Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“Didn’t want to tip your hand,” she said thoughtfully.
“Yes.”
It was a bit of a stretch but I didn’t feel all that guilty about being vague. I could not drive and plan a wedding. Tomorrow would be soon enough to hit the road.
I had other motivations as well. The house we had was nice. Clean. A good place to woo her. I really wanted to hold her tonight.
This place was a hell of a lot nicer than some motel we found along the way.
I just had to make sure I did not take her virginity until after the wedding. It was going to be hard, literally. But she deserved a white wedding. Not to mention that her cousins had been very specific about that requirement. They had also been very explicit about what they would do to me if I broke their rules.
“I am hungry,” she announced as we pulled up. “Is there anything to eat?”
“There is,” I said, I said hiding a smile. A lot of women hid their appetite. My girl did not. It was adorable. “Do you want some steak?”
“Yes, please.”
I had her stay right behind me as we walked through the house, making sure we were, in fact, still alone. The meet up had taken most of the day. It was nearly time for dinner.
And I wanted to hit the sack early. Not alone, for once. Not in the chair just watching over her, either.
Though that would probably be the smartest course of action. The safest. For her virtue anyway.
“All clear. How would you like your steak, you little carnivore?”
She smiled at me so sweetly. I felt it like a shot to the gut. Her beauty was sharper than a knife. She was pure as the driven snow. But that smile was far from innocent.
“Bloody.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Anastasia
“Hmmm, this is good,” I said, after swallowing a big bite of juicy steak. Vice was a little rough around the edges, but he could cook like a gourmet chef.
I found that I liked that roughness. I liked that he worked with his hands. That he knew how to do things.
He was the kind of man you saw in old Westerns. The hero, not the villain. Squinty eyed, noble, loyal, and righteous. Not to mention heart stoppingly handsome.
I bit the inside of my cheek. I wanted him to hold me again. I wanted him to kiss me again.
Part of me could hardly believe it had happened to me. I went from isolated schoolgirl, to a young woman in that moment. It was only one day ago. My first kiss.
Our first kiss.
It felt like a lifetime ago now. So much had happened since then. I couldn’t help but dream a little bit about what might happen in the future between us…
And what might not happen. It was that set of possibilities that made me feel ill at ease. If everything worked out for me, would it work out for us?
I might be free. If I was safe… truly safe… did that mean that Vice would leave me alone? He might not know I wanted him… I exhaled suddenly. I had been holding my breath.
It was very clear to me in that moment that I didn’t want a future without Vice. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t allow him his own choice or decision about the matter. I wouldn’t beg. I wouldn’t try and make him look after me. I had my pride, after all.
But if he left me somewhere, thinking I would be safe on my own, I was pretty sure my heart would break in two.
“Good?”
“Very good, thank you.”
He nodded absentmindedly and went back to his tablet, where he was furiously typing and clicking. In fact, he hadn’t stopped since the moment he had locked the door and declared the house and property ‘clear’.
What could I do to get his attention? I badly needed some reassurance and was not sure how to get it. I wanted him to hold me the way he had the night before. I wanted him to kiss me. And more.
I pouted a little bit and played with my hair but he didn’t notice. Then I started pouting in earnest. I should have been relieved that my cousins had not tried to kill my protector. Instead I felt deflated and worried. I sighed heavily and glared at him, then started pacing around the kitchen.
He still didn’t notice.
“What’s so engrossing?” I asked, finally leaning over his shoulder to peek at his tablet. He flipped it over and turned his face to look back at me.
He arched an eyebrow.
“Are you bored? I thought we could go to bed early but if you want to do a little training…”
I groaned and backed away with my hands raised.
“I think I will take a bath instead,” I said. I hastened up the stairs, feeling a little chastened. I wanted to go to bed early with him, though I was well aware that I was woefully inexperienced. It wasn’t as if he knew what I was thinking… did he?