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)
The moment she gasped, I wrapped my other hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss, sweeping my tongue inside her mouth. She tasted like champagne and fury. As I kissed her, I lifted my hips to grind my hard cock against the backs of her thighs.
Her head jerked back. Breathless, she twisted her fingers into my shirt. “And you have a dirty mind.”
I eased my grip on her neck to push my fingers deeper into her soft, curly locks. “Aren’t we a pair.”
“We are not a pair. You are a kidnapper and possible murderer. You’re taking me to New York?” she spat out. “Why New York?”
“There is a man there I trust who owes me a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“A special one that requires secrecy.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Who is this guy?”
“A priest.”
Her chest rose, brushing her perfect tits against me. Erratic and worked up looked good on her. “Sweating heaven, Greyson? Are you going to confess what I can only assume are your many…many…sins, including kidnapping me?”
I shifted to place my arms around her waist and strengthened my grasp. I would need a tight hold on her. “Not exactly. We’re getting married.”
Her grip on my shirt loosened as she tilted her head back and laughed. “Married? Very funny.”
“I’m not laughing.”
Her brow furrowed. “You can’t be serious?”
“I assure you I am. Deadly serious.”
“Married?”
“Married.”
“To you.”
“To me.”
She leaned back, pushing against my arms. She studied my face for several breaths, then said, “No.”
“You stumbled upon something monumental regarding my associate’s vengeful intentions. Silence is golden, Hailey. Our marriage will ensure yours. It’s simple. Marry me and you live.”
She pressed a hand over her heart. “Wow. Just the kind of proposal every girl dreams of. Marry me so I don’t have to kill you.”
I cupped her jaw and ran my thumb over her lower lip. “Well, I am a romantic.”
“No.”
“You don’t get to say no.”
“And yet, I just did.”
“Cute.”
“Fuck you.”
“Maybe later after a post-wedding snack. Did I mention there’s a bed on this plane?”
She pushed off my lap and rose to pace in front of me, hands on her hips. “I won’t be a piece in your sick little chess match.”
“But you already are,” I responded coldly. “You wouldn’t listen, Hailey. This is the only way to keep you safe.”
“Safe? With you? What a joke. Turn the plane around.”
“I’m afraid that’s not an option. It’s too late for that. FAA regulations, and all.” I smiled.
“You think some stupid piece of paper is gonna stop me from telling the entire world the truth? From trying to save my friend? If anything, giving me your last name gives my story merit. They might not listen to a nobody with conspiracy theories, but as your wife? Reporters will fight to get to me.”
“Fighting me is pointless. And a little stupid. I’m trying to keep you safe, Hailey, and if you thought about it for more than a second, you’d realize that you have far more to gain from staying with me, by my side, than you ever could alone.”
Her defiant eyes locked onto mine. “You underestimate me, Greyson.”
I set my glass down then rose and advanced on her until she fell back into her seat. I leaned my hands on her armrests and loomed over her. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m counting on that fire. Together, we’ll be unstoppable. Don’t you know how powerful a married woman without a prenup is?”
Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, but her chin jutted out. “And if I refuse? If I fight you at every turn?”
“Then it will be a marriage of thrilling battles,” I replied. “But in the end, I’ll still win.”
Hailey’s voice was barely audible over the jet’s engines. “You may have me trapped now, Greyson, but remember, every game has its end. And I don’t like to lose.”
I leaned closer, our faces inches apart. “That makes two of us.”
CHAPTER 45
MADISON
Pierce leaned over me. “Do you have a death wish?”
I pulled on my restrained wrists. “No.”
His gaze focused on my mouth. “Stop saying that word.”
“You just asked…”
“I know what I asked. Stop saying no to me.”
“Is anyone allowed to say no to you?”
His lips quirked into a dangerous smile. “No.”
The blood rushed in my ears. I could no longer look him in the eye. It was too terrifying. Still, I had to… “No.”
Maybe I did have a death wish.
His hand slipped from my cheek to wrap around my throat. “What did you just say?”
I tilted my head back to ease his grip. He wasn’t cutting off my breath but restricting it. “You heard me. No. To answer your question, I won’t marry you.”
I definitely had a death wish.
Or maybe I’d just had enough of being pushed and pulled around.
He climbed onto the bed, settling his weight between my thighs and hovering menacingly over me. “It was a command, not a question. I don’t need an answer from you.”