I grunted and untangled my body from hers. I needed space. I needed to think about what the fuck was happening before it went too far.
“Um, okay.” There was hesitation in her voice, and it was like a gut punch. I didn’t like it.
“Sela,” I whispered, just as my phone rang—the lifeline I didn’t know I needed at the moment. “What?”
There was a long silence, followed by the sound of a voice I never wanted to hear again. “Your phone manners get worse with each passing year.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, wondering if the universe was conspiring against me for some reason. “What do you want?”
“Is that any way to greet your wife?”
“Ex-wife,” I reminded her on a frustrated growl. “State your business, or this call is over.”
“No wonder you haven’t replaced me yet,” she grumbled. “As kind as ever.”
“Cristina.”
She giggled. “Okay, fine. I need some help, Brock.” Her tone softened into that vulnerable, manipulative voice she used when she wanted something. “Fifty thousand dollars.”
I said nothing for a long time, forcing her to squirm in the silence. “I thought we agreed when you finally signed the papers that we would never talk again. You got a huge settlement,” I reminded her without telling her it was more than she deserved. “If that’s not enough to live on, too bad for you.”
She sucked in a sharp, angry breath. “You’re not serious,” she asked. “You have more money than you know what to do with.”
“And you got a huge chunk of it when we divorced. Now you’re back asking for more.” I could give it to her, but this would never end.
“You’re a cold bastard, Brock. A cold, heartless bastard who will end up alone.” She ended the call after that, but her words lingered.
Cold and heartless. It wasn’t the first time she’d accused me of that, and she wasn’t the only one to make the accusation. Maybe it was true.
“Hey,” Sela began softly, her hand on my bicep. “Is everything okay?”
I shook off her touch instinctively.
She gasped and yanked her hand back. The bed moved as she backed away from me and swallowed hard. “If this isn’t where you want to be anymore, you know where the door is.”
I spun around to find her holding herself in a protective gesture, but my anger spiked, and she was a convenient target. “You’re so quick to get rid of me if I’m not perfect,” I shouted, punctuating the words with a bitter laugh.
“Don’t give me that shit,” she shouted back. “I was having a really great time with you, and I thought,” she paused and shook her head. “You’re the one who turned ice cold on me.” One lone tear slipped down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly. “I knew you were too good to be true.” Another tear fell, and she swiped it away like she could erase it. “I’m so stupid,” she whispered to herself before she escaped to her bathroom.
I stared at the spot where she’d been standing, stunned. I expected her to use her tears to convince me, not hide them from me. She wasn’t happy about this, which only reminded me why I liked her so much in the first place. Sela was so lively and genuine, in addition to being beautiful and sensual. She was flawed, but she owned her flaws, which made her perfect for me.