Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Saylor wrapped her arms around Max and hugged him close. “I understand. Thank you, Daddy.”
Max lifted her off the floor and held her tight. He wished he had time to make love to her, but he didn’t want to be interrupted. Leaving her unsatisfied would kill him. Instead, he grabbed the pad of paper and a pen from the drawer before carrying her to the table. He sat down with her on his lap and made his list. He also shared every contact in his phone with hers so she would have the information electronically at all times.
“Tell me who to contact in case of an emergency with you, little girl,” he requested when he’d finished his list.
“I don’t know? My parents maybe. You can just call my phone.”
“Share your parents’ contact with me, Saylor.”
She’d just opened her phone when his buzzed with an incoming message.
I’m outside. Grab your gear.
Koa had given him a few extra minutes with his Little by picking him up. Max looked up at Saylor. Tears filled her eyes.
“I don’t want you to go,” she whispered.
“I’ll be home as fast as I can, little girl. You’ve given me an unforgettable reason to survive.”
CHAPTER 10
Saylor sat on Max’s couch for a long time after he left. She’d sent him her parents’ contact information after he left. Now she knew she should go back to her condo, but didn’t want to leave. Pressing her nose to the soft leather, she inhaled Max’s scent deeply.
He’d told her to stay here while he was gone. That sometimes maneuvers were canceled or finished quickly. Max might even be home before morning.
Inside, she had a feeling that wouldn’t happen. She missed him so much. How did she care so much about him after such a short time? The answer popped into her mind before she could finish the thought.
She loved him.
Closing her eyes, Saylor wished with everything inside her for Max to be safe. She needed him to come back. Should she leave? Saylor had packed a few things to stay with Max before going to her meeting. Her bag was out in her trunk. Maybe she should go out there to get it.
The slam of several car doors intruded on her deliberation. Saylor sat up. The noise was close. Did Max have angry neighbors? She’d not noticed them before.
Curious, she stood and walked toward the window to look outside. When she was a few feet away, a tremendous thump on the front door made her jump. Instantly, she darted out of sight and leaned on the wall behind the door.
“Hey, ass wipe!” The person pounding on the front door continued nonstop.
Saylor could see the wood moving under the force of the blows. Would it hold? She wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to freak out. After checking her pocket for her phone, Saylor glanced over at the couch. She’d left the device on the cushion.
“Yeah, ass wipe! That’s almost too good a name for him!”
“Get out here and apologize. We aren’t leaving until you learn how to treat women.”
“You would have been trading up to get us instead of that bitch. I bet her hair isn’t even blonde.”
Saylor covered her mouth to quiet her breathing. They were talking about her now.
“We’ll pull it out by the roots and find out!”
She needed to get her phone. Walking across the room would expose her in the window. They were sure to see her and get more riled up. How could she stay hidden and snag her phone?
Forcing herself to stop looking at the door, Saylor scoped out the room. Max didn’t have a lot of furniture. Could she crawl behind that chair and use the coffee table for cover? It was better than waiting to see what they would do next.
“Hey!” A new voice came from a different direction. Across the street? A dog barked, sounding ferocious. Saylor moved as that woman continued, “What are you doing? Get away from that door! I’m going to call the cops.”
By the time the threat was out of the neighbor’s mouth, Saylor had used the distraction to run across the room and snatch up her phone. She ducked behind the couch and took deep, slow breaths, trying to calm her breathing.
“Ah!” Saylor dropped the phone in her hand when it buzzed. She clapped her hand over her mouth, hoping they hadn’t heard her. Please, please, please! Surely those women would leave when threatened with calling the police.
The thumping ended abruptly. It was working! They’d stopped pounding on the door.
“How many fucking women does this jerk have?” a voice close to the door asked.
“What a creep!”
She held her breath, trying to hear anything else. What was going on out there? A few seconds later, she heard car doors slam and the squeal of tires.
Saylor looked down at the phone and spotted a message from a name Max had sent her a short time ago. Aspen.