Total pages in book: 213
Estimated words: 202770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1014(@200wpm)___ 811(@250wpm)___ 676(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 202770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1014(@200wpm)___ 811(@250wpm)___ 676(@300wpm)
“A few hours,” he says, turning to face me. “We’re about to land. How do you feel?”
“Like I need to pee and I don’t even want to know how I look right now.”
“Beautiful, baby,” he promises, leaning over to kiss me. “Hurry. We land just a few miles from the castle. We’ll be out of the plane and there in no time.”
My spirits lift. “I can’t wait to see it.”
He winks and helps me to my feet and by the time I’m back, we’re in descent. It’s not thirty minutes later, and we’re gathering our things to exit the plane, which means gathering those files I took from my father and brother. A part of me wants to set them aside until tomorrow. I just want to see Jax’s home and be with him right now.
We exit into darkness and load up in an SUV again. “You’ll be able to see the ocean and the land tomorrow,” Jax says, pulling me close. “It’s stunning.”
“I can’t wait.”
We travel winding roads and in a few minutes the castle is in view, lit up with spotlights and my God it’s stunning. It’s medieval, with two towers, and white stone that seems to go on for days. I point to the right. “Is that a lighthouse attached to the castle?”
Jax seems to stiffen, a barely-there flex of muscles that I don’t understand. “No. It’s the Century Tower.”
He doesn’t offer more, and I glance up at him but he leans up to talk to the driver. Avoiding me? Yes, I think so, but why? A giant black steel gate opens and the driver pulls us past it, around another winding path until we are at the front door that includes a massive stone staircase and a towering wood door. A doorman opens the doors on either side, and I glance at Jax. “It’s amazing.”
“It is,” he agrees. “I’ll come around for you.”
I nod, but I’m eager to see more and I slide to the edge of the seat and out of the car, greeting the man holding my door. Jax appears and offers me his arm, his eyes warm, whatever spiked that reaction in the vehicle now gone. “Welcome to my castle,” he says.
I smile and we start up the stairs, the cool night washing over us, the ocean air depositing salt on my lips. At the top of the stairs, a man in a suit greets Jax and punches a button. The door lifts upward, dungeon style, and then we’re entering an incredible round room with stone floors, and four arched hallways to choose a path.
“Jax, thank God.” A pretty blonde rushes from a doorway to our right, her black dress hugging every curve, of which she has many. “I have a problem. I’ve been trying to call you.” She glances at me. “Hello.” Her voice is stiff, lips pursed. “You are?”
Hated apparently, I think.
“Emma,” Jax says. “Emma, this is Jill, my operations manager.”
She doesn’t say another word to me. She casts all her attention on Jax and her look is full of female admiration. “Can I see you alone?”
Jax’s fingers flex where they have settled at my hip and he turns to look at me. “Give me just a minute.”
I don’t like this. I don’t like her. I feel like I walked in on a lovers’ spat. “Okay.”
He glances at Jill. “I’ll be right there.” It’s a dismissal that purses her lips, but she turns and walks away.
Jax lowers his voice. “She was Hunter’s fiancée.”
“Oh.” I frown. “Then why does she look at you like she wants to lick you all over?”
He doesn’t laugh. “I think some sort of post-traumatic stress.”
“Then you know?”
“Yes. I know.”
“I like that you were honest about that.”
He lowers his mouth to my ear. “And I like that you’re thinking of licking me all over.”
Heat rushes through me and I glance up at him. “I wasn’t, but now I am,” I dare. “In your castle bed.”
“I’m now even more motivated than ever to get you to that bed.” He kisses me. “I’ll be just a minute. You can explore the castle if you want or I can have one of my men take you to our room.”
Our room. This statement does funny things to my belly. “I’ll wait on you. I might explore.”
“Pick a hallway,” he says, winking before he walks the direction Jill disappeared.
I glance at the hallways and decide on the one to the left. Excited to see what awaits me, I walk through the archway and find myself walking a long stone hallway with cutouts filled with pieces of art. I stop at each, admiring the pieces, some of which are expensive and well-known. Eventually, I have the option of entering a library or a winding stairwell. It’s a tough choice, the books call me, but I think this might be the tower I saw upon our approach.