Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“Much better,” I say, my tone softer. “Wouldn’t want you to have wrinkles.”
“What about work?” she asks.
“Work?” Why is she worried about work? Doesn’t she know I’ll take care of her?
“Yeah, you know.” She adds another shirt to the suitcase. “Our jobs.”
“Oh, Petal.” I shake my head. “Your only job will be raising our kids. I’ll provide for you.”
“Kids?” She whips around to face me so quickly her legs tangle in her dress, and she pitches sideways.
Ever the gentleman, I dart forward to catch her, holding her trembling body close to mine. “Of course. A boy and a girl.” I press my nose to her hair and inhale, breathing in her sweet citrussy scent.
“Um.” She’s tense in my arms, not melting into me like she should. Why is she not melting?
“Um, what?” My voice snaps out, making her flinch.
“This just all seems so... fast.”
“Fast?” I shout as I shove her away from me, sending her crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs and tulle. “I’ve been waiting years. Literal years, Scarlet. It’s not my fault you never noticed me.”
I stare down at her as she cowers on the floor. Something dark inside of me delights at seeing her fear. “Why didn’t you ever notice me?” I roar, slamming my hands down onto the small table.
“I’m sorry,” she cries. “Clint, p-please, I’m sorry.”
The sight of her glassy eyes and tear-stained cheeks soothes the monster raging inside of me, and I rush to her, bundling her up into my arms. “It’s okay, Petal. Everything’s going to be okay now. But we need to get on the road soon.”
“Can I, um, can I ask where we’re going?” she asks, leaning away from me. I don’t like that she’s leaning away. She should lean in.
I tighten my arms, leaving her zero wiggle room. “That’s for me to know.”
“Right. Oh-okay.” She nods, and I release her.
“I just need to get a few things in order.” I stomp over to my bedside table and fling open the drawer. “Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue.”
“Oh god.” She sniffles, her right hand shooting up to her throat. “Clint, where’s all of my stuff? My necklace?”
“You don’t need those things anymore.” My lip curls as I think about her scrubs and sneakers.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why don’t I need my phone...” She looks down at her bare feet. “My shoes.” She touches her throat again. “My necklace.”
I just barely stifle my eye roll. “If you must know, your phone is smashed on the side of the interstate. Your clothes are in a dumpster. Anything you need, I will provide for you. Now, let me focus, Scarlet.”
“Here’s the new,” I mutter, ignoring her as I set the lace wedding garter on my bed. “Borrowed and blue.” I add the bracelet I nicked from Cara beside it, the blue gemstones sparkling even in the low lighting. “Old...” I scratch my head. “Old...” How did I forget old?
“M-my necklace!” Scarlet practically shouts. “It’s old. It was... my mom’s. She passed it down to me. That’s why... why I asked about it.”
My sweet, precious, perfect Petal. Always so in tune with my needs. “It’s in the kitchen. I’ll retrieve it.”
I grab the necklace from the kitchen counter, fingering the delicate wing of the butterfly. It’s fitting for her, really. “Turn around and lift your hair.”
She sucks in shuddering breath before giving me her back.
“Your hair. Lift it.”
“Right. Sorry.” She gathers her hair, exposing her graceful neck to me.
So slender... the perfect size for my hand. My dick hardens in my pants as a vision of me crushing her neck in my grip flashes through my brain. I rub myself against her before I can stop myself. She whimpers.
“You like that. Don’t you?” I hook the clasp before giving into the urge, palming her throat and pulling her closer, pushing my erection against her ass. “You’ll be my perfect little slut, won’t you?”
She whimpers again, and it’s so delicious, I swear I can taste it on my tongue. “I wanted to wait until we were wed to consummate our vows, but if you need it now...”
“No!” she rushes, her voice hoarse from my hold on her. “Let’s... let’s wait. So it can be...” Her throat flexes as she swallows. “Special.”
“Pretty, perfect Petal.” I release her and step away. “Let me finishing packing, and then we can go.”
“Okay, Clint.” She reaches up, gripping the butterfly charm between her fingers.
“Don’t call me that,” I snap. “I’m your sweetheart, so call me that. Say it. Now.” I’m practically giddy with anticipation. The mere thought of her sweet lips uttering sweetheart is nearly enough to undo me.
“Oh-okay, Sweet—” She squeezes the pendant harder as she swallows. “Sweetheart.”
THIRTY-SIX
ELLIS
“You’re really good with him,” Mom says as she passes me where James and I are laid out on the couch, her hands full of random socks. He snores softly, his sticky little hand clutching my shirt. The kid crashed in my arms about twenty minutes ago after his reign of terror with Fefe finally came to an end. “A natural.”