Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
I hold my hand out for hers. As soon as she places hers into mine, every nerve ending in my body lights up, overloading my system with information. I process it in flickers of sensation, not sure what the fuck any of it means. But the overriding urge to lay claim to this woman like some marauder of old…that I understand. The desire screams to life, grabbing me by the balls.
The need to protect her at all costs is equally as strong, demanding I keep her safe above all else.
I bring her hand to my lips, brushing a kiss across her knuckles.
"You're safe now, lamb," I growl against her skin. "No one is going to hurt you."
She startles, her blue eyes going comically wide.
"Jesus Christ," Zion mutters. "You really don't listen, do you?"
"To you? Never. Why don't you go handle something that needs handlin', and I'll help Ms. Cooper get the intake paperwork completed?"
"Hurt me? Intake paperwork?" Emma tries to untangle her hand from mine. I hold onto it, reluctant to let her go. She's the softest thing I've ever felt, and she smells like sunshine. I didn't even know that was possible, but here we are. "Could you please let me go?"
"No."
Her pouty lips fall open in shock.
"Pretty sure you can't just touch her without permission, brother," Zion says, wry amusement lacing his tone. "It's illegal in all fifty states."
"I'm not touchin' her. I'm holding her hand."
"It's the same thing," Emma whispers.
"Nah, lamb. If I were touching you, my brother wouldn't be standin' here. I'm just keeping you safe."
Zion gapes at me like I've lost my mind.
Shit, maybe I have because I hear how batshit I sound, yet my reasoning seems perfectly rational in my mind. I don't want to let her go, and keeping her hand in mine seems like the perfect way to accomplish that.
But judging from the concerned look on Emma's face and the shit-eating grin on my brother's, I'm way off base here.
"I mean, of course, I'll let you go if you want." I reluctantly release her hand, trying to get my brain firing on all cylinders again. Jesus. I can't think through the clamor in my head.
"Thank you," she says, quickly thrusting her hand behind her back like she's afraid I'll make a play to steal it back.
"I'd say the pleasure is all mine, but it'd be a lie. Your hand is soft as hell. I much preferred when I was holdin' it."
"Jesus Christ. I cannot believe Gideon isn't here to see this shit."
"Zion? Fuck off," I growl.
He walks away, laughing to himself.
Emma looks like she's debating whether she wants to run after him.
I decide I should probably get this conversation back on solid ground before I scare her off entirely. "What is it you're needin' protection for, lamb?"
"You don't understand, Mr. Carmichael."
"Zayne."
"What?"
"My name is Zayne, baby girl."
"You don't understand, Zayne," she says, emphasizing my name in a way that makes me want to kiss the annoyed furrow from her brow. "Maybe you should listen to your brother more."
"Why? He never says anything interesting. He definitely didn't mention you being a client." That might be a lie, but I'm willing to risk my eternal soul here.
"Maybe because I'm not a client."
Thank God for small favors.
"Good. Then we can get the dating shit out of the way so I can put my ring on your finger." I grin, liking the way this is playing out. It's better than breaking the one rule my brothers and I agreed on when we started the firm. "Are you free tonight?"
"What? No." I'd be offended by the horrified look on her face if it weren't so fucking cute.
"Tomorrow night, then."
"I'm not dating you!" she cries, exasperated. "I'm here to pick up the contracts for Camila."
"Who?" I stare at her blankly.
"Camila Gomes, the publicist? She just hired your firm to provide security at events for her clients?"
Shit. Maybe I should listen to Zion more often because if this is what he was trying to tell me before Emma walked in, I heard none of it. And I don't remember Gideon mentioning it, either.
"And you work for Camila?"
"I'm her assistant," Emma says, her tone prime and fucking adorable.
Well, then it looks like Camila Gomes just hired me to personally oversee security at events. Because if Emma Cooper will be there, I damn sure will.
Chapter Two
Zayne
"Don't answer that!" I shout at Ma, hauling ass across the office to grab the phone from the desk before she manages to pick it up. Christ, I gotta make Zion teach me how to forward calls to my cellphone. I know he knows how. He does the shit all the time. Usually, when it's someone I don't want to deal with. Like him or Gideon.
"Don't yell at me, Zayne Matthew Carmichael!"
"Shit. Sorry, Ma."
She pats me on the shoulder and then steps aside, allowing me to snatch the phone up before one of my brothers tries to answer it from their offices.