Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
“I wish I could be as decisive as you are.” That much was the truth.
He gave her a little self-deprecating smile. “All the years of having to make decisions quickly, I suppose.”
She bit down on her lower lip, regarding him soberly. For this one moment, she would have to be brutally honest with them both. “I want to do this, Gorya. I believe we might make good partners in some respects, but I have no doubt that you would expect a physical relationship, and I’m not capable of that. I’m just not.” She was a little ashamed to admit that to him, especially in light of what he’d revealed of his past to her.
His gaze grew even more focused. More intense. “Maya. You don’t have any idea of what we’re capable of together. You’re on step one hundred. We need to start on step one.”
“But that’s a huge step, and it will matter. I’ve tried to figure out ways around it. Sleeping in a different room or even a different building. You having other women when you need to.” The thought of it made her feel murderous, but she forced herself to put the idea out there.
“You know that isn’t going to work. Aside from the fact that I don’t want another woman, Rogue wouldn’t tolerate it. Let’s concentrate on getting to know each other before we worry about the minor things.”
She was getting close to another panic attack. How could he just dismiss what was the biggest obstacle in their relationship as if it were nothing?
“Gorya, you can’t just discount this. What would be the point of us working out ninety-nine steps and then getting to this and finding out we can’t overcome something so important?”
How could he not see that was the real deal-breaker? Even if they were the best at working side by side, it wouldn’t matter. They would eventually despise each other. She would never be able to take him sleeping with other women. She really thought she could sleep in the guest room, and when he had other women—discreetly of course—she would simply look the other way. What would it matter? She would welcome him turning his attention elsewhere, right? The moment the thought entered her mind, reality hit her.
Maya was already bonded with Gorya. That bond was strong and growing stronger with every moment in his company. There was no way she could tolerate him with other women. And in a lair, everyone would know that he was disrespecting her. She pressed her fingers to her temples to counter the pounding.
Gorya slipped smoothly from his chair. No effort. No noise. One moment he was across from her with the glass coffee table between them. The next he glided across the short distance and was looming over her. Maya immediately went into fight mode. Every cell in her body reacted to his closeness and the way he was looking at her with such intensity.
“What are you doing?” She held up her hand, palm out, a flimsy defense when adrenaline rushed through her veins, and it took everything she had not to draw up both legs and do a double kick to drive him away from her.
Not even blinking as he stared straight into her eyes, he slowly knelt. Her heart nearly exploded when his hands dropped to her knees and he pulled her legs apart, allowing him to move between her thighs. Heat pounded through her veins and pulsed in her sex. Heat that had nothing to do with Wraith and everything to do with her as a woman. She had no idea what to do with that—or with him.
“What are you doing, Gorya? This isn’t a good idea.”
“It’s the only idea. Where’s your knife?”
“My knife?” She echoed his words faintly. She felt faint. She wished she could faint. Fainting might just save them both. She wasn’t making a good showing here.
“Yeah, baby, your knife. I know you have several on you. Pull one out and hold it in your hand.”
“That would be dangerous. When I get nervous—and you’re making me a little crazy—I tend to strike out like a cobra and run for it.” He wanted honesty; she was giving it to him. She wasn’t about to apologize for learning how to survive.
“Your knife, Maya. You’ll feel in control when you have that blade ready.” His gaze never left hers.
She shook her head but pulled one of the blades from the sheath on her belt. The moment her fingers wrapped around the familiar handle she should have felt stable, but instead she feared for Gorya. She wanted to shove the knife back into the scabbard. She lowered the blade to her thigh, just inches from his hand.
“Tell me what you’re going to do.”
“We’re conducting an experiment to see if you can stand me being this close to you.”