Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25855 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25855 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“What took you so long?” he asks.
Speaking will only mean stumbling over my words, so I don’t even try. Instead, I blink away my stupor and watch as he comes closer, his brows narrowing in understanding—as if he knows of my struggle. He grabs my hand and pulls me into the gazebo.
Pulls me right into him.
A yelp of surprise escapes me, but other than that, I don’t have time to react. He backs me into a pillar, the stone harsh and cold against my spine, and our lips collide. His hands are everywhere—in my hair, sliding over my bare shoulders, gripping my ass. Desperation and need fuel his actions, sending us both into a lustful fever, and I clutch his shirt as the taste of his kiss annihilates me.
His arms feel like home, like belonging, and I don’t have the mind in this moment to feel guilty for the notion.
“I was starting to think you ran for the hills,” he says, his hungry mouth trailing down my throat.
“Sorry.” I try to catch my breath as he lingers at my collarbone. “Didn’t find your note at first.”
“It’s okay. You’re here now.” He kisses his way to the top of my cleavage, and his thumb grazes my nipple. “In my arms where you fucking belong.”
His declaration, his fervent touch…everything he says and does shakes the ground under my feet. The destruction leaves my world in a dizzying sense of chaos. He’s lighting me on fire, and I’m burning brighter than the sun. My chest heaves underneath his roaming hands, and when he palms my breast, I unravel, letting out a cross between a moan and a whimper that betrays me.
“How long has it been?” he asks.
“How long has what been?”
“Since you got off.”
I grab his scruffy cheeks. “I think you already know.”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking.”
“The doctor honored the deal you made.”
“Was there anyone else?” Something close to possessiveness strains his tone.
“You were the last one, Sebastian.”
“If I had my way, I’d be the only one.”
“For the next month, you will be.”
He inches back, his sea-blue gaze burrowing into me. “You’re mine now, princess.”
A shudder tears through my limbs. I swallow hard, much too aware of the private setting that embodies the word tryst. “Why are we here?”
“The library is crowded with history, don’t you think?”
“I think the entire estate is.”
“You’re not wrong.” He drags a thumb across my mouth, tempting my lips to part. “But I’ve always found this place comforting. It’s quiet…secluded. No one comes back here much.” His attention wanders around the gazebo, and for the first time, I notice the zodiac chart carved into the marble floor. Ironically, we’re standing on the line between Cancer and Leo.
“Did you and Lilith come here?”
He frowns. “How about we leave the past where it belongs for now?”
“The past won’t just go away. Lilith said as much at breakfast.”
“Maybe not, but we can make it disappear for a while.”
“How?”
His gaze cuts to the gardens and the tower beyond. “What do you say we get the hell out of this place for a couple of days?” Stepping back, he holds out a hand.
“What about dinner?”
“Forget dinner. It’s not important.”
I blink. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.”
“Is blowing it off allowed?”
“It’s my month, princess.” He grins. “We’ll call this little getaway my gift to you.” Enclosing my hand in his, he ushers me out of the gazebo and down a path I haven’t yet explored. We descend a steep staircase, clearing the cover of trees, and my eyes widen. Through the iron gate, a sleek black car idles on the road that winds down the hill on which the estate sits.
“Wait,” I say, tightening my grip on his fingers.
He glances at me over his shoulder, concern lining his gorgeous face. “You don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that.” Embarrassment heats my cheeks as I let his hand slip from mine. “Vance did something.” I avert my gaze, and as he steps closer, his black and white sneakers come into view.
“What did he do?”
“He inserted an anal plug…to prepare me for…” I force my chin up. “I’m not sure when, or how, it should come out.”
A smile ghosts across his lips. He closes the inches between us, his mouth lingering at my ear as he slides a palm down my spine. His caress taunts the warm, snug toy through my dress. “When we get to where we’re going, I’ll gladly take it out.”
I let out a breath. “Okay.”
“C’mon,” he says, his fingers entangling with mine once more.
I follow Sebastian through the gate, and as we descend the final steps to the road, my brother appears from the vehicle. “Your getaway ride is ready.”
“Did anyone see you leave?” Sebastian sends a cursory glance down the empty street.
Landon shakes his head. “I don’t think so. No one will miss you until tonight.”