Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Right. Well. That was crystal clear.
What Jase didn’t realize was that Tobias didn’t scare. He never hesitated to do what needed to be done. And if he had to take Jase out to protect Immy . . . then that’s exactly what he’d do.
Without any regrets.
Jase watched him, then nodded slowly as though he could hear his thoughts. And approved.
Tobias caught up to Immy, who had once again wandered off.
This girl.
He wrapped an arm around her as she went to climb onto a stool. Then, picking her up, he carried her over to a table at the back of the room.
“Hey!” she cried. “What are you doing?”
As soon as he set her down on a chair, she attempted to get back up. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her thigh.
“Stay here or we go home.”
“But I like to sit at the bar.”
“Here or home.”
She turned to stare at him. Obviously, whatever she saw in his face had her settling back into her chair. “Fine. Guess we’re sitting here. Doesn’t have the same ambience, though. And, truthfully, I don’t know how clean these chairs are.”
He shot her an incredulous look. The whole bar was dirty, of course the chairs were as well.
“I didn’t even have a chance to see if my friend, Dev, is here.” She glanced around. “Doesn’t look like it. You know, you’re being very grouchy.”
“Am I?” he gritted out.
“Yes. And bossy.”
“That so?”
“Kind of domineering. Anyone ever tell you that you can be grouchy, bossy, and domineering?”
“I’ve heard it once or twice,” he muttered. “You heard that you’re sassy and disobedient?”
“Never.” She smiled sweetly at him.
22
“You shouldn’t be here, Immy.” Tobias shook his head at her.
“I like it here. It’s different than what I’m used to, but that doesn’t make it wrong or bad. And the people here are nice once you give them a chance. You should learn not to judge a book by its cover.”
He shot her an incredulous look. “Cherry, all my life, people have judged me by what they’ve seen. Someone with too many tattoos, a bad attitude, and dangerous.”
“And?” she prompted.
“And they’d be right. Sometimes, people are exactly what they seem.”
She waved her hand through the air. “Pish-posh.”
Pish-posh? Was she nuts?
An older woman came over to take their order. Well, his order since apparently, Immy had a regular drink.
“You’re in big trouble,” he told her once the server left.
“Me? Why?” she asked with an innocent look that he was not falling for.
“You wandered away from me. Twice.”
“I was just excited for my diet soda with lime. And here it is. Thanks, Esme.”
The older woman just grunted and limped away.
Immy used her tongue to grab hold of the straw.
Fuck. Fuck.
Fuck!
That was far too sexy and it was taking all of his control not to lean over and see what she could do with that tongue when he had it in his mouth. Grabbing the lime out of her drink, she sucked on it, then put the rind down. He reached over and ran his finger over the corner of her mouth.
“What . . . what are you doing?” she whispered.
“You had a bit of lime there.” He showed her his finger. Then, deciding to push things a bit, he put his finger in his mouth and sucked.
Her lower lip dropped open as she gaped at him. “You did not just do that.”
Tobias raised his eyebrows. “Pretty sure I did.”
“Holy moly. What was that? I don’t think bodyguards are supposed to do things like that.”
“Just as well I’m not actually a bodyguard then, huh? I’m guarding you, Immy. But we do it my way. And my way involves you listening to me. And obeying me. And, trust me, you don’t want to push me on this because my punishment will not involve taking away your candy.”
Fuck.
He hoped she didn’t run now. Well, maybe it would be a good thing as it meant they could leave this hellhole.
But to his surprise, her breathing seemed to grow faster as her eyes widened.
“What would it involve?” she asked, leaning closer.
Oh, she wasn’t scared. She was definitely interested. And aroused.
“Well, it might involve me putting you over my knee, then my hand smacking down on your naughty, bare ass.”
Another heavy swallow.
“Cupcakes,” she whispered. “You wouldn’t.”
“You know better than that. Already had a taste.”
Immy sat up, looking flustered. “That didn’t go well.”
“You know me better now.”
“But don’t I, uh, have to consent to that or something?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Do you? Is that in your books? Do you read about BDSM relationships?”
“Sometimes,” she said.
“I’m a Dom. But we don’t have that relationship.” Yet. “You say stop, I’ll stop.”
“You will?”
“You don’t trust me to stop, Cherry?”
She studied him, then let out a deep breath. “I trust you to stop.”
And just like that, he felt like he was twelve feet tall and could do anything. Just because he had her trust.