Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
“You’ve outdone yourself. Really, I can’t thank you enough for taking the lead on this. You’ve freed her, you know. Any lawyer in their right mind would tell him to let it go at this point.”
“Which is exactly what we can tell him if he ever bothers her again. He has absolutely no standing, and even if he blames her for leaving the country and deserting Kristoff, there are still no grounds for bringing her all into this. She wasn’t his nanny. He did exactly what he wanted.” Did he ever. He damn near destroyed her.
“Bianca is going to be so happy.” The relief in his voice is heavy, and I can’t help smiling in the light of his approval. Going back through those ugly memories the night I told Tatum the whole story only reminded me of everything I owe him. This is the least I could do.
“I know Tatum will, too. She doesn’t know anything about this yet – and we’re not going to give her the details. The less she knows, the better.”
“Of course. It will be so good to have both of you back here. It wouldn’t have seemed like Thanksgiving without the two of you.”
Thanksgiving? My stomach drops, my mouth going dry, as my heart begins pounding in a furious rhythm. I always think of everything, don’t I? Every angle, every potential slip-up.
Why didn’t I think of this? Originally, I was in a hurry because I wanted it over with. And I did always want to help her – that’s the truth. I wanted this over for her.
Now, nothing is keeping us here, meaning there’s nothing keeping us together. Obviously, we won’t be able to keep this up once we’re back at the compound. No marathon sessions in bed… or the shower… or the kitchen… My chest aches when I look ahead to a future without her.
“Did I lose you?”
Get your shit together. “No, still here. You went out for a second – it was a little fuzzy.” How do I sound normal? Easy. Years of tuning my feelings out and operating on autopilot. It’s second nature.
“I was saying Bianca’s not having a very easy time of it right now. It’s nothing to worry about, but she’s got nasty morning sickness and feels like shit more often than not. Having Tatum back is just what she needs. The timing couldn’t be better. I might save it as a surprise.”
“That’s a good idea. She’ll be happy.” Words are coming out of my mouth, but I am hardly paying attention. How am I supposed to do this? How do I go the rest of my life without what happened less than an hour ago? Touching her, tasting her, listening to her moaning my name. Knowing how much she needs me. How much I need her.
“And I’m sure it can’t happen fast enough for you,” he concludes. “I have to admit, I had my doubts.”
The word reverberates like a gong in my skull. “Doubts?”
“Sending you back there. I knew it couldn’t be easy on you, and it felt damn unfair, putting you through that. And there were a couple of times I wondered if it wasn’t all too much. Like that night when you were drunk.”
There’s no disapproval or even condescension in his voice, but I bristle anyway. “I’m not proud of that.”
“And I’m not giving you shit about it. But it was unlike you, so I was worried. I even made a call, thinking I might need to step in and take care of things. I should’ve known better.”
I’m too busy reeling at first to pick up on what he said. Eventually, his words filter through my skull and set off red flags. “A call?”
“I regret the hell out of it now. Believe me, it was no reflection on you in general. I was feeling guilty and concerned—”
“What do you mean, a call?” I stand, gripping the edge of the desk for balance with my free hand since the room’s starting to spin. “Who did you call?”
CHAPTER 28
TATUM
It’s amazing what you can learn when you pay attention. You could be at the grocery store, grabbing the many essentials that have gone unstocked while you’ve been getting your pussy pounded, and end up learning something valuable.
In my case, the lesson begins once I reach the rear of the store, where the butcher and deli counter sit. A few women are standing around in the usual sweats and jeans, chatting like they’re old friends catching up at the end of the week. One voice rings out above the others. “I’ll be surprised if there’s anything left on Main Street by the time those developers get through with the place.”
It’s not the first time I’ve overheard a loud conversation around here. The thing about living in a neighborhood where everybody knows everybody is people talk about all kinds of things without much of a filter. Usually, I’ll listen a little as I pass by, but it doesn’t normally mean anything to me, so I keep moving without giving it much thought.