Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
I can’t stop the momentum, nor can I manage to throw my arms behind me to break my fall. Nope. I fall straight backward and slam my head onto the concrete.
Chapter Two
“Ma’am? Ma’am?” Someone is talking to me.
I groan and bat at whatever is in front of me before blinking and realizing the annoying substance is the pouring rain. It’s slapping me in the face because I’m lying on the sidewalk, staring up at the sky.
“Don’t move. I’ll get an ambulance.”
I jerk my attention to the man hovering over me and shake my head, which hurts like hell. “No.” I try to roll to the side so I can push to standing, but I’m dizzy and disoriented.
The man sets a hand on my shoulder, keeping me from rising. “Don’t move. You hit your head pretty hard. You might have other injuries.”
I hurt all over. My head is pounding, but I also landed on my ass and my elbows. Pain shoots up both arms and down my legs. I lick my lips, tasting rainwater. “I’m fine,” I manage to mutter. “Let me get up.” I shove at his hand, but he’s built like a truck. There’s no budging him.
A shadow comes over me, and I realize someone is holding an umbrella above me now. At least rain is no longer pelting my face.
“You need to stay still, ma’am.”
“Layla…” I mutter. I hate it when people call me ma’am, but why am I sharing my name with this stranger?
How big is this guy? He seems two times larger hovering over me than he did when I first noticed him as my body collided with his. His brow is furrowed. His hair is thick and dark. His brown eyes seem to bore into me.
I have to jerk my gaze away from him because he’s kind of beautiful. How hard did I hit my head? I notice he’s holding his phone and tapping the screen with one hand. His other hand is holding me down on the cold sidewalk in a giant puddle. Not that it matters. I can’t get more wet.
But he doesn’t understand that I can’t go to a hospital. I can’t even pay my rent let alone the kind of astronomical bill that would come from a trip in an ambulance.
I reach out and swat the phone out of his hand, causing it to land on the sidewalk next to me. It would be cheaper for me to buy this man a new phone than pay medical bills.
I manage to shock the man enough that he removes his hand from my shoulder to grab his phone. That’s my opportunity to roll away from him and push myself to sitting.
Probably not my best plan. The sudden movement makes me dizzy. I feel like I’m going to vomit. In fact, I cover my mouth as I lean to one side. The last thing I need is to also vomit all over myself. At least the monsoon will rinse me off, though.
I need to get up. It’s imperative that I pull myself together. But when I shift my weight so that I’m on my hands and knees, I realize I’m feeling too weak and oddly uncoordinated to stand. At least not yet. I need another minute.
Suddenly, huge powerful hands are on my waist, and I’m lifted off the ground and cradled against a massive chest. All the air leaves my lungs for a moment, and I blink several times before I realize tall, dark, and handsome is holding me.
Whoever was holding the umbrella hands it to him. Now he’s holding me with one arm. The giant umbrella is in his other hand. How does he manage that? I know I’m not a very big gal, but he’s supporting my weight with one hand. “Take a breath, Layla,” he orders.
I stare at him and sniffle. I must be hallucinating. He gives off strong Daddy vibes. I’m surely making that up. Wishful thinking. Wouldn’t it be cool if I slammed into the only Daddy in the city who would so attentively take care of me and hasn’t left me lying in a puddle after I slapped his phone out of his hand?
He hasn’t even mentioned his phone as if it’s of no consequence. I’m not sure why I’m so focused on his cell. Oh, because that part is important. “Please tell me you didn’t call an ambulance.”
“I didn’t, Little one. Please tell me why you don’t want me to.”
My breath hitches. Did I hear him right? Did he just call me Little one?
“Layla…” he says in a warning tone as though I’ve been naughty.
I definitely conked my head hard. I’ve turned this behemoth of a man into a Daddy Dom in my mind. I must be dreaming. Maybe I died when I hit my head. “Is this heaven?” I ask before I can stop myself.