Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“You’re right though,” I add. “I work for you, and flirting isn’t the best idea. Even if it’s innocent. Besides,” I say with a self-deprecating smile, “once you hear my baggage, you’ll realize I’m not the person you want to be flirting with. Hell, I wouldn’t blame you for letting me go.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Ryder says, his voice strong like steel. “But I do need to know everything so I know what we’re dealing with and I can help you.”
I release a harsh sigh and nod. “I guess it’s best if I start from the beginning.”
chapter ten
RYDER
“When I was growing up, my mom would read me fairy tales. She wasn’t the best mom, but she loved me—she still does,” Kira says with a soft smile. “She grew up poor, and when she was old enough, she started working the streets. She was beautiful, and wealthy men would pay a lot of money to be with her. She learned how to use her body to get what she wanted.
“The problem was, no matter how much they wanted her, at the end of the day, she was still a hooker, and while she was a good lay, she wasn’t wife material.”
The sadness on Kira’s face makes me want to get up and go over to her, pull her into my arms and hold her, but I remind myself that she just forgave me for my momentary lapse in judgment this morning, and the last thing I want is to do something inappropriate to push her away.
“My sperm donor was a married man with an entire other family who made my mom think he wanted more,” she murmurs. “Or maybe my mom was delusional, hoping he would choose her. Regardless, when he found out, he threw money at her and told her to get rid of me.”
She pushes out a harsh breath. “I never wanted that for my life. I did good in school, participated in clubs and cheerleading, and got into a decent college. I continued the same way in college … doing my best to create a life for myself.
“I met a guy I thought was good. He came from a respectable family. He got decent grades and had his future mapped out. We had fun together, and he made me laugh and smile. But then I got pregnant, and everything changed.” She shrugs. “As you already know, he didn’t want any part in the pregnancy or being a dad.”
“He was a fool,” I tell her, wishing I could say exactly what I’m thinking—that I would give anything to find a woman like her.
She’s sweet and kind and so selfless. She’s not only a damn good woman, but she’s also a wonderful mom, and any guy who gets to call her his would be stupid not to cherish and worship her and do everything in his power to keep her.
“It was for the best,” she says. “I would never want someone to stick around who doesn’t want to.”
“I get that. But it doesn’t make it any easier.”
“No, it doesn’t,” she agrees. “After Raymond left, I focused on being a mom. After graduation, instead of starting my teaching career, like I had planned, I got a job at a bar because my mom could watch Violet at night instead of me putting her in day care.
“And then I met Brian.”
She visibly shivers, and I know whatever she’s about to say isn’t going to be good.
“He was charming. He would come in every night and flirt with me. I was a lonely single mom, and he gave me the attention I craved. I could tell he had money. It was evident in the expensive drinks he ordered, the suits he wore, and the way he carried himself. I refused to give in, not wanting to make the same mistake my mom and I had both made, but eventually, he wore me down. He promised me the happily-ever-after, like the ones you read about in romance books, and I fell for it.”
A single tear slides down her cheek. “At first, it felt like a fairy tale—massive house, nice vehicle, a man who worshipped the ground I walked on.”
When another tear escapes, I can’t help but wish I could be next to her, wiping her tears. Seeing Kira sad does something to me. It makes me want to make her happy all the time so I never have to see her cry.
She smiles sadly at me. “I can’t pinpoint the moment Brian changed. Maybe it gradually happened, and I wasn’t paying attention. He asked me to quit working at the bar, and at first, I refused, not wanting to give up my independence. But then he got upset and threw a tantrum, and I gave in, choosing to believe he was doing it because he cared instead of admitting what it really was—possession.”