Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
The TV flashed the room with changes in color. The sound played in the background, but I didn’t even notice it, too aware of him standing just feet away. I grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. “Did you need something or…?”
He stared down at me, as if he’d made his intentions perfectly clear.
Now I knew exactly why he was there.
It was heavy in the air between us, like a fog on a winter morning, causing an ache in the lungs with every breath. Now I was even more aware that I was pants-less, sitting on the couch in nothing but a white thong.
The stare continued, endless, no reprieve in sight.
Then he moved around the couch and took the seat beside me, leaving several inches between us. He leaned back against the couch, knees apart, his face turned toward me. “You know why I’m here.” His dark eyes shifted back and forth between mine, his voice powerful regardless of how quietly he spoke. “Show me why you’re worth the price you command.”
My heart quickened. My palms immediately turned cold and clammy. I was nervous…and I never got nervous.
He continued to stare, as if he’d just moved his pawn across the chessboard and now it was time to make my move.
“I…I’m not ready.”
His dark eyebrows furrowed.
“I don’t really know you—”
“Do you get to know all your clients before you fuck them?” His voice rose slightly, not just in volume, but intensity. “My protection isn’t free, sweetheart.” The endearment wasn’t remotely affectionate, just deeply sarcastic. “Earn your keep, or I’ll throw you out on your ass.”
“Look—”
“Don’t call my bluff.”
I’d already learned not to do that. “I thought we could work together to bring him down—”
“How? You have no skills or resources.”
“I wouldn’t say that…”
“And did I ever say I wanted to kill him?”
“No. But I assumed—”
“Don’t assume anything when you don’t know me.”
“He’s your nemesis. Why wouldn’t you want to kill him?”
A heavy stare ensued. “Stop asking questions as if you’re entitled to answers.”
“I don’t want to live here forever—”
“And you won’t live here by morning if you keep this up.”
I was getting nowhere with him, just pissing him off.
“You’re in the red, Camille. Better fix that. Before it’s too late.”
I remained paralyzed, far more intimidated by him than I ever was by Grave.
“Don’t pretend you aren’t attracted to me.”
My eyes flicked back to his face, a bit irked by his arrogance. “Watching a man shoot me in the face isn’t exactly a turn-on.”
“Really?” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Because watching you hold a shotgun to my chest was.”
I felt the heat flush my face and burn my stomach at the same time. His stare made me feel like I was on display, like I couldn’t hide anything. Not my thoughts. Not my emotions. Not anything.
“Right there.” His eyes shifted back and forth between mine.
My heart gave another lurch.
“I see it written all over your face.”
It didn’t matter that he was right. It still pissed me off to hear him tell me how I felt.
“The conditions for your asylum were clear. I’m not a man to be trifled with, so don’t let yourself believe there was any chance to manipulate me into having your cake and eating it too. You want my protection? You’re going to fuck me for it.”
I swallowed since my mouth had gone dry.
“Camille.” His voice deepened, issuing an order.
I had to obey—or be thrown out onto the street.
He reached for my blanket and slowly pulled it down, the soft fabric leaving my skin and exposing it to the air. The covering was removed completely, revealing my thighs and everything below. My shirt was a little long, so my panties were hidden from view.
He drew near, his face coming closer to mine, his body soap mixing with the scent of the scotch he’d drunk before he walked into my bedroom. His arm moved over the back of the couch, boxing me in there so there was nowhere to go. But he didn’t kiss me. He didn’t grab me. Just unnerved me with his proximity.
I’d left my life of servitude, but my reincarnation led me to the exact same position. I was still a servant, but now I had a new master. There would come a time when I would be free, when I could fall in love with someone, have a family. But that wasn’t possible until Grave was dead—and my new client was the only one who could kill him.
So I did my job.
My hand reached out for his sweatpants, and I immediately came into contact with unmistakable hardness. It was the source of his arrogance, that cocky smirk he sometimes wore. It stretched across the front of his sweatpants all the way to his thigh, traveling down the pant leg because it had nowhere else to go.
As my fingers dragged over the outline, I got to my feet. The shirt fell a little farther down my thighs. I faced the dark TV as I gripped the silky-soft material in my hands and pulled it over my head. The chilled air immediately hit my skin, making my nipples pebble and my breasts tighten.