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)
His expression eases, something warm and unguarded passing across his face as his gaze bounces between us.
“Guess there’s no choice now,” he says. “You’ve gotta wear them. Wouldn’t want to miss out on being sock twins.” His attention cuts to me. “Impressive.”
I smile. It was an easy problem to solve, but it still feels good to get it right.
Once breakfast is done, we grab jackets and her small backpack before heading to the elevator, the three of us riding down to the garage. Laiken clicks the locks on a shiny black Escalade before opening the door to the back seat and strapping Elody inside. Then he kisses her forehead and opens the driver’s door for me.
I hesitate, eyeing the dashboard. It looks unnecessarily complicated, more like a cockpit than a car. After settling onto the leather seat, Laiken reaches in and slides it forward, the quick adjustment bringing me closer to the steering wheel. Then he reaches for the belt before I can do it myself. His arm moves across my body, the seatbelt dragging over my chest before he secures it in place. The sound echoes in the small space between us.
The gesture is simple. Practical. And yet, it feels intimate in a way that sends an unexpected jolt through me. Our gazes catch and hold, neither of us pulling back right away. For a suspended second, I’m aware of the warmth of his hand lingering near my shoulder and the steady calm in his expression. Of the way he’s taking care of me. All of it is complicated by the reminder that he’s technically my employer and nothing more.
Except it doesn’t feel that simple.
“Go ahead,” he says. “Start it up.”
My fingers shake as I press the ignition and the engine roars to life. Laiken leans in again, pushing a few buttons on the screen until a map and address appear.
“That’s the route for school. It’ll give you turn by turn directions.” He glances at me. “I already called the school and let them know you’d be dropping her off.”
“All right. Should be easy enough,” I mutter, hoping that turns out to be the case.
He retreats a step before shoving his hands into his pockets. “Any questions?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Call if you need anything, okay?”
With a nod, I close the door before backing up and pulling out of the structure. The drive to school is filled with Elody’s excited chatter. She talks about her doll, stuffed rabbit, and what we’re going to do after I pick her up from school. That would be braiding Penny’s hair, coloring, and playing with her dollhouse.
Even though traffic is heavy, we reach school with a few minutes to spare. Elody slips her fingers into mine as we walk toward the brick building and then step inside. She pulls me toward a classroom door where a woman with a polite smile waits for us.
“Did you bring a special guest with you today?” she asks Elody, her tone bright and practiced.
“This is Kia,” the little girl announces. “She lives with us!”
Her teacher’s smile falters for half a second before snapping back into place. “Wow,” she says lightly. “That’s exciting.”
For just a moment, I consider clarifying the situation, but the way her curious gaze lingers has me deciding against it. My relationship with Laiken isn’t any of her business, and if he wants to address it, he will.
“I’ll be back at one,” I promise, crouching to hug Elody goodbye.
She squeezes me tight until I laugh. “Promise?”
“I absolutely promise.”
“Okay.” With that, she skips into the classroom without a backward glance.
As I straighten and watch her go, the weight of my new responsibility settles in. Strangely, it isn’t heavy or suffocating the way I expected. Instead, it’s steadying. Almost reassuring. Like I’ve landed exactly where I’m meant to be for the time being, even if I don’t quite understand how I got here.
That sense of rightness is unfamiliar enough to make me wary. I remind myself that this is a temporary situation and I’m living with a borrowed family. The real challenge won’t be finding my footing, it’ll be learning how to live with this little girl and her father without letting myself grow too attached.
As I step toward the entrance, Elody’s teacher calls after me, “Please tell Laiken I said hello.”
I force a polite smile. “I’ll be sure to do that.”
And just like that, my day begins.
14
Laiken
Knox drives his Maserati like he’s playing a game of Grand Theft Auto.
The vehicle sits low to the ground, all sleek lines and reckless arrogance, growling every time he punches the gas, which is far too often for my liking. I grab the handle above the door and brace as he blows through a yellow light that’s red by the time we hit the intersection. A horn blares behind us.
“I’d really like to make it to the arena in one piece,” I bark.