Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Seemingly sensing my turmoil, she says, “I’ll see you in a few hours acting like—”
“You hate me. It’s probably best. For now.”
Soft laughter fills the air. “Act? Who said I was acting?”
I chuckle because at this hour, I’m not at my best. “It’s four forty-five in the morning. I have no witty comeback for you.” I kiss her because now that I can, I’ll take the opportunity every chance I get. “I have to run. See you soon.”
“Still no goodbye, huh?”
“Nope. See you later, pretty girl.” I force myself out the door because I’m already so caught up in her that if I stay a second longer, I’ll be buried deep inside her. Again.
A knock pulls my eyes to the open door of my office. Leanna walks in. “You’re here early.”
“I didn’t get any work done over the weekend.”
“What are you working on?”
I lean back in the chair, rotating toward her. “The Torres’s file.”
“Oh,” she says, her expression lifting in remembrance while she sits across from me. “I should have checked in, but I got stuck out on Staten Island helping my sister move over the weekend. How did the dinner go?”
My memories go into overdrive thinking about how that dinner was the reason I was leaving her apartment this morning.
The way the wine glistened on Liv’s lips after she took a sip.
Her head tilted back in belly laughter when I told her about dates gone wrong in the past.
Her eyes reflected the dim lighting but were brighter when she looked into mine.
We dropped our guards and never looked back. The brush of our hands on the top of the table. An exchanged look that we both knew we were about to cross a professional line.
More than what happened at that dinner, I have a son. I look at Leanna, wishing I could tell her and the rest of the world about Max and how he and Liv have imprinted on my soul. I don’t take it lightly, but it’s bigger than anything I’ve felt before.
The moment to celebrate was stolen when I found out, and tonight, we’re figuring out how I can have him and his mom in my life full time, if that’s even a possibility.
I grab my Mont Blanc and fidget, spinning the pen to open and close over and over again. I can’t tell anyone about Max or Liv, not my family, so not Leanna either. “It went well.”
Running my hand over my hair, I feel my chest tighten. I’m caught in the “lying by omission” rule my parents taught me was wrong. I rub the bridge of my nose and then blurt, “The Torres’s canceled when we were already there.”
When I look up, Leanna’s staring at me. “So you left?”
“No, since we were already seated, we stayed.”
Her grin spreads like wildfire across her face. “That’s interesting.”
“It actually was. We had a good time.” I’m not going into sordid details, but I won’t downplay it either.
“That’s good, and it gave you time to go over the financials like you wanted but without the audience of the clients.” When I turn my gaze to the windows, she says, “You talked about the hunch you had, right?”
Hm. What to say? I glance back at her before moving my attention to the monitor. “Not exactly. We kind of just enjoyed our time. The food was really fantastic, too.”
“I feel like more than the food was fantastic.”
It’s a lighthearted conversation thus far, but we’re circling the truth of what really happened between Liv and me, and it hits a little too close for comfort. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“So you didn’t sleep with her?” She gasps, covering her mouth as her spine straightens in the chair. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know why—” She sucks in a breath as horror streaks across her face. Standing, she rushes toward the door. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Fuck me, though . . . I stand. “Leanna, stop.”
I see her torso fill with a breath before releasing and turning back to me. She’s shaking her head, and shame fills her expression. “That was so wrong. My apologies, Noah.”
“Come back,” I say, gesturing to the chair. “It’s okay, Leanna.”
She takes a few hesitant steps and then sits again.
“We’re friends.” I sit down again with a weary grin. Fuck my hair. I run my fingers through it and then rub the back of my neck. “Although it’s not the most comfortable of topics of conversation, I’m not mad you asked. But if you don’t mind, I don’t want to bring my personal life into the office yet.” This sounds incriminating, especially since I feel we’re building a relationship that would share the good things that happen in our lives. “What I mean is we had a nice dinner and got to know each other better.” I choose to leave out the fact that I’m falling for Liv, fell, and that we share a son. “Liv’s actually quite funny, lighter than when she’s in the office.”