Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“Yes, but it’s just a business thing.”
“God, that’s so hot.” She practically melts.
I shake her off. “Why are contracts hot again? Are you turned on by the legalese?”
She groans. “Nothing sexier than law language. The denser the better. Make me really work for that meaning, baby.”
“You’re gross.” I nudge her away, but she doesn’t budge.
“Seriously, he’s supposed to get you pregnant. I mean, that involves, like, sexual intercourse, right?”
I grimace. “Please don’t call it that.”
“Okay, that means he’s going to fuck you senseless. That man, that gorgeous freaking man, is going to take your virginity and come inside your—”
“That’s enough!” I say, sounding shrill. I have enough fantasies already, I don’t need her to infect me with more. “Roxie, please, I’m begging you. I don’t know what’s going to happen, okay? Yes, we’re supposed to do all this stuff, but he’s acting like I’m toxic waste. He’s avoiding me, and I don’t know what it means.”
“He’s just saving himself up for one massive baby-making explosion.”
“That’s horrifying.”
“You’ll be covered in him. Just you wait.”
“Is that supposed to be attractive?”
“Some women would give a limb to let that man spray them down.”
“Am I speaking to one of those women right now?”
She groans, but her manager gives her a dirty look, and she’s forced to let me escape up the magic elevator.
The apartment feels so empty and enormous without Adler. He’s got this uncanny ability to suck up the air in any room he enters. He fills a space with the sheer weight of his presence, but when he’s gone, I can’t help noticing how the walls seem tighter.
It’s not like he’s particularly outgoing. Adler’s charming if he wants to be, but mostly he stands around looking grumpy and annoyed.
Still, he somehow manages to be a constant weight, one which dominates anyone near him.
Like everyone’s waiting in his shadow.
I have more room service. It’s fun calling down and ordering whatever I want, but I’m itching to put some real food in the pantry.
At least the Sunrise is known for its cuisine.
I kill time watching TV, exploring the apartment—there’s an actual full-sized home gym, which explains Adler’s cut physique—but mostly I daydream about my husband’s return.
Which is not what I expected or wanted when I agreed to this.
I hoped it would be a marriage on the surface only, but Adler seems intent on making me more than just his bride on paper.
That man’s after something, and I don’t know what yet.
When it’s late, I take another bath, but he’s still nowhere to be seen. I’m disappointed when I get into bed and shut out the lights. This whole situation is bizarre—I should be excited that he’s not home. I get the entire, beautiful apartment to myself, and I don’t have to worry about Adler hassling me.
Except I want nothing more than him in this bed beside me.
Maybe he went on a trip and didn’t say anything, or maybe he’s avoiding me—that’s totally possible—or maybe a dozen other terrible things happened, like a meteor strike or a lava river.
Although I don’t think Atlantic City has an active volcano nearby, anything’s possible.
The door to the bedroom opens, and I glance over at the clock. It’s a little past midnight. The door shuts again.
He comes toward the foot of the bed, trying to be quiet. I sit up on an elbow. “Adler?”
He looks back at me, halfway stuck taking off his shirt. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s fine. I wasn’t tired.” Which isn’t true. I’m exhausted from stressing about this exact moment.
“Go back to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.” He finishes undressing, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to pass out anytime soon.
My husband gets under the sheets, once again wearing only a pair of shorts and no shirt.
It’s like he does it just to mess with me.
“Did you work late?” I ask quietly, burrowing down into the sheets. Feeling strangely vulnerable.
He glances over. I get a flash of his eyes in the darkness. Beautiful man, but hiding something. “Had a couple high rollers come through. When someone’s willing to gamble millions in my casino, I’m expected to make an appearance personally.”
I let out a little grunt of acknowledgment. “Does that happen often?”
I already know the answer, considering I work there, but I’m making conversation.
“No,” he says, sounding slightly off-kilter. “It’s unusual, actually. Most of our guests stick to the twenty-five-dollar tables.”
“It’s a good thing, right? Someone spending a lot of money? Unless they won.”
“They didn’t.” He shifts closer to me. “You’re interested in the business?”
“I’ve always been interested in the Sunrise. It’s beautiful, you know.”
“What part do you like the best?”
I close my eyes, picturing the gaming floor. “The chandeliers. The carpets. The groups of slot machines with their big, glowing faces. Even the bathrooms are nice.”
“What else?”
“I like how there’s always a flow.” I stop myself, blushing slightly as I glance at him. “Sorry, I’m not used to talking about the Sunrise like this. Most of the people that work there can’t wait to go home when their shift is over.”