Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“Time to go home,” I said.
Storee looked up at me, her eyes widening in surprise. “What? I can’t just leave in the middle of the party. I’m working.”
“You’re tired.”
She smirked. “So? I’m always tired. It’s called working.”
I clenched my jaw, knowing that I needed to get her out of here before I did something I would regret. “I said it’s time to go home. Now.”
“And I’m telling you I have to work.”
I grabbed her arm, pulling her close to me so I could whisper in her ear. “You’re not working anymore. You’re coming home with me.”
She yanked her arm back, her eyes snapping with anger. “I’m not your property, Locke. And I’m certainly not going anywhere with you.”
I leaned in closer, my voice low and dangerous. “You’re coming with me, Storee. I won’t ask again.”
Storee raised her chin defiantly. “And if I refuse?”
I didn’t hesitate. “I warned you last night and this morning… multiple times… what it meant the moment you and I fucked. Do we need a reminder?”
She scoffed. “What, are you jealous? You don’t own me, Locke.”
I leaned in close to her, my voice low and menacing. “I don’t want any man looking at you like they want to rip your clothes off. You’re mine now. I warned you.”
“I don’t want to upset the Godwins by leaving.”
“I’ll handle the Godwins.”
She looked at me for a moment, her eyes scanning my face before nodding. “Fine. I’ll go with you. But I’m doing this because I want to, not because you’re making me.”
I didn’t say anything, just grabbed her hand and led her out of the party and into my car.
As soon as we were in the car, I slammed my foot onto the gas pedal and sped away from the party, not bothering to look back. Storee sat in silence, her eyes trained on the passing scenery outside the window. I could feel the tension mounting between us like a coiled snake.
“I don’t like being told what to do,” she said finally, breaking the silence.
“I know,” I replied evenly. “But you need to understand that I’m not just anyone. I’m not some guy you can just fuck and forget about. I’m not a one-night stand.”
“I didn’t think that’s what this was,” she retorted, her voice rising in frustration.
“Then what did you think it was, Storee?” I asked. I glanced at her quickly before focusing back on the road. “And I don’t want you working those parties anymore. I never liked it, and now that you’re mine, I definitely don’t want you there.”
Storee was quiet for a few moments before speaking again. “I don’t like feeling like I’m someone’s possession, Locke.”
“I don’t see you as a possession,” I replied. “I see you as mine. Mine to protect, mine to care for, mine to make sure you never have to work as hard as you do. The days of you working multiple jobs are over.” I glanced over at her, but then returned my focus to the road. “If you truly enjoy the jobs, that would be different. Do you?”
“Well… no. I don’t. But—”
“Then it’s time you start focusing on actually doing what you enjoy.”
Storee looked down at her hands, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know what you’re in this for. But I know what I want. And I don’t want to be treated like some kind of object.”
“I don’t treat you like an object. I treat you like my woman.”
“I’m not your woman.”
“You are now.”
Storee’s eyes widened at my words, and I could see her mind working with the implications of what I had said.
“But being your woman doesn’t mean I have to give up my freedom or my identity,” Storee replied, her voice growing firmer. “I want to be with you, Locke, but I won’t lose myself in the process.”
“I don’t want you to lose yourself,” I said, my tone softening. “I want to help you find yourself.”
I knew that I had to tread carefully with Storee. She was a fiercely independent woman, and the last thing I wanted was to scare her off.
“I’m not trying to change who you are, Storee,” I added, trying to break the tension. “I just want to take care of you. You don’t have to work yourself to the bone anymore.”
She looked at me, her eyes searching mine. “And what do you want in return?”
I shrugged. “Just… you.”
Chapter 26
Storee
“I really should go back to my place,” I said as we entered Locke’s house. “I need a shower and all my clothes are at my house.”
“You don’t need any clothes,” he picked me up into his arms and headed toward the bathroom, “and a shower is exactly what I had in mind.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling his muscles tense and flex beneath my fingers as he carried me, and my heart raced. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had been crushing on Locke for a lifetime, and now here we were, in his house, and he was carrying me into the shower with him like two lovers who had always been together would do.