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)
“I trust you,” I whisper.
“And I will take care of that trust.”
He kisses me, and for the first time in a very long time, I feel like I’m in the exact right place.
Chapter 40
Casey
I stretch out, feeling lazy. Adler’s in the kitchen making coffee. I stare at the ceiling as the sound of him grinding beans echoes up the stairs, and I can’t help but grin to myself. That man does nothing halfway.
The past few days flit through my mind, from the awful to the good. I keep focusing on that dinner with this family: I was so convinced that would be a total disaster, but it ended up fine. True, his mother wasn’t exactly welcoming, but I can win her over eventually.
And if I can’t, does it matter?
Which makes me realize something. I want his mother to like me because I don’t plan on going anywhere. Which is strange to really consider—I went into this relationship with the assumption that it would be temporary.
Instead, I’m beginning to imagine what it would look like if I remained Adler’s wife.
He comes up not long later with two cups. I sit up and sip mine. I love the way he looks at me, even though I’m just in some old t-shirt and a pair of panties. He sighs as he stretches out and glances at the clock.
“I don’t remember the last time I was in bed at nine in the morning.”
“Really? You should try it sometime. When I have to work a late shift at the tables, I love sleeping in.”
“You don’t have to do that anymore, you know. We can set your schedule however you like it.”
My eyebrows arch. “Is that favoritism?”
“Yes,” he says flatly.
“Here I was assuming you didn’t want your wife dealing cards.”
“I don’t, but if you insist on it, then at least I’ll make it as pleasant for you as I can.”
“That’s… surprising, if I’m honest.”
He looks at me. “Not everything I do has some ulterior motive. Sometimes I just like making you happy.”
A strange warmth spreads into my core. I’ve never had someone say anything remotely like that to me before, much less really mean it.
And Adler means it. I can see it in his eyes, but more, I can see it in his actions. Even when what he wants pushes up against what I need, he inevitably makes the decision that will make me happy, or at least he compromises.
“Okay, that makes me wonder. What are your expectations for a wife?” I sip my coffee to cover my anxiety. “You know, for a real one.”
His smile is insufferable. “Well, if I had a real wife, not this fake one, I’d expect loyalty. I’d expect affection. I’d want to make her as happy as I can, with the caveat that I have many important responsibilities. I’d need her to be flexible.”
“Is that your long way of saying you work too much and you’ll prioritize your job?”
He tilts his head from side to side. “More that the job doesn’t give a damn what my priorities are.”
“I understand.” I chew on my lip. “That’s not so bad really.”
“What are your expectations for a husband?”
“I’ve never thought about it,” I admit. “Back when I was dating, I was too young to be thinking about marriage. Then the accident happened, and I was too injured to be thinking about marriage. It only ever really occurred to me when you came into the picture.”
“All right, then what are your expectations for me?”
“Well, if we were real—” He gives me another maddening smirk. “I’d also want loyalty.”
“That’s easy. You have it already. You’ve had it for a long time.”
My cheeks flush pink. “Also, I’d want honesty.”
He lets out a breath and runs a hand through his hair. “I haven’t always been the best at that.”
“It’s hard to be in a serious relationship with someone when they’re holding things back.”
“I understand.”
“Could you give me that? Real transparency? Real honesty?”
He’s quiet for a moment as he holds the coffee cup up to his face, inhaling the steam. His eyes close in thought, and he finally speaks after taking a long drink.
“Yes and no,” he says.
“You made me wait way too long for that answer.”
“That’s because I wanted to give you a different one, but you want honesty, and I’m being as honest as I can. There are things in my life that I will not tell you about.”
“Your other business.”
“Yes, some of the Costa family’s schemes and connections will remain private.”
“Because of your brothers?”
He shakes his head. “Because of you.”
I squirm, holding tightly to my cup. “Can you just come out and say what you mean?”
“I can’t risk you getting hurt again, not after what happened with Tony. If you were my wife for real, I’d keep you away from all of that. I’d isolate you, insulate you, make sure my enemies don’t consider you a threat or a target or a means to hurt me. That might mean I disappear for a few days without a good explanation on why I left, and it might mean that you aren’t ever sure why I’m taking certain meets with specific individuals, to give you a vague example, but I promise I will tell you if something is important.”