Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Three things I could hear: Gwen’s voice, frantic and soothing all at once; Gwen’s breath, quick and shallow in my ear; the sound of Gwen’s hand gliding over my hair.
Two things I could smell: Gwen’s perfume, a faint hint of lavender and something uniquely her; Gwen’s sweat, a tangible mix of fear and adrenaline.
One thing I could taste: Dear God, how I wanted to taste her.
As my mind cleared and my heart slowed, she filled my every sense, grounding me in a way I’d never been able to master on my own. That calm—her calm—was like a lifeline, wrenching me from the dark, tumultuous waters flooding my mind.
“We’re safe, True,” she repeated, and even as the flashing continued from outside, I believed her. Mind, body, and soul. Because, fuck me, I’d always been safe with her, even if I hadn’t been able to offer her the same.
“It’s Taggart?” I asked, trying to make sense of the situation.
“Yeah. He’s out there taking pictures.”
“Of us?”
“I guess.”
How was it humanly possible for that piece of shit to be an even bigger asshole than he already was? He’d been a nuisance before, but this was something different altogether. I’d called my attorney after his last surprise visit, and he’d sent a letter to Flat Line Productions warning them of our intent to take legal action should the harassment not stop. Either Folly had gone rogue or Flat Line felt like hemorrhaging money in a messy lawsuit.
Flat Line was a successful production company with countless awards and a reputation to uphold, so I was banking on the former. Though the speed in which Folly was changing tactics—from phone calls and emails to stalking and picture taking—was starting to unnerve me.
Desperate men made desperate decisions.
Now that he’d dragged Gwen into his circus, the concern of what he’d try next made my vision flash red.
It had to end, and if it meant keeping her safe, I was all too happy to be the man to do it.
Pulling her up with me, I surged to my feet. “I’m gonna kill him.”
“Truett, no,” she hissed, still clinging to my front.
Soaking in one last moment of her warmth, I hesitated for a beat, and in that brief amount of time, his camera flickered like a strobe light.
Oh, yeah, Folly was long overdue for a lesson on boundaries.
With one arm around her hips, I lifted her off her feet and turned, setting her out of my path. “Stay here and don’t come outside no matter what. Do you hear me?”
She hurried in front of me, her palm landing in the middle of my chest. “You can’t go out there.”
I laughed without humor. “You wanna bet?”
“No, True. You can’t. He’s trying to bait you.”
I cracked my neck, my hands clenched tight at my sides. “Well, then consider me caught. Hook, line, and sinker.”
“Please, just think about this for a second. Yes, he’s a dick. We know that. But we can handle this in a way that doesn’t involve you getting arrested and me having to figure out how to bake a file into a cake.” She waved her free hand out to the side. “I mean, look at this place. I don’t have time for a side quest right now.”
As mad as I was, my lips hitched. Jesus, she was ridiculous—and gorgeous, and sexy, and…everything. “A side quest?” I teased.
She nodded, not a lick of humor showing on her face.
Dammit, she was serious. That was cute too. “A side quest where you’ll learn to bake a file into a cake?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure if that’s still a thing in prison, but maybe you can use it to pick a lock or something?”
“What, so I’m MacGyver now?”
“If you don’t commit a murder in front of my restaurant, you can be whoever you want.”
Your man again? I managed to keep that little kick in the pants to myself, but I was far from convinced that Taggart Folly deserved to keep the heartbeat in his chest.
“This is insanity, Gwen. Tracking you down and asking for a statement was one thing. I didn’t like it. But that was his right. Just like it was your right to say no. But this…” I swung my arm out and pointed at the front windows, his flash going off again as if I’d summoned it. “Taking pictures of you? This is too damn much.”
Her gaze cut to the side. “I agree, but I don’t necessarily think it’s me he’s taking pictures of.” Apology filled her beautiful face when she looked back up at me. “I hate to say this, but without you, I’m nothing but part of the supporting cast for him. He needs you and he’s going to stoop to whatever level necessary. Drama sells, True. It doesn’t matter to him if he gets footage of you spiraling out of control like a madman or sitting down on a couch, having a civil discussion.”