Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“He said something about you stealing his script, according to Shane,” she said.
“Can’t steal something I’ve never read.” This was what he dealt with constantly. Everyone wanted a favor. Everyone wanted a leg up, and when he couldn’t come through they turned on him. He was the monster who kept them down. He was the asshole who’d taken everything but gave nothing back. He’d fucking heard it all.
“Let’s go down and talk to the police,” she said. “Do you want to press charges?”
He felt his jaw tighten. Pressing charges meant he would have to show up in court. Not pressing charges meant the jerk would go on his merry way. “I don’t know. Let’s see what all he did. He’s not the first asshole to throw something at my house. I can’t imagine he’ll be the last.”
She nodded and started to move. He reached out and it hit him suddenly that he was about to go talk to a bunch of cops and all she would have to do is take off the scarf she’d draped around her neck and he would be the one they were taking in.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She stopped. “I didn’t say you did.”
“No, but I suspect I should pay for it. How much to keep you from explaining the situation to the cops?”
Confusion clouded her expression. “What?”
“Let’s call it a bonus for putting up with my poor behavior. I’ll write you a check. Ten thousand? Fifteen?”
Her face softened and she moved into his space. It took quite a bit for him not to step back. She seemed to understand that he needed space because she suddenly moved to the door. “It wasn’t poor behavior, Joshua. I scarcely think you end sessions with breath play. Besides, that was one thing you were uninterested in.”
Because he didn’t want to hurt anyone that way. “Still, that is how I ended it.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. I triggered you when I put you on the floor. I didn’t know. I reacted because I wasn’t sure what I heard and I always think gunshots, not rocks. I’m sorry. Is it any time you find yourself restrained or only when you’re facing down?”
He didn’t want to talk about this, but her voice was soft, as though she understood. And really, she deserved an explanation. He’d fucked her silly and then tried to kill her. It wasn’t how he’d seen the night going. “I’m okay on my back. I don’t like not being able to see what’s coming at me.”
She nodded. “Okay. I promise I’ll remember that in the future. And don’t insult me like that again. I get that everyone wants a piece of you, but I merely want to do my job and do it well, and that means not allowing you to be killed. It also means not killing you myself. I’ll have to think about it if you can’t stop accusing me of betraying you before I even have a chance to put in a solid day’s work. Can we agree on that?”
He found himself nodding. “Yes.”
“And Josh, I enjoyed myself before then.” Her lips curled up briefly before she was back to business.
Had she? He knew she’d enjoyed the sex, but there had been that moment right before all hell had broken loose when he’d sensed her pulling away from him.
It didn’t matter because she was accepting him for now. He followed her downstairs, willing to try again.
* * * *
Kayla stepped on the stairs, calling out before she turned down the flight that led to the main floor. “Officers, I’m bringing Mr. Hunt with me. I am armed.”
“Come on down,” a deep male voice said. “Mr. Burke explained the situation. Mr. Hunt’s staff already sent over copies of the security teams’ concealed carry licenses. You’re all up to date paperwork wise.”
She stepped down, fairly secure they weren’t going to shoot her. “He’s very organized since I just got in this afternoon. Thank you for coming out, Officers.”
They introduced themselves as Officer Hernandez and Officer Keller, two big, fit men who obviously had a couple of years’ worth of experience under their belts.
“No problem,” Hernandez said. “Mr. Hunt is a valued member of our community. He’s also the most likely member of our community to get harassed. We’ve been telling him to bring in private security for years. Looks like it already paid off. You okay, Josh?”
Josh moved from behind her, gesturing to the big living room. “I’m fine. Please come in. It’s nothing more than another crazy. I’m sorry you had to come out to deal with it.”
“Nah, it’s cool,” Keller said. “We go off shift after this. You want us to take him in? I’m a little worried about this one. When we came in, he was spouting some crazy shit, and you know the press will be all over it. I might be able to put him on a psych hold. No press allowed there. I happen to know all the beds are full here, so we can ship him downtown.”