Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
I nearly choke on my water. “Excuse me?”
“I mean—” He lifts his hands almost defensively. “While you’re taking care of Elody. It would keep her routine consistent. And you wouldn’t be running back and forth. You wouldn’t have to worry about walking around alone at night. Or…” His lips tremble with a smile. “Walking in on Oliver and Rina while they’re getting it on.”
Heat rushes to my face as that image flashes in my brain. “I am never going to be able to look my brother in the eye again.”
“You’re not the one who has anything to be embarrassed about,” Laiken says dryly.
I stare at him, trying to process the offer. He wants me to live here. In this penthouse that smells like dinner and his cologne.
“It’s just a thought,” he mumbles when I don’t respond. “If the idea doesn’t work for you, we won’t do it. Easy as that.”
Easy.
Nothing in my life feels particularly easy right now.
“I don’t know,” I say, gesturing vaguely around the penthouse. “Wouldn’t that, you know, cramp your style?”
His gaze dips to my mouth for half a second before lifting to my eyes. It’s enough to make my heart stutter.
“I don’t see how.”
“Well,” I hedge, “I suppose you’d be free to go out more. Date. Do whatever you want. I’d be here with Elody, so you wouldn’t have to worry about her…”
I trail off when his eyes widen.
“Go out?” he repeats.
Already I can feel heat crawling up my neck. “I didn’t mean… I mean, not that it’s any of my business if you—”
“I don’t,” he says abruptly.
The words land like a grenade between us.
“I don’t date,” he quietly clarifies. “Not since Sarah left.”
Silence stretches until it becomes painful. It feels like I’m tiptoeing through a verbal minefield.
“I’ve been too busy for that,” he adds, gaze fixed somewhere over my shoulder. “Elody comes first, and making sure she’s okay is my priority.”
Of course it is.
“From what I can see, you’re doing a great job,” I blurt.
He stares at me like he didn’t expect the compliment.
“With Elody,” I add. “She’s obviously happy. And that’s…” The muscles in my throat constrict. “That’s everything.”
His expression eases as the tension in his shoulders loosens. “You think so?”
I nod, grateful that we’ve left the subject of his dating life behind. “Yeah, I do.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.”
The measured way he says it has my stomach flipping.
“So,” he continues, “with my schedule and Elody, it would help if you stayed here. It would give everyone some space until the baby comes.”
My eyes widen.
Baby?
When I continue to gawk, he adds, “You know, Oliver and Rina’s baby. It would give them time to figure out their new normal.”
Air rushes from my lungs in one swift release.
Of course he’s talking about their baby.
Everything he’s saying makes total sense. It’s logical. Reasonable. The kind of solution any sane person would latch on to without hesitation.
And yet…
“I don’t know.” Even though part of me wants to jump on the offer before he’s finished speaking or I can overthink the ramifications, I hesitate. “I don’t want to be in your way.”
What I don’t say is that being in such close proximity to this man feels dangerous. Not in a way that sets off alarms, but in a quieter way that sneaks up on you when emotions get tangled and lines start to blur. There’s a heaviness to him that tells me he has a lot going on. I have enough on my plate without adding feelings to a situation that already feels strained.
“You won’t be,” he says without pause or further consideration.
Not a flicker of doubt crosses his face. It’s as if he’s already made the decision. The certainty in his voice steadies me, even as it makes my pulse kick up.
“Just promise me one thing,” I say.
He lifts a brow, clearly bracing himself.
“That we will never, under any circumstances, talk about walking in on Oliver and Rina again.” I feign a shudder. “Trust me, it’s already caused enough mental distress.”
Humor sparks in his eyes as a smile spreads across his face. “Deal.” He gestures down the hall. “You can stay in the guest room.”
There’s a brief beat of silence as the air between us shifts.
“So,” he says, quieter now, “you’ll do it?”
Honestly? This man is offering me everything I need.
A safe place to stay. Days filled with purpose instead of uncertainty. Money I can set aside for later along with something that feels suspiciously like security, and not just survival. But I also realize how easily things could get complicated if we live under the same roof. I don’t need crossed lines or emotions I don’t have the bandwidth to manage right now.
For that reason alone, I should say no.
Even as the thought crosses my mind, I already know I won’t.
12
Laiken
Kia’s teeth scrape along her bottom lip as her gaze flicks down the hall and then back to me. “Only if you’re sure.”