Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Finally, she started to feel like she could breathe freely. Her lungs weren’t burning. Panic no longer held her hostage.
She still felt nauseous and shaky, though.
“What . . . what was that?”
“Panic attack,” Gray told her. “I know someone who gets them fairly often.”
“I don’t want one ever again. That was horrible. I couldn’t breathe.” Her voice was croaky and she gave Gray a grateful look as he held a straw to her mouth so she could sip some water.
“Are you . . . are you some sort of wizard?” Immy asked, staring at Gray with wonder in her face.
“Uh, what?” he asked.
“Immy loves Harry Potter,” she explained.
“And you just totally spelled Maeve,” Immy added.
“Uh, no, I didn’t,” Gray said, looking uncomfortable.
“You got her to breathe properly and drink water without complaining.”
Gray raised his eyebrows. “You don’t like water?”
“No,” Maeve said. “I only drink it when I get desperate or have to swallow pills.”
“We’ll work on that.” He ran his finger down her cheek and over her lips. She parted them and nipped the tip of his finger, letting out a small moan of delight.
Someone cleared their throat and she looked up with embarrassment as she realized everyone was staring at her.
Right. Awkward.
“You going to introduce us, Maeve?” Sampson asked, his arms crossed over his chest. “And tell us why you never said anything about having a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” she asked, looking at Gray. “Is that what you are? I thought we were just having a bit of how’s your father.”
“What?” Immy asked.
“Sex,” Jenner told her bluntly.
Now Jenner and Sampson were glaring at Gray. Uh-oh. She probably shouldn’t have said that. The guys were all extremely overprotective.
“We were,” Gray said calmly. “We’re not now.”
“Since when?” she asked.
“Since you ran from me without a word and I realized that you’re mine. And that I’m not ever letting you go.”
24
Well.
That hadn’t been the way that he’d intended to tell her of his feelings. Not while she was lying in a hospital bed and certainly not in front of these people who claimed to be her friends.
Sure, they acted like they cared. Now.
But where were they when she was living in that shit hole of an apartment? Or being attacked by three assholes in an alleyway?
They all looked dressed up, like they’d been out partying while his girl was being attacked.
Nope. He wasn’t feeling at all generous toward her so-called friends. Especially the big asshole who kept getting in his face.
He was very lucky that Gray didn’t have his gun on him. It had ended up in the swimming pool and he’d left it in his rental car, not wanting to bring it into a hospital.
Not that he’d shoot the bastard.
But it was nice to think about. And if he found his way into a dark alleyway . . . well, that was fun to think about too.
“You . . . you what?” she asked.
“Wow. That’s so romantic.”
The girl with the red hair was a bit strange. Gray eyed her worriedly. First, she thought he was a wizard and now she thought he was romantic?
What was going on with her?
“Immy, what’s wrong with you?” Jenner Knight asked. “That’s not romantic. It’s fucking creepy.” He turned to Gray. “So what? You just decided that Maeve is your girlfriend? And she doesn’t get a say?”
“Nope, she doesn’t.”
“You can’t just declare her your girlfriend,” said the bigger guy. “That’s not how shit happens.”
Gray shrugged. “Does in my world. Maeve is mine. End of story. Now, you all should leave. She’s exhausted and needs sleep.”
He was all too aware that Maeve hadn’t spoken yet. When he turned to look down at her, she was just staring up at him.
Fuck. Had he broken her?
What if she turned around and said she didn’t want him?
She was still coming with him. He didn’t want much, but when he did claim something, well, he didn’t ever let it go. And now that included her.
“Of course, it would be easier if she agreed. Kidnapping someone and taking them across the country is tricky.”
They all gaped at him.
Fuck. He hadn’t actually meant to say that out loud. He never did that. Was she rubbing off on him?
“You are not kidnapping her!” Sampson roared.
“Sampson, hush,” Jenner said with a scowl. “We’ll get kicked out.”
“No one is getting kicked out except for this fucker,” Sampson replied. “And he’s not getting his hands on Maeve! Who the fuck do you think you are, man?”
“I told you. I’m Maeve’s boyfriend. She’s mine. And as soon as she’s well enough, she’ll be coming home with me.”
“Like fuck!” Sampson snapped. “She’s staying with us. Where she belongs.”
“Oh, really? Because you’ve been taking such good care of her? Where were you when she was attacked in an alleyway by three men?”
He could tell by their expressions that they had no idea what he was talking about. So Maeve hadn’t told them? That’s what he’d thought.