Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
He didn’t let her finish. He moved so fast he was a blur, on her in a quarter of a second, his hands on her upper arms, giving her a little shake, and he wasn’t gentle. “We were mating, Sonia. Mating. There’s a difference. I’ve never fucked you. I never will. My leopard marked you. I marked you. You’re mine. My mate. We are tied for life. You don’t see other men, and I don’t see other women. I don’t get tired of you, and you aren’t going to get tired of me. This man who so carelessly was ready to throw you away is an idiot, and I’m fucking glad he is. I wouldn’t have you otherwise. I’d go through my life alone because someone who has no right to you claimed you.”
He pulled her up tighter against him, right up on her toes. “Look at me, Sonia.”
He waited until her gaze lifted to his. It was an effort. Every word he said gave her hope, gave her the burn of tears, so that little voice in the back of her head reminding her that men lied to get their way was pushed back further. When her lashes came up she found herself looking into that crystalline blue. Dark green swirled through the blue, a turbulent sea. He was angry, and that scared her a little.
“I’m not leaving you. I’m not going to put a bomb in your car. You’re mine to protect and treasure. I didn’t think I had a chance in hell of finding you, and believe me, I searched the world for you. For Shadow to find Gatita right next door was a miracle. I don’t throw away my miracles.”
“You could be killed for being close to me, Joshua. I know you work for Drake Donovan and you think you’re invincible, but not from him. I am not going to say anything else, because I won’t be responsible for getting you killed.” She had to give him every out. She was certain everyone believed her dead, but if they didn’t, if they were looking, she had to warn him what could happen. The men she was dealing with were first-class killers.
“Fair enough. But I do need to know if he’s leopard.”
“I don’t know if he is. I didn’t know I was until Gatita saved my life. Believe me, I was shocked when she emerged. I had several shocks that day.” She had nightmares. Not every night, but quite a few. She was traumatized by what had happened. She’d believed in Sasha Bogomolov. He’d been her rock when her world had gone to pieces. He’d taken such good care of her. She’d been barely eighteen and had no idea what to do. He’d sorted her life out for her and she’d believed in him.
“I’ve taken control of my life,” she said, wanting him to understand. “I didn’t know how to live before. I was barely eighteen when my mother died. He took over, paid the hospital bills, arranged her funeral and cremation. He helped me scatter her ashes in the sea. He did everything for me. When I ran, I didn’t know how to take care of myself. Now I do.”
He kissed the top of her head. “And you do it very well. When I made inquiries about the renovations, every single person I talked to said to go to Jerry, that he had a brilliant carpenter, an artist with restoration, and they named you.”
“My father was a carpenter. He liked to work with wood. I don’t know how he got mixed up —” She broke off abruptly. She was becoming far too comfortable with Joshua.
“My male needs to see your female for a little while. Are you comfortable with that? With letting them out to run together. If you’re not too tired?”
That was so perfect. She wouldn’t have to think and Gatita would be happy. She wanted her little female to be happy. Sonia nodded.
He caught the hem of the stretch lace camisole. “Let me. This thing is so damned sexy I can barely think when I look at you.”
Sasha had rarely had sex with her. Only when she’d initiated it. He had always been gentle, almost reverent, the opposite of Joshua’s wild, out-of-control, rough sex. She responded to Joshua’s way of touching her. The way he talked to her. He’d given her an orgasm – well, the first of many. Why she felt guilty over that, she didn’t know. Sasha had tried to kill her. She had no reason to feel guilty because she liked the way Joshua touched her.
She watched as he carefully folded the little top and put it on the table. He hooked his thumbs in the boy shorts and started to slide them down her hips. As he did, his head lowered and he caught her left breast in his mouth. Sucked hard. Fire streaked straight to her sex. He caught her nipple between his teeth and tugged.