Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 41073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
“And you expect me to believe you?” The rage poured off him and as he took out his cell phone, he marched across the room. His fingers went around her neck. He didn’t cut off her air, but it was close. Fear rushed down her spine and she gripped his hands. This was not what she’d come here to do, but now she wished she’d taken whatever chance she could to escape. The pain in her shoulder was already increasing. He wasn’t helping her to calm down as he tightened his hold on her.
“Let me go.” She got the words out through gritted teeth.
“Tell me why you were monitoring my office.”
She didn’t get to hear the response, but with each passing second, he loosened until he finally let go.
Stumbling away from him, she rushed toward the door, but he was there, a hand on the door, stopping her.
His body was close to hers. Tears filled her eyes as feelings rushed through her body. She wanted him and that, she couldn’t stand. He’d hurt her and here she was, wanting him. It was sick and horrible. She hated it.
“I’m … sorry.”
“I want to leave,” she said.
“Why did you come to my office?”
“Not to get attacked.”
“Grace, I should have asked you.”
“You did ask me. You didn’t believe me.”
“Look, I’m not used to trusting people.”
She spun around and stomped her foot. “I’m not other people. Remember that. I don’t go around lying to people, and I didn’t even see that stupid phone. I sat and was thinking about you because I’m an idiot. Clearly. I need to be as far away from you as possible, but I wanted to talk about what I said last night, and my shoulder is hurting. I don’t like you gripping my throat. I hate it. I hate you. And I just want to go home.”
He wrapped his fingers around her throat, and this time, his entire body pressed against her front. The grip wasn’t threatening or dangerous, but … pleasurable as his lips brushed against her ear.
“I can tear away every single bad thought that gives you pain. Imagine me holding you like this, completely naked as I slide my cock inside you. I can have you craving every single inch of me. There can be a great deal of pleasure in pain.” His other hand moved from the door and she whimpered as he cupped her between the thighs.
She didn’t tell him to stop, but closed her eyes, spreading herself open for him, offering herself willingly to his touch.
“Do you feel that, Grace? You’re rocking against me and that’s not because of fear, but because it’s what you want.” He licked her ear, biting down, and she moaned his name. “It is going to take me a while to get used to you being so fucking sweet, but I’ll get there. Now tell me what you came here to say.”
He let go of her neck and took a step back.
She missed his touch. Placing her fingers where his had been, she felt a little dazed. “I’d like to go to my room or go and check on James.”
“Running away?”
“I don’t feel comfortable discussing it.”
He smiled. “Do I make you nervous?”
“Being strangled and killed makes me nervous. What you do is just rude.” She released her hand. “Can I go?”
“No, not until you tell me what you came in here for.”
“Where were you?”
“Taking care of business.”
He removed his jacket and turned toward her. He rolled up his sleeves, displaying the endless ink he had decorating his arms. She loved tattoos and had always wanted to get one herself but feared the needles.
“I came to give you an answer to your ultimatum, but I don’t need to anymore.”
“I know what your answer is going to be, and think long and hard before you leave this room, Grace. I know you’re a kind person, but I never took you for an idiot.”
“Leaving you without giving you an answer doesn’t make me an idiot. You’re … horrible.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard, and you relish that reputation, don’t you? A beast is what I’ve heard they’ve called you.”
He took a step toward her. “You never want to find out why they call me that, Grace. If anyone else were to talk to me the way you do, their throats would be slit and they’d be dying on my office floor right about now.”
“Then why don’t you kill me?” she asked. She wanted to kick herself. She wasn’t begging for death. This was so fucking wrong on so many different levels. The last thing she wanted was to die. There was so much to live for.
“Why would I kill you when I know we can find so much pleasure together?”
The endless promise within his words was tempting, but there was no way she was going to submit to him. “You think I want you to even touch me after you grabbed me like that?”