Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 142764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
She tips her head back and blinks furiously like she’s trying to stop herself from crying. Fuck, what did I do now?
"What's wrong?" I ask as I steer into the drive-through line.
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong. It’s just this was my mom’s favorite place. We’d come here anytime we could afford it, so it just holds a lot of memories for me. That’s all.” She dabs at the edge of her eyes before looking at me with a half smile. I’m undecided about whether we should get food here or not. I don’t want to ruin the date further. As if she can see me wavering in my decision, her smile widens. “Stop overthinking it, Drew. This place is perfect. Really. Much better than overpriced wine and meat-flavored foam."
“If you’re okay with it, then yes, but I don’t want to ruin the night further.”
“You didn’t ruin the night to begin with. Your father is the one who tried to, but I refuse to let him get that satisfaction.”
That’s my girl. I order for both of us, getting a few burgers, a couple of orders of fries, with some mayo for her since I know she likes to mix it with her ketchup for dipping. She leans over the center console and whispers, “Milkshake,” in my ear when we pull up to the window to pay.
With a shake of my head, I turn to the window and lay on the charm to get a couple of milkshakes added to the order as well. Bel is beaming with joy and takes the bags of food and milkshakes happily when we get to the second window.
With the goods in hand, I drive to a nearby park overlooking a small river. It’s perfect. I put the car in park and kill the engine, wishing I had brought her on my bike instead. Sighing, I turn in my seat and find her digging in the bags. She pulls out the mayo and ketchup packets and a thing of fries.
"I'm going to get this all over my nice dress." She frowns but then shrugs, shoving a fry between her pretty pink lips. “It’ll be worth it.”
I scan the sexy curve of her waist and down over her hip, and when she offers me a paper-wrapped burger, I shake my head.
"No, you eat. I want to explain everything first.”
She nods and takes a huge bite of her burger. A moan of pleasure escapes her, and I swear the sound goes straight to my cock.
“I’m going to need you to stop moaning like that if you want me to get any explaining done because all I can think about right now is replacing that burger with my cock.”
She lets out a snort and continues chewing while rolling her eyes. This feels so much more like us. She’s relaxed and happy. That’s all I could ever ask for, as long as I’m by her side for it.
"My father is pissed off because Sebastian removed his funding from the firm the other night.”
"Hwee thid?" she asks through a full mouth, and I can't help but grin at her.
"He did, yes. Since then, my father has got it in his head that he wants us to get married so he can get back into Sebastian’s good graces and hopefully gain access to the extensive Arturo fortune if something were to happen to one or both of us. It’s a fucked-up plan, but I’d expect nothing else from him."
I watch her face as what I'm saying sinks in. She swallows hard and wipes her mouth with a napkin. "You mean, he’s trying to pimp you out again, but this time to me instead?"
I shrug. "Yeah."
Her brow tugs together, and she looks like she’s trying to solve a puzzle. “I wasn’t supposed to find out, I’m sure, since you didn’t mention it to me, but is this why you want to kill him? Why you asked Sebastian for help?”
Fuck. I had hoped she didn’t hear that conversation before she entered the kitchen, but I guess she did. It doesn’t matter because I knew after what happened tonight I’d have to tell her the entire plan. There was no getting out of it. Yes, I wanted to protect her but I need her to know that I was serious.
With a long exhale, I slump against the seat. "I wasn’t trying to keep it from you, but I also didn’t want to drag you into it. It’s the kind of situation that if the wrong people find out I could end up in prison. I don’t want you to be an accomplice to a murder. And on the off chance my father didn’t die, he’d do anything to destroy us.”
“I don’t like it. I know you want him to die, and I’ll be the first to tell you he deserves whatever is coming to him, but the idea of you killing your own father. There’s no coming back from that. I’m worried you might fall off the deep end.”