Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
I flick off the light and slip into the hallway, a soft hum of voices from the living room guiding me back to Ripley. He’s waiting on the couch, gaze lifting as I approach. There’s a tenderness in his eyes that tells me he overheard at least part of that conversation. My chest tightens. I want this, I realize. I want this family. And as I move to join him, curling into the circle of his arm, I know I’ve never felt more sure of anything in my entire life.
17
Ripley
I hover by Juniper’s bedroom door for a moment, heart pounding, breath caught in my throat. I heard her little voice through the crack—the words I wish I had a mother like you—and for an instant, it felt like the floor vanished beneath me. Slowly, I back away, give them a moment, and let Kali handle it. But my chest tightens with an overwhelming mixture of longing and hope.
Because I want that too. I want her. Not just for myself, but for Juniper. And it hits me like a fastball straight to the heart: I love Kali.
I’m still trying to process that when Kali slips out of Juniper’s room. She moves softly, like she’s afraid of making noise, but there’s a tension in her shoulders that tells me how much that little conversation affected her. She meets my gaze across the living room, something raw and tender shining in her eyes. Slowly, she crosses to the couch and sinks down beside me, not quite meeting my gaze yet. I can see the swirl of emotion in her expression, mirroring what’s coursing through me.
My throat feels tight. Say something, Ripley. But instead of words, I slide an arm around her waist and tug her closer. She leans in willingly, resting a hand on my chest. The warmth of her palm sends a pleasant shiver down my spine. For a moment, neither of us speaks, just breathes in the hush of the room, the only light coming from a small lamp in the corner.
“She’s okay,” Kali says quietly, fiddling with the neckline of my T-shirt. Her voice trembles, and I can tell she’s still emotional.
“I know.” I smooth a hand over her hair, the soft strands slipping through my fingers. “And she’s right about you. You’re… incredible with her.”
She lifts her gaze then, those deep eyes full of something that makes my heart feel too big for my chest. “I just… I don’t want to overstep. But I care about her so much. And you.” Her voice catches. “I want this—both of you—in my life.”
My chest constricts at how badly I want that too. Carefully, I slide my hand down to her chin, tilt her face up. There’s a question in her eyes, and I answer it by leaning in, pressing my lips to hers. The kiss is gentle at first, a slow brush of mouths, but it’s enough to send a surge of heat coursing through me. She tastes faintly of the wine we had with dinner and something else, something purely Kali that I’ve come to crave.
When our mouths part, I keep my forehead against hers. “I’m not sure how to do this,” I admit, voice gruff. “I mean, I want you. And I know Juniper does too, in her own way. But… is it too fast? Are we rushing?”
She exhales a shaky laugh, brushing her fingers along my jaw. “It might be fast,” she says softly, “but it also feels… right. Like we’ve been headed here from the moment we met.”
I close my eyes, relief and desire tangling up in my chest. “I’m so glad you feel that way,” I whisper, then I pull back just enough to look at her. “Because I want this, Kali. I want to figure it out—me, you, and Juniper, together. I want you in my life. Every day.”
Her eyes glisten, and she leans in to kiss me again, deeper this time. My hand slips to her waist, sliding beneath the hem of her shirt to rest on the warm skin at her lower back. She makes a soft sound, one that sends a flare of electricity racing through my veins. God, she feels so good in my arms. Like she’s meant to be there.
I tug her closer, and she shifts so that she’s practically in my lap now, one knee pressing into the cushions beside me. The couch creaks with the movement, but neither of us cares. She runs her hands over my shoulders, up the back of my neck, tangling her fingers in my hair. A low groan rumbles in my chest, and I deepen the kiss, our breaths mingling in the warm air.
“Kali,” I murmur between kisses, “I swear, I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”
Her response is to kiss me harder, and I slide my hands up her sides, my thumbs grazing the edge of her bra. She gasps softly, arching against me, and my heart just about explodes at the realization that she trusts me, wants me.