~Blurb~
as·sump·tion:
a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen,
without proof
They say when you assume that you make an ass out of you
and me. Kenton Mayson learned this lesson firsthand when he made assumptions
about Autumn Freeman and the kind of woman she is based on what little
information he had. What he finds out is she’s not only beautiful, but also
smart, funny, a fighter, and exactly the kind of woman he wants to share his
life with. Autumn made assumptions of her own about Kenton, and now he needs to
prove her wrong in order to protect her and their future.
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1qaNWJ3
~Review~
*ARC provided by TRSOR PR in
exchange for honest review*
This is the fifth book that Aurora has written. To say that she can write a good book would be an understatement. I love her books. I like books that have no cheating and that have a HEA. Which all of her books do.
In Assumption, we finally get the Mayson brothers cousin, Kenton. Kenton is so much like the Mayson brothers it’s not funny. He totally has to complete full package:
1. He’s smoking Hot.
2. He’s an Alpha Male.
3. He’s Protective.
To me, all of these things are what makes Kenton such a likable/lovable character. It’s what makes him, him.
Although, I did like the book, I wish it would have had a little more action. I wanted more to happen with the details. I though it lacked a little in that area but it was still a really good book. That’s why I couldn't rate it 5 stars.
This is the fifth book that Aurora has written. To say that she can write a good book would be an understatement. I love her books. I like books that have no cheating and that have a HEA. Which all of her books do.
In Assumption, we finally get the Mayson brothers cousin, Kenton. Kenton is so much like the Mayson brothers it’s not funny. He totally has to complete full package:
1. He’s smoking Hot.
2. He’s an Alpha Male.
3. He’s Protective.
To me, all of these things are what makes Kenton such a likable/lovable character. It’s what makes him, him.
Although, I did like the book, I wish it would have had a little more action. I wanted more to happen with the details. I though it lacked a little in that area but it was still a really good book. That’s why I couldn't rate it 5 stars.
~Prologue & Chapter 1~
Assumption
The Underground Kings series
Kenton
Aurora Rose Reynolds
~Prologue~
I see you judging me. I know what
you’re thinking. She has to be a slut; she works at a strip club and takes off
her clothes for money. Yes! I work at a strip club, and you may think I’m a
whore for showing off my body, but this is a talent that has been forced down
my throat since I was a young child. Look pretty and smile. I put on a show for
those who choose to watch. However long I’m on stage, I’m not even me. It’s
what I imagine an out of body experience would be like—a performance, nothing
more, nothing less. The people watching make assumptions about who they think I
am, or cook up a story in their heads of whom they want me to be. I’m just
another beautiful face.
Beautiful. I hate that fucking word. Who gives a crap if someone is
attractive on the outside if they are dying inside? My whole life has been
about what I look like. I swear, the only reason my mother kept me was to have
a real-life, living, breathing doll she could dress up and control, which is the
exact reason why as soon as I became eighteen, I got as far away from her special
brand of crazy as I could. That’s also why I don’t date. The first thing guys
do is look at me and see a pretty face, a nice body, and an empty space where
my brain’s supposed to be. They have no interest in getting to know the person
I am on the inside. They don’t care I volunteer my spare time, and they couldn’t
care less I’m going to school to be an RN. They don’t ask about my hopes, my dreams,
or about where I see my life in twenty years. They don’t care about me at all.
They just want someone pretty
to follow them around and tell them how handsome they are, how special they are,
while agreeing with everything they say. Fuck that! I did that for too many
years. That’s why I live inside books. At least there I can choose where I want
to be—from the highlands of Scotland, to a king’s bed in a faraway land—and even
if it’s pretend, sometimes that’s a lot better than reality.
~Chapter 1~
I look out the plane window, my
finger going to the glass, feeling the cold on my fingertips as I look out at
the land moving quickly below me. It’s funny how from up here, everything looks
so small. I never traveled in a plane before today; just the idea of being
trapped inside a tin can while flying at six hundred miles an hour never
appealed to me. I take a breath and look at the TV monitor that’s in the seat
in front of me. The small, animated plane on the screen shows we’re over
halfway to Tennessee.
“Are you traveling for business
or pleasure?”
I turn my head and look at the
guy sitting next to me. He’s slightly overweight and balding, but he also has
wrinkles around his eyes, giving him the appearance of someone who smiles
often. I debate with myself on whether or not to answer before replying,
“Business.”
His eyes drop to my mouth, then
to my chest as I fight the urge to punch him in the throat. I hate when men go
from nice to creepy. I shake my head, turning away from him. I don’t know why I
even try. I feel a hand on my bare leg and my head swings around quickly.
“Touch me again and I will rip off your balls and feed them to you,” I tell him
in a soft tone, trying not to bring attention to us. He quickly removes his
hand before swallowing hard.
“I…I’m sorry.”
I shake my head before turning my
body away from his. I feel tears sting my nose, but I fight them back. No way
am I going to cry now—not when just six hours ago, my whole world exploded and
I didn’t shed one single tear. I lay my forehead to the glass, closing my eyes.
I still can’t believe how fast my life changed…
Yesterday
I got up that morning and went to
the hospital like I always do. I work at one of the busiest ERs in Vegas. I’ve
been working there since I finished school, and was required to get my clinical
hours for my RN certification. As soon as I walked into the building, I was
loaded down with work. Weekends are always crazy in Sin City, but yesterday
seemed worse than normal—two drug overdoses, three stomach pumps, and one gun
shot victim. Later, I was leaving the hospital exhausted, only to head to my
real job—well, the one that pays me the money I need to live.
“Hey, Angel.”
“Hey, Sid.” I gave him a
half-smile as I walked into The Lions Den, the gentlemen’s club I worked at. Do
I like to strip? No. Does it pay my bills? Yes. The second I get on stage, I’m
no longer me; my brain shuts off and my body takes over, the same way it used
to when I was growing up and my mom forced me into pageants. I’m accustomed to
being on display and used for my appearance. I wish life was different, but it
is what it is. Some people complain about being overweight or having acne; for
me, I hate being beautiful. I know it sounds stupid; I mean, why would anyone
complain about being attractive, right? Here’s why: men see me as an object,
and women see me as competition. No one is ever willing to give me a chance;
they all judge me by what’s on the outside, never taking a second to find out
even the smallest detail about who I am. I know I’m a walking cliché; I hate
being beautiful, yet I work in a business where I put myself front and center
to be viewed and judged.
The difference? For the first
time in my life, when I get on stage, it’s my choice; no one is forcing me to
do it. I get up there to earn the money so I can change my life in a way that
will make it where I never have to be objectified again.
“Tired?” Sid questioned,
following me. I had worked for Sid for the last three years. He was a friend of
sorts; he’s also my boss.
“Yeah, I can’t wait until my
clinical hours are over and I can start working at the hospital full-time,
instead of having two jobs.”
“I don’t like that I won’t see
your face all the time, but I know you need to move on,” he conceded.
“Some other girl will come in and
you will forget all about me.”
“Never, Angel.” His eyes move
over my face and he shakes his head. “You’re working VIP tonight.” He followed
me down the hall towards the dressing rooms.
“Sure,” I agreed, already
exhausted. I needed a shower and a bed, but knew I was going to be there for at
least eight hours, so I might as well suck it up.
“The guys coming in are
important, so you need to make sure they’re happy the whole time they’re here.”
“I have done this before,” I
reminded him, stopping outside the dressing room door to frown at him.
“Normally, I wouldn’t say
anything—you know that—but I gotta go get on a plane, so I won’t be here to
check on them.”
“I’ll make sure they’re taken
care of,” I assured him.
“Thanks, Angel.” He kissed my
forehead like he often did before walking away. I watched him go for a second
before pulling myself together.
“Oh! Look who’s here,” Tessa said
as soon as I entered the dressing room. I ignored her and tossed my bag into my
locker before pulling my scrubs off. Tessa is a bitch; she is just like the
girls I used to compete against in pageants. To her, life is a competition, and
she is determine to come out the winner, even if she has to throw everyone else
under the bus on her way to the top. “Mick said I could work VIP tonight,” she
said to one of the other girls in the room. I ignored her, knowing better than
to tell her it wasn’t happening. I was sure Mick did tell her that…after she
took him in the backroom and gave him something to convince him. “Pixie said
the guys coming in are some big-time land developers, so you know the tips are
going to be outrageous. Thank God, because I need to have my tits redone, and
that shit is not cheap.” I rolled my eyes and headed for the shower room. I had
met a couple nice girls during my time here, but most were just like Tessa—a
whole lot of hair, tits, ass, and not much else.
I stood in front of the mirror
and put on a coat of red lipstick before standing back, looking myself over.
The VIP dress code is different than the rest of the club. The required outfit
consists of a sheer, black overlay bra, black silk panties, a black garter belt
with sheer hose, and black heels. My long, naturally red hair was pulled back
on one side by a large flower; the rest was loose and wavy, flowing down my
back and one shoulder. My creamy white skin, red lips, and smoky eyes made me
look almost like a sexy vamp.
“You ready, Angel?” Sid asked,
pounding on the door.
“Showtime,” I whispered before
opening the door.
“You look beautiful; I’m going to
take you in there and introduce you before heading out.”
“Sure.” I followed him down the
hall to the club. The Lion’s Den is well-known in the area for its exclusivity.
The walls are painted a dark brown, and the booths are designed into the walls,
making the space feel intimate. The stage is in the center of the room, with a
single spotlight shining down on it. Every booth has a girl assigned to it, and
VIP has two girls. We aren’t allowed to interact with the customers without
being asked directly to do so.
The club is less of a strip club,
and more of a place for men to hangout and drink while having beautiful women
tend to them. If they choose to, they can watch the girl in the center of the
room put on a show. I had been on stage several times in the three years I’ve
worked here. I never told Sid I didn’t like it up there, but he normally put me
in VIP, or assigned me to a booth for the night.
“Why are you so worried about
these guys?”
“They’re thinking about opening
up a Lion’s Den in one of the new casinos they’re building.”
“That’s huge! Congrats, honey.” I
squeezed his bicep and gave him a smile.
“One day, Angel, I’m gonna take
you away from this place and show you happiness. I wanna see that smile
everyday.” My heart did a little thud. Sid is a very attractive man, but he’s
not for me. I don’t want or need a man; they get you all discombobulated,
filling your head with a bunch of lies then expect you to follow them around. I
did that once. I thought a man was going to save me from the hell I was living in.
I gave him my virginity and my heart, and he gave me a child I wasn’t allowed
to keep and a heart so broken nothing or no one would ever put it back together
again.
I looked through the two-way
mirror at the men around the table in the VIP room.
“All right,” Sid says from beside
me, “the man in the center at the table is John Barbato; he is the owner of
three of the largest clubs in the city. The guy there on his left is Steven
Creo; he’s some big wig on Wall Street and has backed more than half the new
clubs and casinos opening on The Strip. The guy to the right of John has a
location they’re interested in purchasing.”
“Got it. Who’s working with me?”
I asked him.
“Tessa, Mick said she would be
the best out of the girls we’ve got on the schedule tonight.”
“I’m sure he did,” I mumbled,
looking back into the room. “What other bouncers are on tonight?” I hated when
Mick and Craig worked together; they were both more concerned about hooking up
with the girls than what was going on out on the floor.
“Link’s here now.”
“Good.” Link was a good guy and a
close friend. He also took his job seriously.
“All right, let me introduce you
quickly before I head out.”
“Sure.” I followed him into the
room; the men’s heads turned in our direction smiling.
“Guys, I want you to meet Angel.
She’s gonna be your girl for the night. You need anything, you ask her, and she
will make sure you’re taken care of,” Sid tells them, gesturing to me.
“Nice to meet you,” one of the
men said, smiling while the others nodded.
“Nice to meet you.” I smiled
back.
“Angel will be right back; give
me a minute guys.”
“Sure,” the one that spoke before
said. As Sid and I stepped away, I heard from behind me, “Do you think the
curtains match the drapes?” and they all laughed. I hated that saying, and I
swore once I was free of this lifestyle, I would kick the next man in the nuts
who said it.
“Okay, I gotta head out. I won’t
be back for two weeks,” Sid said once we were standing in the hall.
“Have a safe trip.”
His eyes searched my face. His mouth
opened and closed like he was going to say something, but instead, he shook his
head, kissed my cheek, and walked off down the hall muttering something under
his breath.
Tessa came around the corner a
couple seconds later with a smug smile on her face. I hate to admit it, but she
is beautiful. Her skin has a natural glow that makes her look healthy and
youthful. Her hair is black and thick, reaching the top of her ass. Her eyes
curve out at the corners, showing off her Asian-American heritage. “You ready?”
she asked, looking at me from head to toe. I avoided rolling my eyes at her
before stepping into the room behind her.
After we took the first orders,
we stood back while the men talked. I learned a long time ago to zone myself
out. We were there as eye candy and nothing else. There was a knock on the
door, and I knew the drinks had arrived. Tessa answered it, opening the door
wide, and the man who brought the tray in was someone I had never seen before.
He looked to be mid-thirties, had long, shaggy black hair, and brown eyes. When
he set the tray down on the table in the corner, he turned and did something
odd that had me watching him more closely. His hand went to his back as he
looked over at the men who were still busy talking. When his eyes came to me,
he smiled before walking out of the room. I looked at Tessa to see if she had
noticed anything strange, but she was busy handing out the drinks and flirting
with the men at the table.
We stood to the side again once
the men had their drinks; every once in a while, they would ask me a question
about the club, and I told them what I knew. About thirty minutes after they
had their first drinks, I called and had more ordered. This time, when the guy
came in, he did the same thing—hand at his back, looking at the table. I had no
idea who he was, but planned to find out as soon as the men left. One of the
men received a phone call and stepped out of the room, and when he returned, he
had another man with him. They all sat down, and this time when they called me
over, they wanted a bottle of Chives Regal Royal Salute Scotch. One glass of
the stuff cost close to six hundred dollars, making it over ten thousand
dollars for a bottle. I placed the order and waited for it to be delivered.
When the knock sounded on the door, I opened it up, and the same man from
earlier came in and set the tray down. I watched to see if he would do the same
thing he had done the previous times.
Sure enough, his head turned
towards the table and his hand lifted behind his back, but this time, he lifted
his jacket, pulling out something black. It took a second for me to realize
what it was, and by that time, it was too late. He let off four rounds in rapid
succession, then turned and fired a round, hitting Tessa. I screamed as he
turned the gun on me, and before I could think, I ducked down and ran as fast
as I could out of the room. I felt a bullet whiz past me as I turned the
corner, and another as I entered the main part of the club. I spotted Mick;
right away his eyes got wide and I yelled at the top of my lungs, “HE HAS A
GUN!”
Everyone started screaming and
running in every direction. I ran into a solid wall, and when I looked up to
see it was Link, he wrapped an arm around my waist, turned, and pushed me
behind the bar. I stumbled in my heels, falling to my knees and hitting the
ground hard. I crawled under the counter and curled myself into a ball, shaking
out of fear for my life. I listened as people screamed, but didn’t hear anymore
gunshots. I don’t know how long I stayed like that, but it felt like forever
until I heard police sirens.
“Autumn,” Link called my real
name, snapping me out of my terrified huddle. I peeked out from behind my hands
as he crouched down in front of me.
“Did you get him?” He shook his
head, putting out his hand for me to take. I shook my head no—I was safe; I
didn’t want to move from that spot.
“Come on, Angel, he’s gone.” I
shook my head again. “Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise you’re
safe.” I swallowed against the lump in my throat, squeezing my eyes closed.
“Tessa?” I asked him. His eyes
closed and his head dropped forward. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No.”
“Sorry, Angel,” he said quietly.
“Why?”
“Not sure, but the cops are here.
I need you to come out of there so you can talk to them,” he told me gently,
holding out his hand again. I nodded, reluctantly taking it. Even though I didn’t like Tessa, she didn’t deserve
what happened to her. None of the people in the room deserved what happened to
them.
“I should have tried to help
her.”
“Nothing you could have done,”
Link said, and my eyes went from to the floor to his. He shook his head,
wrapped his beefy arm around my shoulders, and walked me over to a barstool. I
sat there until the cops came up a few minutes later and told me they needed to
talk to me at the station.
“Can she get some clothes on?”
Link—who had given me the shirt off his back and hadn’t left my side—asked one
of the detectives.
“Sure,” the guy mumbled.
I slid off the barstool and
dazedly walked to the dressing room. When I walked in, all the girls were
there, huddled together and crying. I didn’t know what to say to them; most of
them had been friends with Tessa. I felt horrible they had lost their friend,
but was unsure if they would want me to express my condolences. I walked to my
locker and started to pull off my stockings when one of the girls came up to
me, wrapping her arms around me. Shocked, I hugged her back, and more of the
girls gathered around me. We all stood there silently for a few minutes; most
of the girls were crying while a couple mumbled about how everything would be
okay. I wasn’t sure anything would ever be okay again; I just watched five
people die and was lucky to still be alive.
“I have to go with the police,” I
told the girls when it didn’t seem like they were going to let me go. After a
second, they all started breaking away from me one-by-one, giving me reassuring
hugs.
“Call me if you want to talk,” one
of the girls, Elsa, said, handing me a business card with her personal
information on it. I looked at it for a long second before nodding. I had never
really been friends with any of them. Maybe that needed to change. I went to my
locker, pulling off my clothes before slipping on a pair of jean shorts, a
black tank top, a large, oversized grey sweater, and a pair of black
flip-flops. I grabbed my bag, shoved everything into it from my locker, and
left the room without a backwards glance.
Link was waiting for me outside
the dressing room door, his back against the wall, his head tilted back,
looking at the ceiling. I had known Link since I started working at The Lion’s
Den. He was a nice guy, blonde hair cut low to his head, tan skin, blue eyes,
and a southern drawl that made women fall to their knees. He used to flirt with
me when I first started, but when I didn’t return any of the banter, he laid
off and became a friend. He’s one of the only people who knows about my past
and the things I’ve gone through. “You didn’t have to wait for me,” I told him,
pulling my bag across my body.
“I’m not letting you go through
this alone.” He pulled me into his side. I could feel tears sting my eyes, and
I fought them back. I wasn’t going to cry until this was all over, when I could
do it alone, hiding under my covers with my face stuffed into a pillow…like I
always did.
“Thank you.”
He gave me a squeeze, and I felt
his lips at the top of my head.
*~*~*
“I don’t understand why I have to
leave the state,” I told Link, putting another pair of shoes in my bag. I had
no idea how long I would be gone, and Link made it sound like I wouldn’t be
able to come back to Vegas for a long while.
“Angel, I hate to remind you, but
you’re the only witness, and from what the cops said, the guy is a killer paid
by the mob to do hits on people.”
I sighed, looking around my
house. I hated I was leaving, but knew it was for the best. I was at the police
station for over eight hours going over what happened then sitting with a
sketch artist. Somehow, the guy who had shot Tessa and those men had avoided
every camera in the club. The cops informed me I needed to be extra cautious. I
was the only witness, and they were concerned he would come after me. When Link
found out what they said, he made a call to one of his friends from back home
in Tennessee and asked if he would be willing to let me stay with him until the
police caught the guy. The man, Kenton, agreed, telling Link I would be safe. I
hated I was leaving my home, but if my only options were either death or
moving, the choice was begrudgingly clear.
“I hope they get the guy fast,” I
mumbled.
“Me too, but until then, you will
be far away from here where your safe.”
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to
have me stay with this guy? I mean, how well do you really know him?”
“We were best friends growing up.
He’s a good guy; you’ll be safe with him.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and
nodded before going into the closet to get another suitcase. Might as well pack
enough stuff to last me. Once I was all packed and ready to go, we got into
Link’s SUV and headed for the airport. I was nervous the whole way, feeling
like something crazy was about to happen…
Today
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’re
about twenty minutes out from our arrival destination. The weather in Nashville
is mostly clear and sunny; the temperature is eighty-five degrees. The pilot
has now turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. Flight crew, please prepare for
landing,” I hear through my sleep-ridden state and lift my head from the wall
where I had rested it. I wipe my mouth with the sleeve of my sweater before
looking around to see everyone is putting their belongings away. I make sure my
seatbelt is secure before sitting back. My leg starts bouncing up and down
quickly, and I rub the tattoo behind my ear, trying to think about something
other than the plane landing.
Once we are on the ground, I wait
until everyone is off the plane to make my way out into the terminal. I go to
baggage claim and look around, but I have no clue what this guy looks like. All
I know is that his name is Kenton, and he is supposed to be picking me up.
I don’t see anyone who looks like
they’re searching for someone, so I go to the conveyer belt and spot one of my
bags as soon as I get there. I pull it off, stumbling back slightly from the
weight, as every guy here just watches me without offering to help. I look
around again, wondering if I’m supposed to call someone to tell them I landed.
I pull my phone out, click it off airplane mode, and send a text to Link letting
him know I had arrived. He sends me a message back letting me know Kenton had
called and told him he couldn’t make it to pick me up, and I should just catch
a cab to his house; the door would be unlocked.
I shake my head, cursing under my
breath, and almost miss one of my other bags going around the belt. Luckily, I
catch it at the last second. I carry it over to my other bag, and turn around
just in time to see my last bag about to go through the tunnel. I run as fast
as I can in my flip flops, and land half-on the conveyor belt, my bottom-half
being dragged along the floor as I grab the handle of my bag, pulling it back
so hard it flies over my head, causing me to land on my back with my hands over
my head.
“You must be Autumn,” I hear
rumbled from above me. I tilt my head back and look up at the man standing over
me. He’s upside-down, but even from my awkward position, he is good looking.
His chuckle makes me grit my teeth though, and I stand up, putting my bag on
its wheels before turning back to face him.
“You are?”
He raises a brow to me, shaking
his head, looking me over from head to toe. My body heats immediately under his
gaze. I take my sweater off, wrapping it around my waist and clearing my
throat. “You are?” I ask him again, getting annoyed that he’s obviously finding
this so funny if the smirk on his face is anything to go by.
“Kenton.” He smiles. “Those bags
yours?” He nods towards my other two bags.
“Yes.” I blow some hair out of my
face, looking into his blue eyes and wondering why the hell I feel so hot all
of a sudden. He looks away, going over to my bags while I take the time to look
him over.
He’s tall—much taller than my
five-five. His hair touches the edge of the black t-shirt he has on. He needed
a cut a while ago, but judging by the dark scruff along his jaw, I can tell he
doesn’t care much about grooming. His shoulders are broad, tapering down to a
lean waist; his thighs are thick, incased in a pair of dark jeans that have
shredded around the bottom by his heels, and his wallet is imprinted in the
back pocket like he wears them often. I look at his ass as he leans over. I
can’t believe I’m checking a man out; I’m not one to be the slightest bit
sexually interested in anyone. My eyes travel lower, looking at his feet, which
are enclosed in a very large pair of black boots. I wonder absently if what
they say is true about shoe size. I shake my head at my thoughts, dragging my
bag with me towards him. “I thought you couldn’t make it,” I tell him when I
reach his side. My head tilts back to look up into his eyes.
“Yeah, change of plans,” he
mutters, looking at me. I wait to see if he’s going to say anything else.
Apparently, he isn’t going to, so I shake my head again and lower my face
towards the ground. “You tired?” His voice is dark and rich, and does something
crazy to my insides. I nod, lifting my head. “Let’s roll; you can sleep when we
reach the house.”
I don’t say anything else.
Something is wrong with me; maybe I’m getting sick. I follow him out of the
terminal into the car park. When we reach the parking lot, he stops and pulls a
set of keys from his pocket. I hear the beep and look around, expecting him to
be driving a large truck, a Hummer, or maybe even a tank. I never expected him
to be driving a Dodge Viper, the black-on-black of the car only making it look
hotter. I look at my bags, wondering how we will get them in the car.
“It’ll be tight, but they’ll
fit,” he mumbles, pulling my other two bags with him. I can’t help noticing the
flex of his muscles as he gets my bags into the car, or the fact even his
fingers are attractive. It takes some maneuvering, but he does get my bags to
fit. I sigh, sitting down on the warm leather once we’re done. “I’m just gonna
drop you off at the house. I gotta head out for a bit, but you have free rein.
Just make yourself at home; there’s food in the fridge, and fresh sheets on the
bed in the guest room.”
“Thank you for doing this,” I
tell him, looking at his profile. He is seriously good looking, and the
butterflies in my stomach are making me feel anxious about staying with him.
“Don’t mention it. So…you and Link?” It took a
second to decipher his words between the thickness of his accent, his smell,
and the nervous energy I was feeling. Being in his presence, my brain seemed to
have shut down.
“He’s a friend.” Shit, maybe I
should have said he was my boyfriend. I looked over at him again; he didn’t
seem to be as on edge as I was. He was probably used to women swooning over
him. My gut tightened with something,
and it took a second to realize what it was. My body froze. Jealousy, really? I
must be going into shock or something—I don’t get jealous.
“How’d you two meet?”
“We work at the same club,” I
murmured, squirming in my seat.
“Oh yeah,” he mumbled, his
knuckles turning white from his grip on the steering wheel. I didn’t know what
that meant, but the energy in the car changed, making me want to get away from
him.
We drove in silence for the next
half-hour, the car winding its way through one small town after another until
we went up what seemed like the side of a mountain. The area was surrounded by
forest on either side of the road. We drove for about five minutes more before
turning onto a dirt road that took us deeper into the forest. I wanted to ask
if he lived out here and about where he worked, and a million other questions,
but my mouth had gone dry, and the energy in his car hadn’t gotten any better,
so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
I was going to be stuck with him
for a while, so I figured there would be time for all of that later. I looked
ahead of us, and squinted as the image of a large house came into view. It was
a very large brick house; the front had two porches, one on the first floor,
one on the second, and both wrapped around the front of the house. It was
beautiful and expansive. I looked over at Kenton again, gaging if I should ask
him if this was his house. His jaw was ticking, and the vein in his neck was
pulsing wildly. I had no idea what had set him off, but figured my best bet was
to sit there quietly until he calmed down.
We parked in front of the house,
where there was no real designated parking place. He unfolded himself out of
the car without saying anything, and I took that as my cue to follow him. By
the time I made it to the back of the car, he had both of my bags out and was
back on the driver’s side, sliding his seat forward so he could get to the bag
in the backseat. Without a word, he carried two of my bags up the front porch
and right into the house. I dragged my last bag with me, following close behind
him.
He set my bags down at the bottom
of the staircase, then turned to look at me. “Your room is at the top of the
stairs to the right. There’s a bathroom across the hall you can use; I have my
own.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked me over again, anger apparent
on his face. “I don’t want random men in my house, so if you need to get off,
take care of yourself.” I blinked at him as he continued. “The code for the
alarm is 4593; don’t forget to set it when you’re in the house. I don’t know
when I’ll be back, but you’ll be safe here.” Before I even had a chance to form
a complete thought, he was closing the door behind him, shouting, “Set the
alarm.”
I stood there for a few minutes, just looking
at the door, then I looked around for an alarm, but didn’t see one. Tears stung
my nose again as I recalled the look of disgust on his face when he told me to
get myself off. I said a silent, “Fuck you,” and looked at my bags then the
stairs, shaking my head—I could cry once I got settled in the room. I carried
my bags up the stairs one at a time, and by the time I was done, I was so
exhausted that I laid face first on the bed, put my head under the pillow, and
cried until I fell asleep.
There
was a pounding on the door, and I rolled, falling off the bed and onto the
floor. “You didn’t set the alarm,” I heard growled. I stood up, pushing my hair
out of my face, glaring at Kenton, who stood in the doorway with his arms
crossed over his chest.
“I looked and didn’t see the
alarm to set it.” I copied his posture, crossing my arms over my chest.
“You should have called and asked
me where it was.”
I scoffed. “With what magic? I
don’t have your number.”
“You could have asked Link for
it.” He shook his head.
“I’m sorry, but if you wanted me
to have your number, I figured you would have given it to me,” I retorted.
“Did you eat?” he asked, changing
the subject suddenly and throwing me off-guard.
“Pardon?”
“Did you eat something?”
“No, and I’m not hungry; I’m just
really tired,” I told him, rubbing my face. All I wanted to do was go to sleep
and forget about the last forty-eight hours.
“You need to eat something,” he chided,
uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on his hips.
“Okay, don’t get me wrong; I’m
really thankful for you looking out for me, but I have been taking care of
myself for a very long time. I don’t want nor need a babysitter.”
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged then
looked me over again, his eyes lingering on my chest. I glanced down and
groaned. Seriously? My boobs were in my bra, hanging over the top of my
tank-top. I quickly adjusted my shirt before narrowing my eyes on him. He
smirked, looking up into my face. “Make sure you set the alarm from now on. The
panel is inside the room off the entry, first door to the right.”
“Got it.” My body was doing that
hot thing again, and I wondered why it kept happening when he was around.
“All right, doll, get some rest.
I’ll see you tomorrow.” He let his eyes linger on me for a few moments more,
and then shook his head, stepping out of the room. I went to the side of the
bed and turned on the light before walking to the door and shutting it. I
leaned my head back, closing my eyes and breathing in deeply. I ran a finger
across my tattoo behind my ear before opening my eyes and looking around. I
could do this; I had lived through much worse and came out on top. I just
needed to get a plan in place.
~Additional
Books by Aurora Rose Reynolds~
The ENTIRE
Until Series is AVAILABLE in one box set
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1lr1Tnu
B & N: http://bit.ly/1qaR87y
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1t5lEDf
~Until Series (Individually)~
Until
November (Book 1)
Until
Trevor (Book 2)
Until Lily
(Book 3)
Until Nico
(Book 4)
*About the Author*
~Giveaway -- $100 Gift Card~
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