Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
“Didn’t call you that. Just said you had one. Stop interrupting me when I’m trying to explain how fucking amazing you are in my eyes.” She stared up at him and he felt comfortable continuing. “You take care of everyone around you. To the point of putting yourself in harm’s way.” He glanced down at the scar on her chest. It was slightly above her right breast, and there was no way to pretend it wasn’t a bullet wound. “I would love to meet the person who did this to you. You got it on a case, right?”
“Sort of.” Her hand came up, absently rubbing the scar. “I was protecting a friend. I didn’t do a great job.”
“Is she alive? Did she get shot?” He knew the story but he wanted her to say it so she remembered how amazing she was.
“No, she got away,” Harlow whispered. “And she’s engaged and happy now.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. Not what he wanted to kiss, but it still felt sweet to connect with her. “Warrior princess. Ask me. I’m going to say yes, Harlow. I’ve been waiting to say yes to you for a long time.”
Her eyes closed briefly, and when she opened them again there was a wealth of wariness there. “You’re going to break my heart.”
“Not if I can help it.” He didn’t mean to. He meant to heal it, to open it up so she could take everything they had to give her.
“Will you help me on my case, Niall?” she asked.
He felt a smile cross his face. “I will. But I think you should play with me. Tonight.”
“Are we negotiating?” Harlow asked, clear challenge in her voice.
“About the play? Absolutely. About me helping you? No. There are no conditions to my help. I’ll go wherever you need me to, do whatever you need me to do, but I thought we should probably talk about how you like to play. If you want to play with me, that is. But you know how this goes. I command and you decide because you’re always in control.”
She stared at him for a long moment and then her hands came up, one cupping the side of his face. He didn’t even fight the instinct. He leaned into her palm, loving the way she touched him. “I’m scared you’re too good to be true.”
Fuck, that made his heart hurt. He reached up and took her hand in his, brought it to his chest where his heart lay. “I’m only a man. I will disappoint you, but I’ll also try to make it up to you however I can. I have promises I made a long time ago, but I’m almost through those now.”
“Promises?” she asked.
“To an old friend,” he replied. “To my best friend. I have things I have to do for him, but when I’m done with those errands, I need you to understand that I’m going to put any relationship I have with a woman first. As I only have interest in one woman, I’ll put you first.”
“This errand? Is it dangerous?”
“It’s more like emotional support. I might have to answer calls and go meet him and I can’t tell you why. I can tell you anything I do isn’t criminal and won’t put you in any danger.” He wanted to tell her, but beyond his promise to Jensen he worried if she didn’t get to know him better, she would run as fast as she could. “But that only applies to when we’re not on this mission of yours. My house could be burning down and I wouldn’t leave your side. Do you understand?”
“I can understand the need to keep a promise, and I can definitely understand that sometimes we have to keep secrets.” She nodded as though making her decision. She moved in, getting close to him. “Then let’s play, Sir. Let’s see if this can work.”
He intended to make it so when she learned the truth, she couldn’t leave. Because he was pretty damn sure he couldn’t live without her.
Chapter Four
Harlow was deeply aware that every eye was on her.
Like every single person in the damn club was waiting for them to stop watching and start playing. Even her sister was back from dinner with Chloe. She was still in street clothes, but she was up in the bar, a glass of wine in her hand as she looked out over the dungeon.
Ruby and Gigi were standing across the floor. Neither of them had played all night, just walked around watching scenes and talking quietly.
She was pretty sure they’d dealt with Leah, who was nowhere to be seen.
Niall stood behind her as Gabe took a flogger to a sub’s backside. The young woman wasn’t familiar to Harlow, but Gabe often brought in women he met at other clubs. Like her, Gabe held a Sanctum membership. Unlike her, he also played at his father’s club from time to time.