Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
The force of that thought left me breathless, desire tightening in me so much that I had to physically remind myself to breathe again.
But it wasn’t just lust that caught me off guard. Underneath the fierce attraction, something deeper and even more powerful stirred inside me. A possessive instinct rose fiercely within me. One I’d never experienced before that said she was mine, even though logic argued otherwise. My entire being suddenly demanded to claim her, protect her, and keep her safely wrapped in my arms and far away from the ugliness of what I’d originally intended.
I swallowed hard, the guilt slamming into me a second later, almost as powerfully as the attraction. I’d already decided I couldn’t follow through with the revenge plan, but even standing here knowing I’d considered it felt wrong.
Aubrey was so damn innocent. She didn’t deserve to become collateral damage just because of my anger. I steeled my resolve to stay away from her and forced my eyes away, taking a slow breath to steady myself. The boys needed me, and they deserved my full attention.
I turned, ready to bring my focus back to the playground, just in time to see Mylo misjudge the last step coming off the climbing structure. His foot caught awkwardly, and he hit the ground hard enough to skin one knee.
The cry came instantly, the startled hurt of a little boy who’d suddenly discovered gravity wasn’t his friend.
Instinct had me moving before I even processed what was happening. In a few quick strides, I knelt and scooped him up, feeling his small body trembling as I cradled him carefully against my chest. His little arms wrapped around my neck while I inspected the damage. The scrape wasn’t serious, a little blood and a lot of offended dignity.
“You’re okay, buddy,” I murmured. “It’s just a little scrape. Nothing to worry about.”
Mylo’s expression darkened as he stared down at the tiny drop of blood on his knee. “It’s broken.”
I bit back a smile. “Pretty sure it’s not.”
“It is,” he huffed.
“It’s definitely not.”
He considered that for a moment, then he started looking suspiciously emotional again.
“It hurts. A lot,” he informed me seriously, his tone carrying all the weight of a grave injury.
“I know it hurts. I’m sorry, buddy. I don’t have a Band-Aid with me right now.” The betrayal on his face suggested this was a major failure on my part. “I know. That’s on me. But I promise we’ll stop at the store after the park, and you can pick out any kind you want.”
He appeared momentarily appeased, his eyes brightening with interest as he considered this carefully. “Dinosaur ones?”
“Absolutely,” I agreed.
“And monster trucks?” he asked, negotiating carefully.
“You got it,” I replied, smiling slightly now. I was starting to suspect I was being extorted.
“And race cars too," he added confidently.
I was about to respond when an amused voice interrupted us gently from beside me. “I think I might have something that works even better than race cars.”
The voice sent heat spreading through me even before I looked up. Aubrey had appeared quietly at my side, kneeling with a gentle smile. She held a small package of superhero Band-Aids in one hand and a soft wet wipe in the other, her expression kind and reassuring as she turned her attention to Mylo.
Wide-eyed and clearly impressed, Mylo took in the brightly colored Band-Aid in her hand. He gasped like she'd just performed actual magic. “Superheroes, Uncle Blitz!”
“I’m Aubrey,” she told him as she carefully cleaned his scraped knee, her movements gentle yet efficient, distracting him with quiet, playful conversation.
“Mylo,” he responded, poking his chest with his thumb proudly.
“Nice to meet you, Mylo. You’re being very brave.” Her natural warmth and ease with him took my breath away, flooding my mind with a fresh wave of longing and attraction even stronger than before. Watching her care for Mylo felt intimate in a way I hadn’t anticipated, drawing me to her in ways that went far beyond physical attraction.
Before I could stop myself, I pictured Aubrey with our own kids one day—holding a child who looked like her, laughing softly as she read bedtime stories, and tucking little ones into bed with the same gentleness she now showed my “nephew.” The image hit me square in the chest, the clarity and intensity almost painful in its immediacy.
This wasn’t mere desire anymore. It was something far more dangerous, an emotion that went deeper than I’d ever expected or wanted. Somehow, just watching Aubrey with Mylo had irrevocably solidified my feelings for her, and in that instant, I knew beyond a doubt that she was mine.
It complicated everything, though, because when Aubrey eventually realized that our meeting wasn’t a coincidence, she would likely never forgive me. And there was no universe where Tripp didn’t find out about us eventually.