Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
It’s nice to just enjoy his company like this and not worry about whether I’m interesting or pretty enough to keep his attention. I never really worried about those things with my past partners, but it wasn’t out of confidence in my looks or ability to keep them entertained. I just… didn’t care that much, and if my natural self wasn’t enough to keep them around, I could keep myself busy with other things.
With Nick, it’s not even a thought in my mind.
He’s the kind of guy I should be nervous around—rich and gorgeous and capable—but one look from him soothes all my concerns. It helps that he never takes his eyes off me, either. He watches me like he can’t get enough of the sight of me, and it draws me in like a moth to a flame.
“You mentioned when we met at the gala that you liked to read,” I say as we polish off the last bit of mashed potatoes. “What kind of books do you like?”
“I recently came across a new author that I’m rather fond of, actually,” he says with a shit-eating grin. “You might have heard of her. Riley Morgan, mostly short-form, all hand-written pieces —”
I cut him off with a hand over his mouth, glaring at him past a raging blush as his muffled laughter echoes from behind my palm.
“That’s enough out of you,” I say, squeezing my fingers over the rough stubble lining his cheeks. “If you answer the question, I’ll let you read more from my journal.”
He tugs my wrist down and hooks his foot around the leg of my chair to pull me closer in one smooth movement. My breath hitches in my chest as he ghosts his lips across my jaw, chuckling softly in my ear.
“Miss Morgan, we both know you’re not in charge here,” he croons. “I’ll do what I damn well please, and you’ll let me do whatever I want. Isn’t that right?”
I whine in defeat and drop my forehead down on his shoulder, my face flaming with arousal along with embarrassment now.
“Yes, sir,” I whisper.
He tucks one finger beneath my chin to tip my head up, forcing me to meet his blue-grey eyes, twinkling with mirth.
“What was that, Princess? I didn’t quite hear you.”
Heat floods my core, but before I can choose between repeating myself or just jumping him, a sharp knock sounds from his front door.
I jump in surprise and Nick’s head whips up, eyes narrowing sharply.
He told me he’d cleared the schedule of his usual staff for the night and had his assistant field any work messages for the evening. I certainly didn’t invite anyone over to crash our romantic evening. Nick’s brows pull together in a confused frown as the knock comes again, louder this time, and he huffs out a sigh before dropping my wrist and scooting his chair back.
His shoulders are tense, a dark glint to his eyes that I’m not familiar with, but the smile he offers me is as soft as always.
“Just a second, baby,” he promises, leaning forward to kiss my forehead before standing and straightening his button down. “Be right back.”
CHAPTER 19
NICK
Something feels off.
Maybe it’s just because of the timing—I’ve never had an unexpected guest aside from Thomas since I moved here, and he knows not to come calling tonight. I’m not usually a suspicious man, but the closer I step to my front door, the more my gut tightens with the insistent certainty that something is wrong.
I pause at the little storage table in my entryway, silently reaching beneath it to pull free the gun I keep there in case of emergency.
Normally, I wouldn’t be so concerned, but I have something to protect tonight. Riley is here, and if trouble has somehow decided to find me, I’m not going to let her get hurt. I’d rather her see me as a monster than have a single scratch on her skin.
I check the chamber to ensure a round gleams there before creeping closer to the door on silent feet.
Pulling up the security feed of the hallway, I’m met with… nothing.
There’s no one standing on my doorstep, no ghost of my past looming in the shadows. I lean into the peephole just to confirm it with my own eyes, but my doorway is empty. Tucking the gun into the waistband of my pants and hiding the bulge of it with my untucked shirt, I slowly pull the door open.
The only thing out of place is a manila envelope lying innocuously on my welcome mat.
Is this some sort of trick? A weird ding-dong ditch scenario? Did the building staff find some of my mail that had been misplaced and decide to bring it up?
“Nick?” Riley asks. “You’ve been out there a while, is everything okay?”
I jolt at the sound of her voice, scolding myself for letting my mind run so rampant that I didn’t even hear her coming.