Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“I won’t lie to you, Doc. Not ever.” I swallowed, scrubbing my hands down my pants to dry my sweaty palms. “I’m nervous. Not scared, really. Just… I’m in way over my head here, and I have no idea how I got myself into this. I’m so sorry. I have no idea why my dad did this.”
“He’s protecting you. And yes. You’re in over your head.” Doc smiled at me, not unkindly but I felt the conformation like a punch to the gut. “But you got here because my daughter wanted us together, and because your dad has something else going on he’s not telling either of us. He’ll tell Thorn when they talk. I know, because Thorn will demand he tell him, but there’s no way he suddenly decides to move you out of his compound immediately if it was supposed to happen when you turned eighteen. No. This was a way to push us together without you objecting.” He shrugged. “Also, to see how far I’d play along.”
“Seems like everyone is managing me. I guess that’s the way MCs are. The guys take charge.” I knew I sounded bitter, but I was way too much of a pushover for anyone to take me seriously. Especially someone like Doc.
“If that’s your way of saying you’re not stupid, I get you.” He chuckled. A man with most of his face covered in a heavy beard should not look so charming when he smiled. “I doubt your father thinks you’re stupid. He didn’t want to take a chance you’d balk on him.”
“All he had to say was he wanted me to go with you.”
“Honey, it wasn’t only about getting you to go with me. You had to agree to be my ol’ lady. He’s serious about that. Don’t fool yourself into thinking your dad did this on a whim. I might have been a convenient target, but he’s been studying this club for a while. Maybe not looking for a place for you, but for his own purposes. Ripper told us a few weeks ago he’d caught a hacker hanging out in our system and shut him down. It isn’t a huge leap to think that was Rocket’s people.”
“I’ve heard Rocket tell me multiple times how Crush is the perfect intel officer. Says there’s nothing he can’t get into given enough time.”
“Thorn will find it all out, but I guarantee you, he has a good reason for what he did. I know it seems like he dumped you off the first chance he got, but he didn’t.”
“You seem awfully sure.” I wanted to believe him. With all my heart I wanted to believe him! Because he was right. It did seem like my dad dumped me off.”
“If you’re willing to trust me with this, I swear I won’t let you down. I give you my word. That’s not something I give lightly.”
“All right. I’ll choose to believe you. Please don’t break that trust?”
“Never, Lia. I tell you everything going on with your father as it’s told to me.”
“Ah…” I cleared my throat. “Um, what about sex? I mean, you said we’d be monogamous. How soon will you expect me to sleep with you?”
“Hmm, how to answer that?” He grinned at me mischievously. This wasn’t at all what I expected Doc might be like. He seemed almost playful. At least, at times. With Rocket, he was all business with no give to him. Same with his ex-wife and Thorn. “You’ll be sleeping with me tonight and every other night from now on. As to sex, I’ll let you set the pace. Not saying I won’t push you, but I’ll never be angry if you pull back, and I won’t push hard. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
I shivered. Sleeping in the same bed as Jude Collins? Was I even capable of that? I was afraid I’d make a fool of myself if we did that. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, I can take the couch if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Nope. You’re sleeping with me. That way you get used to my touch, and I know you haven’t run off on me. I need to make sure you’re safe. Keeping you with me as much as possible seems like the perfect way to solve that problem.”
I nodded. I felt like a bobblehead doll. I was shaking so much I probably looked like one. “I guess I can’t fault that. But I promise I won’t leave without telling you first.”
“I like the way you phrased that. You didn’t say you wouldn’t leave but clarified that you’d give me a warning. I’ll do my best to be just as honest as you.”
“If you’re ever mean to me, will your club ignore it, or will they help me get out of the situation?” I could tell that question threw him. He jerked his head back like I’d slapped him.