Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Madison stepped away and moved deeper into the library. She raised her arm and slipped her fingertips over the spines with reverence. Coming to a stop, she closed her eyes and inhaled.
I didn’t have to ask why. As a fellow book lover, I knew how intoxicating the scent of leather, varnish, and pulp mixed with close to a century of wood smoke was.
“Do you like my library?” There was no point in denying I deliberately brought her to this room to impress her. What I would deny was the reason why.
Stepping back from the bookshelves, she wrapped her arms tightly across her chest. “What happens now?”
If I told her the truth…she’d try to run for the cliffs again.
As she stood before the roaring fire, all I could think about was tearing off her clothes and fucking her on the thick Persian rug. I wanted to pour ridiculously expensive wine over her body and drink from her navel, weave strands of pearls in her hair and crush rose petals under her knees as I took her from behind. I wanted to hear her read her favorite book to me while I licked her pussy until she couldn’t focus on the words printed on the pages anymore.
My brother’s death had been a lie, and I’d known almost from the start.
Jameson was never as clever as he thought he was.
It was clear his plan was to make people think he was dead, kill me, then take my place.
My assumption was he intended Madison to be a witness to the crash to make it credible, and nothing more—which was precisely why I framed her for murder.
Jameson may have set up the game, but I changed the rules.
Just to fuck with him. And to draw him out.
At the time, I assumed a few weeks in jail and a couple million dollars for her trouble would settle it. Madison would sign an NDA and move on.
Then I saw her at the funeral, and everything changed.
She was standing at a distance.
At first, I thought it was an illusion.
That ethereal quality of innocence and taboo sensuality like a Fragonard painting come to life.
When I finally met her…touched her…tasted her.
Something shifted. I viewed her innocence and natural beauty as a vacuum that needed to be filled with all my dark, obsessive desires. As if she were some untouched vessel for me to spoil.
That moment in the bookstore became my favorite fantasy. Not just the memory of her on her knees, her beautiful eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her mouth reluctantly open, waiting. Or the sight of her swallowing my hot come, knowing the taste of me would be in her mouth the entire time she was handcuffed and led away by police officers under my control.
It was the look on her face in that very first moment.
Pure guilelessness, as if she truly didn’t know there was evil in the world.
As if monsters could only exist between the pages of a book, and good always won.
As if it had never occurred to her that powerful men with money put their thumb on the scales of justice every day.
I advanced toward her.
Madison backed up.
My eyes narrowed. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
Without warning, I lunged. Snatching her around the waist, I pulled her against me.
She flattened her palms against my chest and tried to push away.
I wrapped my hand around her neck and jerked her forward to within an inch of my mouth.
I lowered my gaze to her lips, then back up to her eyes. “I’m going to make something very clear, Madison. You are more of a prisoner here than you were in jail.”
Her lower lip trembled. “You know I’m innocent.”
My lips skimmed over hers. I breathed in her air as I forced her to breathe mine. “I know, babygirl. Innocence has nothing to do with any of this.”
Fuck, I loved the feel of her hands on my chest.
“Won’t the police come looking for me?”
“I’m going to take care of all of it. You no longer need to worry about it.”
Skylar had shown her hand. My men had followed her straight to Jameson’s hiding place.
His scheme was unraveling.
Now it was time to start my own game—one that would see Jameson completely destroyed.
One that involved Madison playing a very different role.
She frowned. Her gaze moved over my face. “So just like that? You ruined my life on a whim and now you’ll make it go away just as easily?”
I ran my thumb over her lower lip. There was no point in denying it. “Yes.”
She tried to break our embrace.
I tightened my hold.
She tried again, beating against my chest. “Let me go!”
“No. I’m not done with you yet.”
Her ruined blouse fell open, exposing her white lace bra.
“What if I’m done with you?”
“Unfortunately for you, that isn’t how this works.” I pulled her tight, pushing her breasts higher as they pressed against me. “I’m the one with all the power. The control.”