Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Madden frowned. “How so?”
Eve circled the living room once, reminding him of a restless cat checking her new surroundings for threats, before perching on the arm of the couch. She waited until he’d followed and come to stand directly in front of her before speaking again. “Well . . .”
She shoved her steepled hands between her knees and he had to bite his cheek to resist the urge to grab them, warm them between his own. Damn, she looked anxious.
“Eve, you can say anything to me.”
“This is hard. I thought I had everything figured out. I’m supposed to have everything figured out.”
“You had no idea your sister was going to leave the kids with you, Eve. You couldn’t have seen that coming. You’ve had no choice but to adapt.”
“Yes, I hear that. I agree. But it’s more than just the kids. I was so superior, thinking I’d open this club and make bank. Show everyone I didn’t only have staying power, but that I could take my pride back. And it’s just been . . . um. Kind of a wake-up call to find out that my trauma only mattered to me. Those people were capable of cutting me off at the knees and moving on. They didn’t feel any of it and they never will.” She swallowed. “I’m starting to think I did all this for nothing.”
A tide of denial, outrage rose in his midsection. “Eve—”
“Hold on, let me just finish.”
Madden bit his tongue. “All right.”
It took her a moment to get up and running again. “There’s nothing I can do to change everyone’s perception of me and I’ve learned to live with that, but, Madden, if that ugliness touched you, I would not be able to live with it.”
Somehow, despite his years of studying Eve Keller, he didn’t see this coming.
Not even a hint of it on the horizon. And he could see now he’d been shortsighted, his eye on the immediate goal. Blind to Eve’s insecurities that she hid so well. So well he almost forgot they existed sometimes. Well, here was the proof.
“I’m . . . going to marry you, Mad.” She looked up at him with a face full of gravity and he was so caught off guard by having his ultimate wish granted, he nearly went end over end into the atmosphere. “But only if it’s a secret. I don’t want anyone to know. Not because I won’t be proud as hell to be your wife, but because . . . because I’m not . . . you remember the way Skylar was treated for being friends with me? These moms won’t talk to me at school pickup. I’m not doing that to you. You’re in this whole new world of professional sports and media attention . . .”
Madden’s anger caught up with his euphoria, storming through it. Not anger at Eve. Anger at everyone else. The entire world. “Eve, I don’t give a right fuck about anyone’s opinion. Let them talk. Let them say ignorant things about a woman who’d raise her niece and nephew at the drop of a dime, no questions asked. Who’d stand by her father when the whole town campaigned to throw him out. You’re better than any of them. Than anyone.” His hand cut the air in half. “I won’t keep you a secret.”
“This is my hard limit. It stays a secret.” Eve stood up, sucking in a breath when Madden lunged into her space, stopping just short of touching her. But Jesus, he might as well have been for the effect their proximity had, her lids dropping like sandbags, her nipples hardening against the white cotton of her shirt. “Secrets don’t stay secrets very long, Madden. Because of that, I think we should put a time limit on this.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, plus a second one before drawing back. “Do you now?”
Eve hummed, desperately trying to keep her attention off his mouth. Did she think he couldn’t read her returned attraction? “Yes. If I can’t get the club to a place that is lucrative in the next six months, then I’ll have to sell. Either way, at that point, I’ll have the extra money to take care of Lark and Landon. Give me until then, then we can . . . divorce.”
Madden could have argued. Could have explained to her that, no, nothing about them would be temporary and ask why she couldn’t simply accept that, but he stopped himself. He stopped and gave the turning point between them some critical thought.
He’d gotten what he wanted today.
Eve had agreed to marry him.
He had six months to convince her to stay married to him. For real.
Six months to calm her fears that their connection could drag him down in some way. Which was bullshite, if he’d ever heard it. Not to mention, he’d welcome any criticism or judgment with open arms if it meant having Eve.