Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
I collapse against the wall, chest aching. “I didn’t know…”
“You were going to scar our daughter, and for what? Only for me to catch you?”
I look at him. Rafe’s eyes shine with fury, but there’s something else.
He was worried about Hattie. And maybe he was worried about me. He looks almost…
Afraid.
“I’m a prisoner here. My daughter’s a prisoner too. Our cage is beautiful and comfortable, but it’s still a cage. I was going to do what you forced me to do.”
“You are wrong.” He steps forward, jaw gritted, and grabs my right wrist. He lifts it above my head. I gasp in shock, arching into him. “I’m saving your life and you have no idea.”
“How? Tell me how? And don’t give me some vague bullshit about enemies.”
“You saw your friend. You watched what my brother did to bring you to our wedding.”
My heart leaps as I press my free palm into his chest. I keep it there, pushing lightly, but not doing much, only feeling his heart beating as fast as mine.
“But how do I know this is better? We could have called the police.”
“There are no police in my world.”
“Then make me understand why all of this is necessary.”
He grabs my other wrist—but doesn’t move my hand. Instead, he pushes it harder against his shirt. I feel his warm chest beneath the thin cotton and a heat pools between my legs. Fear, elation, desire, it all battles under my skin, and I don’t know why I’m like this, why I’m feeling this. I’m afraid and excited, like I wanted him to catch me.
Like I want him to hold me pinned to the wall.
“She’s my daughter,” he whispers hoarsely. “I never wanted any of this for either of you. I stayed away for years… I kept you safe by keeping my distance… but all that changed. They found out about you.”
Coldness spreads into my toes. “Who did?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Rafe—“
“It’s the truth, damn it.” He grips me hard, leaning in closer, massive body pinning me to the wall. “I did what I felt was necessary and I will keep on doing it, no matter what it takes, because you are mine, June, and that little girl in there is my blood, whether you like it or not.”
Tears spring into my eyes. “I didn’t want you to be a part of her life.”
“And I didn’t either, but here we are.”
He crushes his mouth to mine. I whimper in surprise, fear, anger, hate, and I kiss him back. Desperation builds and crests, crashing down around my body. How far has this man gone to bring me here? How many rules has he broken? And what else will he do?
The hours of watching him interact with my daughter, the way he’s softening to her, how they’ve gotten along so well…
This is hell, I know it, and the devil’s here to ruin me.
And a sick part of me wants him to.
I moan into his mouth as his hand releases my left wrist. He pushes up my top, cupping my breasts roughly. I groan as his knee presses between my legs and I arch down, grinding into him as he bites my lip, kisses my neck, nibbles my ear, yanks the top off and tosses it onto the floor.
“Rafe—“ I whimper his name, afraid of so many things.
“Quiet, love, or we’ll get caught. You don’t want that to happen twice tonight.” He lifts my hand above my head again and kisses my neck then plunges his mouth to mine, tongue gliding between my lips.
His taste is an assault. His touch is everything I need. I should be running right now, escaping this madness with my daughter, but instead I’m letting the very man I’m trying to escape kiss me like he’s going to die if he doesn’t get one last taste.
I curse softly as his lips move down to my chin, my neck, down to my breasts, and down again as he falls to his knees in front of me.
“Oh shit,” I whisper. He tugs down my jeans, taking them off gingerly. His mouth moves to my hips and he murmurs my name as he kisses along the top of my underwear, nibbling and sucking like he’s trying to drink me down.
“Baby,” he says with a heavenly sigh. “God damn you, June, why do you think you can get away from me? Like I’d ever let you go?”
Fucking psycho. I grip his hair hard, ready to rebuke him, but his mouth finds my pussy over my panties and I forget what I was about to say.
He kisses me over the fabric and it’s soaking in moments. I moan instead of screaming. He growls a low rumble of joy and desire, pushing my panties aside, revealing my wet lips to the cool air.
His tongue laps me up and I’m ruined.