Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
“How?” He rummages through the built-in drawers, pulling out men’s shirts, pajamas, and underwear. “We didn’t agree to stay here until after we left the hospital this morning.”
“One text to his staff, and they drop everything to do what he asks.” I open more drawers, finding women’s clothes, things I would pick out for myself, all in my sizes, styles, and favorite colors.
Everything we could need.
The attention to detail disarms me.
Overwhelms me.
Shakes me to my core.
During those final months at Hoss, we wore the same stitched-together clothes for weeks. When it came to survival, fashion and style were never a consideration.
It’s just nice to have something clean and appropriately sized.
But this…
This is too much.
The clothing, the food, the security team, the private island with all its luxuries—everything about Monty clashes with the simplicity and brutality of our recent lives. I can’t help but feel torn between these worlds.
Not only did Monty invite us into his home, his sanctuary, but he’s going above and beyond to make us comfortable. It’s out of character.
He’s not a man who rescues and adopts wild animals. He sets traps to keep them out.
My temperature rises, forming a bead of sweat on my forehead.
The room feels suddenly too hot, suffocating, as if all the windows have been sealed shut on a summer day.
“Is it just me, or did it get really warm in here?” I fan myself with a hand.
Kody pulls at the collar of his shirt before peeling it off entirely in a clear surrender to the swelter, leaving him in the sexiest pair of low-slung jeans. “Not just you.”
A wave of stifling heat envelops us, the air from the vents blowing as hot as a coal stove.
I nod toward the French doors leading to the balcony. “Open those and maybe the windows. I’ll check the thermostat.”
As I head into the hall, he flings open the French doors, welcoming the cooler outside breeze.
The climate control panel shows the upstairs temperature on the highest setting. An easy fix. I make the adjustment and return to the bedroom.
“What’s this?” He holds up a shiny new phone and gestures to another on the desk.
“Those must be for you and Leo.” A shallow breath escapes me, too quick, too sharp. “I’ll teach you how to use it tomorrow.”
He lowers to the bed, instantly engrossed with the device. Within minutes, he figures out how to power it on and navigate through the set-up guide.
Guess he doesn’t need my help.
“Kody?” I kick off my boots.
“Mm?” He doesn’t look up.
I’ve lost him.
The fact that he’s taking to technology this quickly is a good thing. Hard to maneuver through the modern world without it. I just hope it doesn’t change him.
I’m rather fond of his feral nature.
A trickle of sweat runs between my breasts.
Time for that shower.
In the attached bathroom, I find all the same items I left behind in Monty’s bathroom. Shampoo, conditioner, perfume, skincare—all my favorite brands are here, including razors and hygiene products for the guys.
It’s been so long since I’ve moisturized. My skin will probably soak up a full bottle of lotion.
Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I touch my gaunt face. I look haggard, pale, weathered by harsh conditions and stress. Older. My cheekbones protrude sharply, making the hollows beneath them more pronounced.
Monty should’ve taken one look at me in the hospital and moved on. He can have any woman he wants.
When Leo and Kody start venturing out in public, they’ll turn heads and attract female attention just like Monty. It will only worsen after they take advantage of the gym and return to their beefed-up, chiseled physiques.
Once the world sees how potent and irresistibly sexy they are, they’ll be propositioned, chased, objectified, and idolized. How will they handle that?
Adultery runs in the family.
My face burns, and my ears pressurize.
Oh, the irrational fears of a scorned woman.
I have a long way to go to rebuild my confidence, but I will, despite the hard truth staring back at me.
I’m not the sweet, healthy, fresh-faced girl I was nine months ago. That girl died in the hills, and a battle-hardened, half-starved, bloodthirsty woman rose in her place.
A woman with a lot of baggage.
Which makes Monty’s obsession with me suspicious and worrisome.
He kept all my things in his bedroom like some love-sick widower, only to set up a room for me to share with my lovers.
I can’t make sense of it.
The man I married is an over-the-top, jealous, possessive male who always gets what he wants.
Evidently, he wanted me on that plane badly enough to agree to our sleeping arrangements.
I’m no longer his to share, but that’s precisely what he’s doing.
He’s sharing me with his brother and his nephew.
It’s fucked-up.
Deep down, I hope his intentions are genuine. If his generosity is steeped in a need for atonement, or even if it’s a harmless obsession with the woman he lost, I can deal with that. Or rather, a therapist can help him deal with it.