Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Her voice trails off, but I’m completely attuned to her and dying to know what she was going to say. “You thought what?”
She lifts her wet eyes and looks at me. “That you would break my heart in the end and I was better off if I just stayed away.”
I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. “I won’t break your heart.”
Her eyes search mine like she’s trying to decide if she can trust me or not. Then she wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me close, and her lips brush my skin as she whispers, “I’m going to hold you to that, Miller.”
“Good,” I murmur, tightening my hold on her.
We sit like this, tangled together. Each second that passes, the tension from her body slowly starts to drain away, and her breaths even out. Eventually, she starts to drift, and her hold on me loosens, letting me know she’s asleep.
I don’t move.
I just sit here breathing her in, memorizing the feel of her against me, in my arms.
Maybe I should have waited. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this yet. I should have let her heal more before I gave in to the way she tempts me.
I swallow hard.
There’s no going back now. I can’t change it, but I can make it to where she never regrets this.
My hand slowly moves up and down her back, careful not to wake her. I’ll be steady and patient. I’ll be whatever she needs me to be, but I can’t let her go.
I know why she’s here. She’s desperate to keep her nephew, and I can’t blame her for that. I haven’t known the kid long, but I already know I would burn the world down before I would let anything happen to him.
So, no, I don’t blame her for calling me or for using me. She had nowhere else to turn.
Before I let myself dwell in it, I remind myself that she’s here now, in my arms, trusting me. This has to mean something.
Slowly, I hold her to me and stand up. I walk to the bed and gently lay her down and pull the covers up to cover her.
I step into the bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. The look of desperation on my face is new, but I get it. I can’t lose Lindsey, not now. I clean myself up and then tiptoe back into the bedroom.
As quietly as I can, I lie down on the bed, and even though I want to pull Lindsey against me, I resist. She needs to sleep.
I lie here, trying to fall asleep when she rustles next to me. I can feel her eyes on me, and I turn my head to look at her. The moonlight is streaming through the window, and I can see she’s looking at me. “Sleep,” I murmur.
She lifts her head. “Will you hold me?”
“Always,” I answer without hesitation.
I open my arms and pull her gently across the bed and settle her into my arms. She fits against me like she belongs there. Her body is bare and warm against me.
For a split second, my body reacts, but I force it down, fighting the temptation.
This isn’t about that.
She doesn’t need that from me, not right now.
My arms tighten around her, one hand sliding up to cradle her neck, the other resting firm against her back. “I’ve got you,” I murmur.
Her breath is already evening out, and I stay completely still, wanting her to know that she’s safe and protected in my arms.
CHAPTER 17
LINDSEY
“Lindsey, you want breakfast?”
I lift my head, and Eli is standing next to the bed, staring at me. His hair is slicked back, and he’s already dressed for school. I shoot up in the bed, and thankfully, I bring the covers with me. “Oh, my God, school. You have school.”
He giggles at my antics. “Miller is making breakfast. He’s making pancakes!”
I hold up a finger. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
He runs from the room, and I shoot out of bed. Completely naked, I grab my clothes from last night, put them on, and then run across the hall to the bedroom I’d been using. I throw my hair up in a bun, take a quick shower, put clothes on, and practically sprint downstairs.
I’m out of breath when I walk into the kitchen. “I’m sorry. I—”
I’m cut off when Miller puts a coffee mug in my hand and leans in to kiss me.
My eyebrows lift when he pulls away, and he points at the coffee in my hand. “Sugar and too much cream, just the way you like it.”
“Thank you.” I blush.
He gives me a wink. “Anytime, sweetie.”
Eli is sitting at the island on a stool. “Aunt Lindsey, you have to try these pancakes. They’re so good.”
He takes a big bite and chews with his mouth wide open. I laugh. “Close your mouth when you chew, little man.”