Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
She picked it up and the world seemed a little misty.
“It was the only thing he brought with him when he came to Dallas.” She looked up and she and Charlotte were alone again. “Besides clothes, of course.”
“I can’t believe he has this. This was in my condo in DC. I never thought I would see it again.” She’d kept it all those years. Even after the divorce and selling the place that had been their home, she’d kept this picture on her mantle. “I don’t even know what happened to my place in DC. I owned it but I didn’t pay my property taxes.”
“I think you’ll find Beck did,” Charlotte said. “He worked with a lawyer to make sure you still had a home if you wanted it. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.”
He hadn’t told her a lot of things.
He’d brought their wedding picture here. It had been sitting on this desk for years.
She took a deep breath and put the picture back down. She wasn’t staying here any longer than the three months she promised Beck. It would give him time to get to know his son and for them to work out how they would parent together.
She might even fuck him out of her system. But she wasn’t falling for this. Not again. “We should get to the meeting. I want to run by the daycare and make sure Roman’s settling in.”
She also needed a moment. She wouldn’t do anything more than look through the big windows and maybe wave his way, but the walk through the building might calm her down.
Charlotte looked her over as though assessing her. “You’re going to be a tough one, aren’t you?”
“I plan on being impossible.” She had to protect herself. Beck was an indulgence her heart couldn’t afford. At some point he would get mad and they would start their cycle all over again. It wouldn’t be only her who got hurt. This time Roman would be involved.
“That’s okay. Ian did, too.” Charlotte stepped out into the hallway. “He lasted three days. I’ll go let Eve know we’re ready, and I’ll meet you in the big conference room.”
She followed Charlotte and prayed she was stronger than Ian.
* * * *
“But I just got used to not using that name. I don’t understand why people don’t stay dead. It’s way easier than this constant ‘he’s dead and some overly emotional asshole is using his name. Then overly emotional asshole gets some much needed therapy and reclaims his own name only to find out the dude he was honoring has been happily quarantining with overly emotional asshole’s ex and the son he didn’t know he had.’ It could have been he’s just dead. See how that’s easier?”
Beck wasn’t in the mood for Tag’s shenanigans. Not in any way. He was horny as hell, and it had been two full days since he’d gotten his hands on his wife. And seven years since she’d put her hands on him. That was probably the part that was really getting to him. “Well, Ezra’s not dead and I need to figure out what Levi was doing with his unit.”
“His Marine unit. They’re all dead, right?” Alex McKay asked.
“Or are they?” Tag offered, a brow climbing over his eyes.
Alex gave him a one shouldered shrug. “Hey, if they’re in hiding after faking their own deaths, I’m all for finding them. It would be easier if we could ask them what they were doing.”
He’d known this wouldn’t be an easy conference, but they were testing his limits. “I’m pretty sure they’re all freaking dead, Tag. So unless you have a medium hanging around the office, you’re going to have to do some actual investigative work.”
The third person in the conference room leaned over toward Taggart, his voice going low. “He’s in a bad mood. Do you think it’s jet lag, now? Because I’m thinking his purity is finally taking a toll on him. You said his brother was a priest, but Beck’s the one who’s been living like a monk.”
The Americans weren’t the only ones well acquainted with the art of sarcasm. Liam O’Donnell’s Irish accent had softened a bit over the years, but he could lay it on thick when he wanted to.
When he’d gotten Kim to agree to his devil’s bargain, he’d expected the sex to come hot and heavy. Hell, he’d thought he’d be able to revisit the mile-high club with her. What he hadn’t counted on was how many damn people had been on the plane and how tired she’d been. He’d spent the majority of the ridiculously long flight watching her and Roman sleep. Then he’d had jet lag and he’d slept.
He didn’t want to live like a monk anymore. He wanted to sin and hard.
The object of his affection took that moment to walk in front of the conference room. Through the glass, he could see that she wore a simple pair of slacks and a chic silk blouse, and those sky-high heels she seemed to have been born to wear. Her long blonde hair was down, and she tucked a wave behind her ear, revealing a half smile she was giving the other woman she walked with. Charlotte was showing her around the office.