Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
She sat behind the grand desk in the corner, looking like she was ready to chop somebody's head off.
“It's not my fault that you’re incompetent and mistook my writing. I don't care what happened as a result of your mistake. It was a C. As in Candor.”
My ears pricked at the surname I vaguely recognized. Hadn't there been a Candor on the list of foster home kids that Grace had saved not long ago?
“I don't appreciate your tone,” she said with deadly quiet. “Would you like me to take this up with Edward? I'm sure he would love to hear every detail about how you're treating his mother over something that could have easily been remedied with a phone call before you took action.”
She sat up a little straighter in her chair, arrogance and satisfaction rippling over her features.
“I thought not,” she continued. “But just so you know, he will be visiting soon and I’ll be informing him about this situation. Perhaps you can try to get back on my good side before he arrives. See that you do,” she said after a small pause before punching something on the screen of her phone and dropping it on the desk with a little huff.
I waited a few moments before silently turning around and heading back to Cassandra’s chambers, ensuring the door was locked before I shifted back into my vampire form. The last thing I wanted to do was interrupt some much-needed rejuvenation time, but I also knew that she’d be livid with me if I withheld mission-critical information from her longer than necessary.
I knocked on the closed bathroom door.
She laughed softly. “It’s unlocked, Talon. Honestly, since when are you worried about modesty? You’ve seen me naked more times than I can count.”
I opened the door and shut it behind me, every instinct in my body magnifying in a desperate way when I spotted her in her giant claw-foot tub.
She was exquisite, every inch of her body soaking wet, just peeks of her creamy skin evident beneath the array of bubbles that floated atop the water. The room was filled with a perfumed steam that was downright intoxicating, and my fangs punched out at the thought of drinking her in that bathtub.
“Are you just going to stand there or did you have a mind to join me?” she asked after I remained still and silent for too long.
“I heard information,” I ground out the words.
“And? Why do you look like you're struggling right now?”
“I'm battling two courses of action,” I practically growled the words, every muscle in my body tensing.
“And they are?” she asked.
“One, I tell you about this information and we spend the next few hours strategizing and coming up with different plans. Two, I get into that tub with you and worship you for a few hours before we get back to business.”
A bolt of desire laced the smell of her blood, making her scent heady as it reached my nostrils. I didn't move even though every fiber of my being begged me to.
“Is it urgent? The information?”
I could only shake my head.
Cassandra smirked, her lips shaping into a grin that was filled with power and desire and pure fun.
“I'm guessing you've never struggled with this before,” she said, enjoying her position of power. She shifted in the water slightly, just enough that a few of the bubbles moved to show me what was beneath.
What I’d seen many times now but couldn’t stop wanting to see more of. She was beautiful every single time and I wanted her more and more every time too.
“Having to choose between what you personally want and what the mission demands of you.” She tilted her head, a pang of sympathy drenching those gorgeous brown eyes. “That must be an awful position to be in.”
“I've never had to think about it before,” I admitted, although now that I was in the position of having to, I definitely didn't like it.
Didn't like having to feel guilty for wanting her. For wanting to delight in the taste of her before helping with the mission.
“I think you should take what you want,” she said. “I think that you’ve dedicated yourself enough, and since it's not urgent, you should put your needs first.”
“I don't know if I've ever done that before,” I said, racking my brain to think of when I'd ever put a female over my mission.
I hadn't.
And that made this entire thing a thousand times more dangerous. Nothing was supposed to get in the way of a hunter’s mission…except, maybe, a mate.
“I'll take whatever option you decide, Talon,” she said. “If you want me to get out of this tub and dry off and strategize until dawn, I will. Just as I won't hesitate to do the other.”
Something flooded me, a combination of heat and need and comfort and hope—it was all-encompassing and heavy and light at the same time. I felt like it might knock me over.