Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
“How are you feeling about everything that happened today?” he asked.
Wow.
He wanted to talk?
Okay. She could do this. She’d never had anyone to talk to until Keira came into her life. And she’d been in and out of her life.
“I’m pretty good. I was glad I got to call Keira. I didn’t like the lines but I enjoyed our time in the playroom. But I’m worried about Rex. And North.”
“Don’t worry about North, baby.”
But she felt like he was holding back. And were they excluding him? He wasn’t into the Daddy stuff so did he feel left out?
“I like that you worry about him. North deserves that after the life he’s led. But don’t worry too much. For one, he won’t accept much worry. And two, I want you relaxed and happy. Okay?”
“All right. I’ll try.”
He turned to face her, running his finger over her lips. “Part for me, baby.”
Her lips dropped open in surprise and he slid his finger in and out of her mouth.
“Fuck, baby. You’re so gorgeous. So sexy.”
No, he was gorgeous and sexy not her. Leaning in, he kissed her. The kiss was long. It was hot.
And she never wanted it to end.
Reaching around, he cupped her ass, squeezing it.
Arousal filled her and she wriggled closer. Rolling onto his back, he took her with him so she was lying on top of him. For a moment, she wasn’t sure she liked it. But he kissed her again and she rolled her hips against his.
Oh, that was so nice.
Her clit throbbed and she needed more.
“More,” she demanded.
“Hmm, not yet.”
“Why not?” she asked, disgruntled.
“Because my plan is to drive you insane. To make you want us so much that he doesn’t even have a chance to pop into your head.”
It wasn’t a bad plan.
But it might just kill her.
Jared moved them again so she was facing away from him and he was curled around her. With one hand he played with her breasts while kissing the back of her neck.
“I want you to sleep naked while you’re with me.”
Oh yeah.
That was sexy. And then she remembered the problem with that and stiffened.
“Problem? Too much too soon?”
“I . . . I can’t,” she said.
“Hey, it’s all right. We can work up to that.” He rolled her over to face him. “We’re going slow.”
What they’d just been doing hadn’t felt slow. And she hadn’t once thought of him.
Until now.
“What is it?” Jared asked.
He deserved to know. Before things went further.
“I have scars,” she blurted out. “And they’re hideous.”
North stilled as he stood on the other side of the bedroom door, listening.
He knew that Jared had deliberately left the door open as an invitation.
“How did you get the scars?” Jared asked.
“Fergus. He . . . he didn’t always hurt me. In fact, a lot of the time I was left alone. But there was this one time when I tried to escape. I should have known I’d fail. It was after around six months of being married to him. I think it was a test because it was almost too easy to leave. His men found me . . . they dragged me back. And . . . and he locked me in the basement. He . . . for days he hurt me. Had his men hold me down so he could whip my back until I bled. I’m not sure how long I was there. How long he hurt me for. But now I have scars on my back. Ugly scars. After that I never tried to escape again. I was too scared. Too terrified of being hurt like that again.”
North felt like he was going to break and that wasn’t acceptable. Leaning his hands against the wall, he breathed in deeply. He was relieved she was talking about the scars. But hearing the details was also breaking him apart.
He couldn’t splinter because if he did there was no putting himself back together. And he didn’t know what he would turn into.
So he stood there until he felt like he was under control. He could hear her distraught voice and Jared’s soothing one but couldn’t make out the words. Finally, there was silence and he left.
Perhaps exhuming Fergus’s body wasn’t a wise thing to do.
But it might help him calm the rage inside him.
45
Angie was spent.
Her confession to Jared about her scars last night had left her drained. And even though she’d slept well, she’d woken up feeling a bit off.
And she couldn’t pinpoint why.
Was it because he hadn’t asked to see the scars? Did she want that?
This morning, he’d teased her again, driving her higher and higher to the edge then pulling away.
The bastard.
But he hadn’t asked to see her scars and he’d let her shower and get dressed alone before coming to get her for breakfast.
They still seemed to think she couldn’t move up and down the stairs alone.