Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
“You really don't,” she said, hurrying after me as I headed toward the bedroom where my clothes were. “I know I'm not the most experienced in these things, but I'm pretty sure clothes are unnecessary for what I need you to do.”
I actually fucking laughed as I turned into the suite’s closet, grabbing a pair of gray sweatpants.
I turned and cocked a brow at Serenity, who was standing there with a hand on her hip.
“I haven't agreed to anything yet, angel, but if you want to watch, the show will be free.”
A flush danced over her cheeks, and she spun around just as I dropped the towel.
“If the thought of seeing me naked makes you blush, there's no way you're ready for what you're asking for.” I jerked on my sweats, then pulled a white T-shirt over my chest. It wasn't the suits I usually wore around her, but at least I was covered enough to think straight.
“I'm perfectly ready,” she said as I moved into her line of sight again. “I just didn't want to ogle you like you’re nothing but a piece of meat. Besides, what I'm asking for can't take more than a few minutes, right? According to your friends and the little never have I ever game we played. That's all I need. Five minutes of your life in order to change the course of mine.”
I looked down at her. “Trust me, Serenity, if I got my hands on you, I would take significantly longer than five minutes. Just because I can get you off quicker than that doesn’t mean I would. Hell, just getting you ready to take me would require an hour and at least three orgasms. Only after that would I really get to work on you.”
Her lips parted, a little gasp escaping past them.
Fuck me, I wanted to pull that bottom lip into my mouth and suck it until she whimpered and clawed at me with need.
Not happening.
Can’t happen.
“I...” Her voice cracked. “I'm not trying to take advantage of you, Gareth. I promise. If I hadn't seen this favor chip in my bag, I'd be trying to find a flight out of the country.” A flash of fear coated her blue eyes, and everything in me roared to wrap myself around her, protect her.
I held my fucking ground.
Serenity sank onto the bed, shaking her head.
“He'll kill me either way. Doesn't matter if I run or if you decide to have sex with me. He'll make sure it looks like an accident.”
She said the words with such certainty that my resolve cracked into a million pieces.
I hated that I knew her world likely better than she did, because heiresses were cloistered, protected from some of the darker parts of the life while heirs like me were exposed to every horrid detail.
I sank down in front of her, needing to look into her eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks and something twisted inside of me.
“He's not going to lay a hand on you,” I said, an idea taking shape in my mind. “And neither am I.”
Defeat had her shoulders curling inward, like my words crushed her.
I tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet my eyes again. “What if I told you I had a solution that keeps you safe, protected, and unfucked?”
She sniffled and swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I'd say you were selling something.”
It shouldn't be possible.
It was an absolutely terrible fucking idea.
But it would keep her safe.
Her father wouldn't be able to touch her, and she wouldn't have to hunt down the next man she saw and beg him to take away her virginity.
It was an impossible idea, but the only solution in our world.
“Marry me,” I said.
“What?”
I almost laughed at the irony that I was already on my knees before her.
“Marry me,” I said. “Marry this mobster instead of that old fucker your father picked. He won't be able to come after you, and I won't touch you. You won’t have to run, constantly looking over your shoulder. You won’t have to resort to settling for a night with me. It's the best of both worlds.”
She furrowed her brow. “You'd rather marry me than fuck me?”
The way her sweet, innocent mouth wrapped around that harsh word had me grinding my teeth together in an effort to stay still. Everything inside me was screaming to bridge the distance between us, to give her exactly what she was asking for and more, but that'd be a line we couldn't come back from.
But marrying her?
It would be like a business arrangement, and I was very good at those.
“It's not like that,” I said, not wanting to give away the fact that what she was asking for was exactly what I’d dreamed of every night since meeting her. “If I fucked you right now, it would burn the deal he's trying to make, but it would give him cause to harm you. You think I want that?”