Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
He stands from his chair and prowls toward me. My heart thunders in my chest as he rounds my desk, planting himself on the edge, right in front of where I’m seated.
“Um, Rand—Mr. Wallace, uh…” My words trail off as my heart shoots into my esophagus as he drags my chair closer, leaning into my space. “You… We can’t!”
“We can.” He presses his index and middle fingers to my temple, massaging lightly. “And we will, Gracie. You’ve spent too long denying this thing between us, and you can keep trying to pretend it isn’t happening, that we aren’t happening, but I assure you, we are.”
The war inside of me rages on, as wanton desire goes head-to-head with wrenching guilt.
I gasp for air, my breaths coming in sharp pants as my vision pinpricks. I can’t decide if I’m floating or falling—either way, my landing’s going to hurt.
“It’s okay, Gracie,” he murmurs, trailing his fingers down from my temple, following my jawline. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“No!” I try to shake my head, but he glides his palm across my cheek and tunnels his fingers into my hair, before curling them to hold me still.
Tears dot my lashes as I stare up at Rand. Nothing about him reflects the worry barreling through me. He’s cool, calm, and collected, like he truly believes being together is the right thing—the only thing. As far as he’s concerned, we’re a foregone conclusion.
I should have seen this coming. For months now, he’s been laying the groundwork for this, but I foolishly brushed it off as some kind of strange form of transference.
But now, I don’t know… He seems so sure.
His eyes soften as he looks down at me, his palm still warm against my cheek. “Rand, I—”
He leans all the way in and silences me with a kiss.
My entire body jolts at the feel of his lips moving against mine. Firm, yet soft. Teasing, yet serious. Forbidden, yet indulgent. Wrong, but so, so right.
“Open for me, Gracie,” he growls against my lips, causing me to gasp. This man is an apex predator in a button-down shirt, and I’m nothing more than the lamb he’s about to slaughter.
Rand doesn’t waste a single second, deepening our kiss. Before I know it, we’re a frenzy of desire, using our lips, teeth, tongue, and hands. Time slows as we greedily explore one another.
I tug him closer, needing to feel the weight of his strong body against mine. Luckily, Rand can read me like a book and hooks his hands beneath my thighs, lifting me while somehow maneuvering us so that he’s in my chair and I’m straddling him.
But the feeling of his erection pressing into my core breaks the moment, and I shove out of his lap as guilt and regret rain down on me, drowning me in a tsunami of shame.
“Rand—” My lower lip wobbles and hot tears fill my eyes, falling unchecked.
“Now, Gracie, don’t cry.” He leans in and kisses away my tears, groaning softly, almost as if he’s savoring the taste.
“We…we—” I try again, but I can’t seem to get my brain and mouth on the same page.
“We got a little carried away, that’s all.” He kisses my lips once more before standing and heading toward the door.
“And don’t you dare say it was a mistake,” he murmurs, his hand hovering over the knob, “because what we just did wasn’t a mistake, and I damn sure don’t regret it. You’re like pure sunshine, Gracie, and I…I need your light.”
He sounds so sincere. Maybe he’s right. Maybe us being together is a good thing. Maybe we can heal all of the broken parts of each other.
“Tell me you agree, that you don’t regret what just happened.”
I take a few steadying breaths as I formulate my reply. “I don’t regret it, but I also need time to think, Rand.”
For a split second, something like anger flashes in his dark gaze, but it’s gone so fast, I almost wonder if I imagined it. “Take all the time you need, Gracie,” he says as he opens the door.
I breathe a sigh of relief, at both his reply and his retreat.
“But I need you to understand something, Gracie. You’re already mine.”
CHAPTER 1
ATLAS
“You’ve reached the voicemail of Randall Wallace, please leave a message after—”
I jab the end call button and toss my phone down onto my passenger seat as my frustration reaches an all-time high.
This is the fourth call my dad hasn’t answered this week, and while that’s not necessarily cause for concern, he’s been acting squirrely as hell here lately—enough so that I’m tempted to ask Ellis to do a wellness check on his next shift. Perks of having a cop for a best friend, I suppose.
Dad’s always been a little closed off and cold, but since his latest wife—my stepmom—died, he’s been worse than usual. Defensive, blunt, secretive… paranoid.