Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
He squirms again, and I shove him harder against the wall, taking satisfaction in the way he grunts in pain.
Hailey steps forward, and though I want her nowhere near Lucas or his aggression, I refuse to let go of him to stop her. There’s fury in her forest green eyes that makes my dick stand to attention. She’s hot as hell when she’s mad.
“Let’s get one thing very fucking clear, Lucas,” she seethes, glaring at him. “I wouldn’t be with you if you were the last man on earth.”
I suddenly can’t wait to throw him out of here so I can show her just how much I love hearing her stand up for herself.
“And this is long overdue, but I’m not waiting anymore,” Hailey continues, getting closer to Lucas so he can see the determination on her face. “You’re fired. Effective immediately.”
I wish I could take a photo of Lucas’s face when she says that because it’s truly glorious. His mouth gapes open like a fish out of water, and his eyes bulge with shock. He sputters and stutters, staring at her in disbelief. His shock quickly turns back to rage, though, and he narrows his eyes on her.
“You won’t survive a month in this job without me,” he spits, lying through his teeth because we all know Hailey’s talented enough to make it without him. “Don’t come crawling back to me when you realize just how much you need me—”
Hailey cuts him off, rolling her eyes at his dramatics. “Shut up and get the fuck out of my house, and my life for that matter,” she snaps, shaking her head in disappointment.
I take the cue and yank him away from the wall, forcibly walking him to the front door to see him out. I open the door and throw him out, grinning when he stumbles and falls down the step onto her lawn. He scrambles to his feet and turns, looking over his shoulder and opening his mouth to, no doubt, yell more nonsense at us. Before he can get a word out, I give him a wave and slam the door in his face.
“Goodbye, dickhead,” I mutter, locking the door just to make sure he doesn’t try to storm back in.
Hailey’s in the living room, watching Lucas get into his car and drive away with a mixture of annoyance and satisfaction on her face.
“I should’ve told him where to go weeks ago,” she says with a sigh as she turns away from the window. I sit on the sofa beside her, pulling her into my lap and holding her close, reassuring my instincts that she’s okay and unharmed.
“I’m so proud of you, baby,” I tell her honestly. “It was hot as fuck watching you stand up for yourself.”
She laughs, resting her head on my shoulder. “It was hot as hell watching you defend me,” she says, tipping her head back to kiss me. “Honestly, I’m just relieved he’s gone. He was never a great manager anyway, and in the past few weeks, he’s just gone from doing his job to making me uncomfortable. I didn’t think he’d go this … crazy, though.”
I kiss her head, tightening my hold on her. No doubt she can feel just how turned on I still am, but I focus on comforting her instead, trying to ignore my cock for a minute.
“None of this is your fault or responsibility,” I tell her. “The only one at fault here is Lucas. He’s clearly lonely and jealous, and that’s not your problem anymore. Hopefully, he’s learned a damn lesson.”
Hailey nods. “On the bright side, it’ll make for an excellent story time segment on socials,” she jokes, grinning.
“Imagining his face when he sees that will make my day,” I laugh.
Despite her jokes and her trying to hide it, I can tell Hailey’s rattled by what just happened. She keeps glancing out the window, and the usual rosy hue on her cheeks is pale. Plus, she’s cuddled into me, but I can see her hands shaking a little still. I hate the fact that he’s affected her like this.
I want to wipe him from her mind, to distract her so thoroughly she forgets he even existed.
I tip her chin up with one finger, meeting her eyes before I kiss her. She melts into me as we share breath, kissing slowly at first until she whimpers against my lips. I deepen the kiss, sweeping my tongue against hers, nipping at her bottom lip to make her gasp the way I love. She’s so damn responsive, I can’t get enough of her.
“You did so fucking good, baby,” I tell her again. “So fucking strong.”
She whines a little, adjusting her position so she’s straddling me, kissing me harder. She shifts her hips, grinding against my hard length through our clothes. I can’t wait a second longer, needing to show her just how amazing she is, just how much I care for her. I want to chase away any speck of fear or uncertainty that Lucas put into her, replacing it with love and affection.