Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Will she understand I just wanted to make sure she’d be safe?
That I needed time to figure it all out?
I scrub my hand over my face.
Once I get Margot in my arms, I’ll sort through the complicated web.
She’ll help me make sense of everything—help me form a plan.
She always does.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Jigsaw
Physically, I’m wrecked. Running on fumes. But everything else? Wired. Buzzing with the need to get home. To see Margot.
So desperate to touch her, I dropped a fuck-ton of cash on the next first-class flight out.
Don’t think I’ve ever wanted to see someone so bad in my life.
Every muscle in my body strains, silently begging the plane to move faster.
Even the extra legroom in first class isn’t enough—still feels like a cage, leaving me cramped, twitchy, and ready to crawl out of my skin.
Six goddamn hours of white-knuckling the armrest and trying not to throttle the chatterbox next to me who won’t shut the fuck up about how much he won in Vegas.
I bet I won more.
Teller was sure Griff would take it in the third, so I put that porn money I’ve been earning from the club to good use.
Pretty sure I’m going car shopping the second I get home.
“Good afternoon and welcome to Empire, New York. The weather—”
Thank fuck.
I blow out a long breath and gather my shit. Phone, earbuds, backpack. Shoulder’s stiff, back’s aching, but I’m moving like someone lit a fire under my ass.
Could’ve hugged the annoying fuck next to me when he stepped back and let me grab my shit out of the overhead compartment first.
The second my boots hit the jet bridge, I’m already reaching for my phone. No new texts from Margot, but that’s fine. I can see where she is on my phone.
Right where she’s supposed to be.
Where I’m headed now.
There.
On the other side of the security gate.
The second my gaze lands on Margot, I’m done. Absolutely feral to get my hands on her.
No more. I can’t be away from her this long again. I can barely function like a normal human.
She’s wearing a black long-sleeved shirt underneath a black-and-pink plaid dress. The dress is tight up top, showing off her perfect breasts, but the skirt’s loose and flowy, only hinting at her curves underneath. Her shiny black heels give her a little height.
I throw my bags on the floor and scoop her up into my arms immediately.
She lets out a happy squeak of surprise and throws her arms around my neck. “Welcome home!”
I answer by smashing my lips against hers.
“Oh,” she sighs and melts into my body.
“I missed you.” I pull away long enough to look into her eyes. “I don’t want to be away from you again that long.”
“I missed you too.” She slides down my body and I release her. “How’s your leg?”
Fuck my leg. Did she hear what I said? “Fine.”
“Good.” She loops her arms around my neck again, inviting me to pick her up.
Fuck yes. I lift her and seal my mouth over hers, licking at the seam of her lips, sucking on her tongue. She tastes like mint and something sweeter.
Home.
A few nervous, awkward chuckles ripple past us. Someone mutters, “Get a room.”
Don’t care.
She pulls back, her gaze darting to the side. “Let’s go,” she says against my lips. “Before security grabs us for a pat down.”
I follow her line of sight to two airport security agents, watching us with too much interest. Nosy fucks. I snarl in their direction, then pick up my bags, curl my hand around hers and start marching for the exit.
“Where’d you park?” I ask.
Her heels click over the concrete as she hurries to keep up with me. “Straight through here. In short-term parking.”
“Good.”
Once we’re in my truck and out of the garage, she flicks the blinker on. I reach over and tap her leg. “Go right.”
“Okay.”
“Here.” I point straight ahead. “Turn left at the next light.”
“What?” She laughs. “Why?”
“I can’t wait until we get to your place.”
She peers out the window. “This is a hotel.”
Smart woman. “Exactly.”
“Jigsaw, we don’t need to waste money on a hotel. We’re an hour from my house.”
“I told you, I can’t wait that long. It’s not a waste.”
“But—”
“Margot.” I angle my body toward her. “I won enough money on the fight. We can afford a hotel room for one night.”
She throws me a sidelong glance, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “Okay.”
That’s more like it.
We’re like newlyweds in some dipshit rom-com, holding hands and half-running into the hotel lobby. And I don’t even care.
Margot blushes and won’t look at the woman behind the counter who takes my credit card and slides two keycards across the desk.
“Enjoy your stay, Mr. and Mrs. Killgore.”
I like the way that sounds too much to bother correcting her.
MARGOT
I can’t believe we’re actually in a hotel.
Just to... have sex? In the afternoon?