Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
He’s elderly, maybe in his seventies, his eyes are very blue, and his hair very white.
“Heard you had a fall Miss Ava, how are you faring?”
I smile and look down at the elevator floor as he presses the button.
“I’m feeling much better thanks to Gabe and Eli.”
“Heroes those boys.” His chuckle is full of happiness and trust, I can taste it in the air.
“Hired me after I already retired to help take care of my family, best job I ever had. Good people. Really good people.”
I wasn’t so sure about Eli yet, but I agreed with his assumption of Gabe.
“Yes. Yes, they are.”
The elevator dings, he holds out his hand.
“Oh, did you need the code to Mr. Eli’s apartment?” He starts digging around in his jacket.
“No need.” I grab my phone and hold it up as a text from Gabe comes through.
“I have it right here.”
He nods.
“We have alarms set up for you just in case and the assistant next door was a nurse in another life, no need to be concerned, you’ll have a restful sleep.”
What if I want a fitful one where I get my hair pulled though?
I shake the weird random thought away and touch the paperclip elastic band in my hair.
“Right. Thank you.”
I take a deep breath and choose to walk to my apartment first. I type in the code, change out of my clothes and, since I know I’m not seeing him at all, take off my bra and throw on a white shirt and black sleep shorts. I keep the paperclip elastic in and put on the Birkenstocks I’d bought the other day, then grab the portfolio and check my phone again, bringing it with me.
I laugh. His code is 6666.
Ah, just take one away and we have grumpy alpha, I’m still laughing when I get to the penthouse with the schedule. I type it in really quick. The beeping sound hits and it turns green.
It’s massive. I didn’t exactly expect the penthouse to have two floors or for it to have a panoramic view of the city.
A full, tempting glass of red wine rests on the counter. How wasteful! I look around and I know I shouldn’t, but I lift it to my nose and smell. It’s clearly expensive. I take a quick sip, then another, before setting it back down and arranging the portfolio on the pristine white counter.
I take one last look around, tempted to jump onto his fluffy white blanket covering his jet-black sectional, but think better of it.
Frowning, I notice the fireplace is going and the sliding glass doors that open to the balcony on both sides are slightly open.
Seriously, this guy. Does he have any responsibility toward electric bills, air, wasted wine, people, at all?
I close the sliding glass pocket doors and make sure to lock them, then ten minutes later locate the controller for the blue rectangular fireplace set in the middle of the room.
“Off.” I click it and end up turning down the lights, well I guess that’s not the worst idea, I leave as is. The only light filtering into the apartment is from one of the rooms off to the right and the outdoor lights, making it still possible to see but making it more intimate.
“Never dates, my ass.”
I set the remote down and notice another light on in the hall. Should I turn that off too? If he knows later that I was here he’s going to probably blame me for whatever reason.
Begrudgingly, I walk toward the light and stop at the primary bedroom.
So wasteful!
“Damn rich people.” I reach to turn off the light on the side of the room when I hear a noise. Frowning, I follow it into the master bathroom, a candle’s lit.
Is there no end to his immaturity?
I blow it out, it’s darker but still, I can see.
I turn around to leave when a dark figure appears between the bathroom and bedroom. He turns around quickly, his eyes electric blue, his hair wet.
And completely naked.
I. Am. So. Totally. Fired.
I weakly say.
“I was dropping off the portfolio and saw lights and didn’t want to waste electricity.”
His chest heaves, his mouth parts as he braces himself against the wall and screams.
“LEAVE!”
Chapter 13
Golden Ox
ELI
I need her to run.
I need her to leave.
I thought I smelled something but thought I was imagining things, fucking Gabe! He did this on purpose, that asshole’s going to get the shit beat out of him if I ever make it out of this bathroom naked and alive.
Right now I don’t know what to do, mentally I’m convincing myself to just yell, physically I have so many other ideas that sound better, sound way better. My incisors start to extract when her eyes roam my body. When her breaths come out in tiny pants, when her nipples harden.
I’m gone.