Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“How can you trust me?” I begged to understand his openness because it put me to shame. “I want you to believe that you can make mistakes, that you can be human and weak with me, that you don’t have to be perfect all the time. But can you?”
“Aye, I can.” Lewis nodded. “I believe you won’t do that to me again because I can see how much it’s hurting you right now. But more than that, Callie … I love you so much, but I am not a man who will walk on eggshells or become someone else to suit you. I am who I am, and you’ll either love me or you won’t. Knowing that, I wouldn’t take a chance on you if I didn’t think you could handle me being myself with you.”
Love, so much love it was overwhelming, crashed over me.
I was still in love with Lewis Adair.
And it was terrifying because now I knew what it felt like to lose him.
I leaned my cheek against his shoulder. “I’m scared.”
He pulled me in tight, resting his cheek on the top of my head. “I know. And if you want, we can take this slow. We’ll … date.”
Amusement trembled on my lips. “While I’m pregnant with your baby?”
“Aye.” He chuckled. “Christ, Callie … we’re having a baby.”
“I know.” I slid my arm around his stomach and held on while we watched the sun rise into the sky. “Everything is going to change.”
“Not everything,” he promised. “Not the way I love you.”
I let out a shuddering breath. “I have always loved you too. Always only ever you.”
In answer, Lewis pulled back. When I raised my head to look at him, he brushed a gentle kiss across my mouth. A sudden desperate hunger rose in me, and I curled my fist into his shirt and pulled him in deeper.
Reluctantly, we broke the kiss, panting against each other’s mouths.
“Slow,” Lewis said gruffly. “We’ll take it slow.”
Knowing he was right, I eased back and glanced down at the picnic. “We should eat some of this.”
The rest of our picnic was less intense. Some of the awful thoughts and feelings I’d been suffering through these last few days were dulled by Lewis’s acceptance and determination. I knew he was right. That I had to stop worrying about what everyone thought of me. The only people who mattered were those who had proven they loved me and were proud of me.
We packed up the picnic to head back after a couple hours of chatting about everything and nothing. We talked about Harry and Morwenna, our parents, our jobs, and, of course, about the baby. Lewis wanted to be at every appointment, which I was grateful for. Yesterday morning I’d felt alone, despite my mum’s comforting support. Now, I felt like—even with things still new again between us—I had a partner in Lewis.
“Oh, and I should probably mention I put an offer on a house yesterday.”
I straightened from putting my trainers back on as Lewis picked up the picnic basket and blanket. “A house?”
He watched me carefully. “That’s where I was coming from before you told me you were pregnant.”
“Oh.”
“I know we said slow, and we’ll take it slow … but it’s a four-bedroom house in the woodlands between here and Golspie. I put an offer on it because I think you’d love it.”
Oh. I gaped at him, feeling that surge of overwhelming emotion again.
And with it, nausea.
I gagged, covering my mouth as I bolted toward the sea. I made it just in time to upchuck into the water.
A few seconds later, I felt a tug on my ponytail as Lewis pulled it away from my face. He soothed a hand over my back as I retched over and over, throwing up everything I’d eaten.
Finally, I sagged back into his broad chest, and he tucked his chin between my shoulder and neck. “Better?”
I nodded, shaking. “I should head back, though. The morning sickness can last a few hours.”
“Shit. Really?”
“Aye.”
“Let me stay with you, then.”
“Don’t you have work?”
“I can fob it off for a few hours.”
I turned in his arms. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine. And if you’re buying a house, you should really go to work.”
At my pointed comment, he tugged me closer so my breasts were flush with his chest. “Did that freak you out?”
I chuckled. “Surprisingly, no.”
“If they accept my offer, I’d like you to come see it.”
I nodded, my stomach somersaulting again at the thought of Lewis buying a house he thought I might like. He was so wonderful; it was hard to take in after all these years of unfairly resenting him.
He leaned in as if to kiss me, and I backed up. “Uh, no.” I covered my mouth.
Lewis chuckled. “Damn, I forgot. That’s what you do to me. I forget one second from the next, and all I can think about is your mouth.” This time when he leaned in, it was to murmur in my ear, “When we’re done taking it slow, my mouth is going to know every fucking inch of you again.”