Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
He continued over to the sofa in my office and tossed down his coat, not bothering to watch my face for my reaction. It was probably for the best. I most likely looked like a fish out of a kid’s cartoon, gaping-wide mouth and bugged-out eyes.
“Do you want to know what happened tonight?” he asked, sounding like he was going to tell me about the traffic or an interesting conversation over drinks. “A beautiful, loving man proposed to me.”
My stomach dropped, and the heel of my dress shoe hit the floor with a bang as I straightened. “Proposed marriage?” I asked stupidly.
His glare was glacial. “And do you know what I said, Kit?”
The state of my core happiness relied on his response, because as soon as he’d said the word proposed, I’d ceased to function.
Yes, I wanted him to find a nice man and settle down. I’d been telling myself I wanted nothing more for years.
But not really.
Not in the truest corners of my heart and soul.
I would die when it happened.
Crumple up into a desiccated husk and blow away on the fucking wind.
“I’m assuming you said it was too soon?” I asked. Because it was. But also because I was smart enough to finally put two and two together to realize he wouldn’t have come storming over here if he were celebrating an engagement.
He nodded and began unbuttoning his cuffs while toeing off his shoes. “I did. I said it was too soon. I also said thanks, but no thanks. I broke up with him. And do you know why?”
For some reason, my eyes zeroed in on his feet. They were covered in lavender cotton with little orange popsicles on them. “Those are the socks I gave you for your birthday a few years ago. You still have them?”
He yanked his shirt out of his pants. “Of course I still have them! I have everything you’ve ever given me. Every single thing. I treasure all of it. And that’s the fucking problem!” His voice had risen to a shout, enough to be heard down the hall if my office hadn’t been soundproofed. I was glad everyone was gone for the night. “But that has nothing to do with why I’m here.”
“Robbie. Magpie.” My skin felt like it was vibrating. We seemed on the verge of something momentous. Were we finally going to talk through whatever this was between us? If so, how the hell was I going to—
“Open your fucking pants! I don’t want to hear any more talking or stupid questions about my stupid socks. All I want is for you to pull your dick out and fuck this…” He waved his arms around in frustration. “This ridiculous obsession out of me! You can’t be that good!”
“Most people don’t think I’m good at all,” I interjected. “Most people think I’m a controlling ass.”
“Right. So I figure somehow along the way, I became obsessed with having sex with you. It has nothing to do with you as a person. With your thoughtfulness and consideration. Protectiveness and… Anyway, it’s just the sex I need. To get this obsession out of my mind once and for all. We’re going to fuck and then go our separate ways. That’s it.”
I crossed my arms. “And you think once I’m inside of you, you’ll be able to simply… leave.”
He couldn’t hide the shiver that racked his body as he stalked closer to me, yanking off his open button-down and dropping it on the floor. I refused to take my eyes off his. And since his were angry lasers, it was easy enough to be caught by them.
“I will leave. Because I will prove to myself for once and for all that this impossible standard you’ve set is just a… a fantasy. And you sure as hell have no interest in me in the long term. So what do you have to lose? It’s not like my father is still here to take issue with it.”
Robbie’s eyes blazed as he took a breath and kept going. “You think I don’t know what a manipulative asshole you are? How you do background checks on everyone I even think about dating and bought up the building I live in? That you hold me just close enough to keep me on the fucking hook but not close enough to give me what I want? What I need?”
His voice took on a desperate, keening sound that shredded my heart.
“Because I know everything. Hell, even Jake fucking Spellman was in my life because you put him there! And who even does that?”
“Let me explain,” I began, stupidly, my mind going in a million directions. How the fuck did he know all of this? Had Nadine told Austin, who told Jake? Was that possible?
“Save it! I don’t want your fucking explanations. I only want one thing from you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled something out, tossing it at me. I scrambled to catch two tiny packets, one of lube and the other, a condom. “Open your pants.”