Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
They should have known seconds after it all went down in that gallery.
Something doesn’t add up.
But there’s not much I can do from here, without official access. Nothing I can do except what I’ve been tasked with, which is keeping her safe.
Which I’ll do with my life.
Glancing at my phone, I realize that I missed a text from Willow late last night.
Willow: I miss you. Stop being mad at me.
I blow out a breath and think about how to respond. Then, an idea takes shape.
Me: I’m not that mad, baby girl. Do you have some paperbacks that you don’t mind loaning out? Some of the romance ones?
Expecting her to still be asleep, I stand to leave, but the three dots appear on my screen, and I pause.
Willow: Wow, I had no idea you were into smut. I have plenty around here. What are you in the mood for? Small town? Sports? Alien smut?
What the fuck is alien smut? You know what? I don’t want to know.
Me: It’s not for me, smart ass. It’s for Lena. I don’t know, a little of each maybe? I don’t feel comfortable taking her to a bookstore.
Willow: I’ll put some together for her.
Me: Thanks. Love you.
Leaving my office, I walk down the hall to the bedroom. It already smells like her. Lena’s sweet oranges hit me as soon as I step through the door, and I stride right to the bed and climb over the covers, and over her body, planting kisses all over her precious face.
“Mm.” She shifts beneath me, pulls her arms out from under the blankets, and loops them around my neck, hugging me close. “Morning.”
“Good morning, gorgeous.” I bury my face in her neck and breathe her in. “We have to get to work.”
“Let’s play hooky and stay here. It’s too good in this bed.”
“Don’t fucking tempt me.” I nip at her ear, then drag my nose down her cheek and kiss her lips softly. “We have to get up. I’ll get you some coffee and start breakfast.”
“Okay. Give me five.”
By the time I’ve made her coffee and have scrambled eggs and bacon in the pan, Lena comes walking downstairs in her typical workout uniform of leggings, a form-fitting tank, and a zip-up hoodie. Her bra is thinner, and I can see the outline of her metal through the material, and I can’t resist moving over to her and brushing my thumbs over her nipples as I kiss her senseless.
“No one else is allowed to see these,” I grumble against her lips, making her grin.
“I don’t make a habit of walking around without a top on.”
“Even like this. I can see them through the shirt, and if anyone else sees you this way, they won’t have their eyes in their head for long.”
“Have you always had violent tendencies?”
I growl against her lips, making her chuckle.
“My thicker bra was dirty today, possessive man.”
“Buy more of them” is all I say before I go to check on the food and then dish us up. Thirty minutes later, we’re jogging toward the gym and obstacle course.
Over the past week, Lena’s breathing has improved as she’s adapted to the altitude. She’s hardly out of breath when we arrive at the course, and she props her hands on her curvy hips, scowling.
“You’re going to do great.”
“I’m going to make a fool out of myself, and you’re not going to want to fuck me ever again.”
I’m in front of her so fast, it startles her, my hand gripping the back of her neck, my forehead pressed to hers.
“There is nothing that could make me keep my hands to myself when it comes to you. This, what we do out here, has no bearing on my attraction to you. You’re not going to make a fool out of yourself. Give yourself some grace, Rebel. No one’s a master at this on the first try.”
She swallows hard and gives me a little nod, and then I back away.
“This is the starting point.” I point at the twenty rubber tires lined up side by side for her to run through, and then talk about the rest of the hurdles throughout the course, which spans a quarter of a mile. It’s rigorous as fuck, and it’s meant to be hard.
I can’t adjust it for her to go easier on her. I don’t think I would even if I could. She can do this. If not today, we’ll get her there.
“We’re going to time you on this. Eventually, I want you to be through everything, without failing, in less than fifteen minutes.”
She blinks at me. “How long does it take you to do it?”
“Eight minutes.”
“Christ.” She shakes her head, and she looks nervous as hell.
“Do you want me to do it first, and you watch?”
“Yes. Hello, eye candy.”
Shaking my head with a laugh, I hand her the stopwatch.