Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 135300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 541(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 541(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
“But why? I mean, aren’t you complicating it in a good way? Maybe she doesn’t like people taking pics of her, but she smiles and laughs and she’s nice to us. I don’t think she cares about the burglar anymore and neither do I!”
“That’s not all that matters,” I say, even though it’s true.
Margot obviously enjoys the time we spend together, and she’s instinctively good with the kids.
Hell, kinder and more attentive than their own mother, even if the bar’s set so low it scrapes the grass.
“Then what else does, Dad?” Dan asks. “I bet she likes you. Way more than any crush I’ve seen at school. You get all grumpy when she talks to that ceramics dude. Lee or whatever.”
“I do not,” I growl, prodding him in the side. “Take that back, boy.”
“See? Busted! You know you do.” He laughs. “Gah, why do grown-ups have to make everything so confusing anyway?”
I wish I fucking knew.
Since I don’t, I tickle him until he’s red-faced and begging for mercy, and I’m the one who needs it tonight.
When did my own son get wiser than me?
Everything feels complicated as hell, sure, but maybe I should pull my head out of my ass and try again.
Maybe we should talk, and I should explain what happened back there.
The rest is up to Margot.
Assuming it’s not already too late for her to hear more of my excuses, my worries, and everything I wish I could control.
That’s not fair.
The least I owe her is an explanation.
We spend the night apart and it’s a restless goddamned absence.
Best to give her space, though, and by the time I’m padding downstairs to brew some coffee the next morning, I’m ready to lay my cards out.
But there’s a noise in the hallway that stops me cold.
Another intruder?
Impossible. None of the cameras went off and pinged my app.
Only, when I hustle into the kitchen with my fists ready, it’s just Margot.
She’s standing there, dressed in olive slacks and a crisp white blouse, with those big suitcases behind her.
She stops and stares at me, eyes wide. Her heart-shaped lips twitch.
What the actual fuck?
We gawk at each other for an eternity.
Her mouth is tight, her face almost as pale as that shirt.
She looks like she got about as much sleep as I did, and I hate it.
“Margot,” I grind out. “What are you doing?”
She stiffens. “I didn’t think you’d be down yet.”
“Obviously.” I gesture at her luggage. “Is that why you’re sneaking out without a goodbye?”
Her mouth opens, closes, and then her face falls.
“Duchess, are you shitting me right now?” There’s a jagged lump in my throat. “You weren’t even going to say goodbye to the kids?”
Her nostrils flare and she folds her arms.
“I… I figured you could do that for me.”
“Yeah, because they’d love that.” I snort. “Whatever your beef is with me, I thought we were better than that.”
“What else do you expect, Kane? Should I just stick around, waiting for you to realize you fucked up? We had less than a week left anyway.”
Less than a damn week, yeah.
Still more time than this exit would be.
And it hits me like an uppercut, I’m not ready for our time together to end.
In the silence, her red-rimmed eyes flick to mine and away again. “I didn’t think you’d care.”
“Where were you planning to go? Home?” My voice is hoarse.
“I was going to catch the next flight out of Bar Harbor to Portland. From there, not sure,” she whispers. “You’re welcome to the house as long as you’d like, if you think it’s safe enough. I’ll be out of your hair and you guys can—”
No.
Fuck no.
She stops talking as I stride forward, catch the back of her neck in my hand, and pull her into a violent kiss.
Her hands flatten against my chest like she wants to push me away, but we both know she won’t.
That isn’t what we want.
Not when her mouth softens.
Not when she melts into me.
Not when this pitiful mangled sob boils out of her.
“Kane,” she strains out, but I shake my head.
“I know. You feel like you have to go because of the bullshit I said last night. I take it back. I’m sorry. Just hear me out first? Please, hear me out, and then you can decide if you still want to leave.”
Her eyes fill with tears. I fucking hate that she’s crying because of me.
“You don’t have to explain anything. Really, what’s the point?”
“I do,” I insist. “You don’t know everything about me yet, and I want you to understand what happened.” I smooth my thumb over her cheeks and the tear trails there. “Let me have a chance to give you the truth.”
19
HOME SWEET HEARTACHE (MARGOT)
Oh my God, we’ve been starved.
It’s like I’ve been fiending for his touch my entire life.
Kane watches me for a second, his eyes slitted, before bringing his lips to mine in another manic kiss.