Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
"But…"
I gently press a finger to her lips. "Not a dime, baby."
She hesitates for a long moment, holding my gaze, and then she nods reluctantly. "Okay," she whispers against my finger.
"I'm paying you back every penny first thing tomorrow."
"You don't have to—"
"Yes, I do. You've spent most of your life taking care of your mom. Now, it's your turn to be taken care of. I plan to be the man who does that. I've been saving for half my life, waiting for you. I've got you, baby."
"I can take care of myself," she whispers.
"Yeah, you can. You've been doing that. But just because you can do it doesn't mean you have to do it," I remind her. "You're allowed to put it down for a while and let someone else share the load. That's what you're going to do now."
Her gaze flits across my face, somber. "You're kind of bossy."
"And you're kind of perfect, so I guess it works out, doesn't it?"
She smiles even though I know she doesn't mean to do it, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're shameless, too."
"For you? Always." I press a hard kiss to her lips and then back off, closing her door.
When I climb in beside her, she's quiet, thoughtful. She doesn't say anything, but I feel her mind running a million miles a minute.
"Wade?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"You hit him at the bar because he insulted me then, too, didn't he?"
I hesitate and then sigh, not willing to lie to her. "Yeah."
She nods thoughtfully. "Okay."
I glance over at her, expecting more questions, but her lips are pursed again, her brows furrowed like she's thinking. She doesn't ask for details, and I don't offer them.
She also doesn't say anything else, not until we're back at her place, standing on her front step.
"Do you want to come in?" she asks, fidgeting a little.
"More than you know," I growl, backing her up against the side of the house to kiss her. My hands clamp around her hips, my control stretched to the limits at the thought of following her inside. I want it more than I want to breathe. But I know damn well what will happen if I do. "But I shouldn't."
"Why not?"
I groan softly, nipping at her bottom lip. "Because if I get you alone, I'm going to do my damnedest to get you naked and on my cock, Harlow. You just spent your life savings bailing me out of jail, and I'm fucking weak for you."
"Wade?" She tips her head back, her emerald eyes dark and full of some emotion that's as terrifying as it is thrilling.
"Yeah?" I mouth, my voice hoarse.
"Maybe I'm weak for you, too," she whispers. "M-maybe I want the same thing you want. Did you ever think of that?"
Christ.
Jesus Christ and all his saints.
I flatten her against the wall.
"Don't say it if you don't mean it," I rasp, my whole goddamn body shaking. "Don't tempt a desperate man, baby."
"I'm not," she practically sobs, her nails sinking into my shoulders. "Please, Wade. Please come inside with me."
She's so sweet, so goddamn sweet when she begs. How is a man supposed to resist that? How is he supposed to stand his ground and stay strong when she's begging? He can't. It's not humanly possible. It's just not.
The groan that rips from my lips feels like it comes from the depths of my soul. It's agreement, surrender, fucking everything all at once. My mouth lands on hers again, my kiss desperate, urgent.
She sobs against my lips, her nails digging into my shoulders as she presses so close I feel her heart thudding against my chest. It pounds frantically, like it's trying to beat its way out of her chest.
"Take me inside," she begs.
I scoop her up with my hands on her ass. Her legs go around my waist, the heat of her pussy nestling against my cock. Fucking hell, she's so hot, she's burning.
We stumble through the door, kissing, touching, both frantic.
"Bedroom," I growl, shoving the door closed with a foot.
"Down the hall. Left."
I'm moving before she's even finished speaking, one hand on her ass, the other working at the buttons of her top. My fingers are clumsy, popping threads and sending the little buttons flying just as often as I manage to get one safely undone.
She doesn't seem to mind. Every time one snaps, she moans louder, grinding against me. Her pussy rides right against my cock, and I know she feels every inch, knows she can tell how fucking wild I am for her.
"Keep going," I growl, using my hand on her ass to keep rocking her. "Take your pleasure from me, baby. Use me."
"I can't…I can't…" Her nails bite into the back of my neck, her head falling back. "Oh, God, Wade."
We stumble into the wall, knocking a painting askew.
I spin her, pressing her against the drywall, just to watch her writhe on the edge of torment and bliss for a moment. My hand slips between our bodies, beneath the waistband of her skirt. Somehow, my hat gets knocked onto the floor.