Series: The Laws of Opposite Attract Series by Vi Keeland
Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
“You?” My eyes widened. “How?”
“I’ll figure it out. You have the spa there. You can’t leave. My job is more mobile.”
“But you’re a landlord—that’s part of your job.”
“The guys will attest to the fact that I am probably the least hands-on with the building stuff. As long as I’m financially in, they don’t need me in the City every day. I’d still be close enough that I could drive down whenever I needed to.”
“But won’t you miss them?”
“Of course I will. But not as much as I’d miss you.” He cradled my face. “You’re my fucking queen, Alex. I don’t want to be anywhere you’re not.”
That filled me with pride. While it brought immense relief to know Brayden would move to Connecticut for me, it also gave me a new reason to feel guilty. His friends were his family. But I vowed not to think about that right now. I’d been doing so well at freeing myself from guilt tonight, and I needed to enjoy the moment with my man.
My man.
It felt so damn good to finally say it.
CHAPTER 28
Alex
Damn it, I made myself bleed.
And here I’d thought my childhood nervous habit was long gone. It had been years since I’d bitten my nails. Then again, I couldn’t remember the last time I was this nervous. I lifted my phone from the counter to check the time and bobbled it when it started to buzz. Brayden.
Just seeing his name on the screen slowed my pulse a little. Maybe I should’ve let him be here when I told my stepdaughter about us, like he’d offered. If I had, I might still have my favorite teapot, and my house wouldn’t smell like charred metal. Which reminded me, I needed to light a candle. I swiped to answer my phone as I headed to the cabinet where I kept them.
“Hey.”
“Freaking out?”
I smiled. “How did you know?”
He chuckled. “I know you, Alex.”
“Well, so far today, I’ve had to go to the liquor store twice, I put the tea kettle on the stove without filling it first, and then I forgot I put it on at all while I went in the shower. Oh, and I also cooked a brisket for two hours without turning the oven on.”
“You bought wine and had to go back to the store a second time? You drank what you bought on your first trip?”
“No, I brought two bottles of wine up to the counter at the liquor store, paid for them, and walked out without the bag. I didn’t realize until I went to take the package out of the car after I’d pulled into my driveway.”
Brayden laughed. “I wish you would’ve let me be there with you. I have a special injection that works wonders for calming nerves.”
“I bet you do…”
“Seriously though, babe. Everything’s going to be fine. And even if it isn’t—which it absolutely will be—we’re going to get through it together. We’re a team now.”
I sighed. It had been a long time since I’d had anyone to lean on. It was going to take some getting used to. But even when he wasn’t physically standing by my side, I knew in my heart that Brayden was here for me, no matter what. I smiled. “Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. But I do need you to do something for me—before Caitlin arrives.”
“What’s that?”
“Go to the front door and grab the stuff that was just delivered.”
“How do you know something was delivered?”
“I got a notification on my phone. I thought you might be freaking out tonight, and since I’m not there to comfort you, I mailed you some supplies.”
I walked to the door with a different type of anxiousness. This kind made me smile. Out front was a large cardboard box. It had my name on it in Brayden’s familiar slashy handwriting.
“What did you send me?” I brought the package inside and set it on the living room coffee table.
“Switch me to FaceTime so I can watch you open it.”
“Okay.” I hit a couple buttons, and Brayden’s handsome face came on the screen. He had no shirt on, which went a long way toward distracting me. “Hi.” I gave him a goofy smile.
“Hey, beautiful.” He lifted his chin. “We probably don’t have long before your company arrives, so why don’t you open that up?”
“Alright, but you’ll have to call me back later with no shirt on so I can properly ogle you.”
He chuckled. “You got a deal.”
I ripped open the box, lifted a sheet of bubble-wrap packing, and found a bunch of small items inside. On top was a package of cookies, but I’d never seen the brand before. I held them up. “Comfort cookies?”
“They’re infused with CBD. I thought you might need to nibble one. It won’t make you high or anything, but it should relax you a bit.”