Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
I’ve had enough of everybody thinking they know what’s best for me, what I should be doing, and what I must sacrifice for my family. I eat up the remaining space between us, and she steps back. Smart girl. “I’m done playing your little games. Your father’s. Mine. You’ve strung me along for this long, but I’m done with your games.”
I need to shut up. Revealing my cards too early will only hurt me, but I can’t. “Get the fuck out of my penthouse. If I’m lucky, I’ll never have to see your face again.” I’ve backed her up far enough that all I have to do is open my door and push her out. The second I slam the door, I feel so exhilarated I almost shout out in celebration.
Then reality sets in. What have I done? I’ve been here with Alana before—her jealous rants and backlash. It’s only a matter of time before my father gets wind of this. Any sliver of relief disappears. “Fuck.” I grab my hair. “Fuck!”
I reach for my phone and hit redial on my last contact. “It’s me. I need to move things up. I don’t have much time. It’s now, or I lose everything.” He tells me he’ll have what I need in the next few days, which seems like a lifetime. I don’t think I’ll have that long if Alana is on the rampage.
Fay
The faint knock stirs me awake. I sit up and look around. Shoot, I must have fallen asleep on the couch. Another knock. My door. I get up and walk over to look through my peephole. Then I check the time.
What the heck? I twist the lock and open the door. “It’s late—”
“I know. I’m sorry. Can I come in?”
“Sure.” I open the door and move aside. He walks in, scanning my apartment and taking in my place. “Sorry, it’s not the penthouse suite.”
His jaw tightens, and he snakes his arm around my waist. “I don’t give a fuck where you live.” He walks me backward, and I can smell the booze on him this close.
“Well, you should. It’s not fancy like your place.”
“Fay.”
“My coffee maker is from historical times. It only has one working setting.”
“Knock it off.”
“Don’t even bother asking for squeezed juice. I’d have to old-school squeeze it. I’d also have to have fruit—”
“Just kiss me.” He pulls me into his chest, and his head bends down. My eyes close when his lips brush mine. “All I want is you. These lips. Every snarky little thing that comes out of them.” His tongue glides along my lower lip, which he sucks into his mouth. “I just want you.” His hands cup my ass, and he lifts me. He kisses me with a message I’m trying to decipher. I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen our connection. “I hate that my life is so confusing. But I’m going to make it right.”
I don’t know where all this is coming from or what’s brought it on, but I’m not complaining. He lays me on the bed and moves next to me, not initiating anything more.
“Hey,” I say, threading my fingers through his hair. “Everything okay? Not that I mind this sweetness.”
He doesn’t answer at first, so I cup his cheek and guide his eyes to meet mine. “I know you’re the big bad wolf, and no one can touch you, but you can talk to me. If something was wrong.”
He lifts his hand and grazes his fingers along my chin. “I’m just tired. I have been for a very long time. And I don’t want to be anymore.”
“You could have called. I would have understood. You didn’t have to come all the—”
“This is the only place I want to be. You. . .” He breathes in and out slowly. “You’re the only way I can fall asleep. You make it all go away.” He doesn’t say more because, with his next breath, that’s exactly what he does.
Chapter twenty-one
Fay
I sigh into my steaming mug, taking a long, much-needed sip of coffee. Not even this second cup has revived me from the poor night’s sleep I got. The machine beeps, and I shove another stack of papers into the shredder.
When I finish, I head back to my desk just as Theo returns from another private meeting. He’s missing his tie and looks tired.
“Hey.” I smile and stand as he walks into his office. “Everything okay?” As much as I wanted to shake him awake and ask him what he meant last night, I let him sleep. I took off his shoes, maneuvered him under my covers, and listened to his deep breathing while my mind ran through so many scenarios. What did he mean when he said his life was confusing? That he was tired and needed me to make it all go away?