Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I’m ready to wrap Cee in all the love she needs. As soon as we fix things between us, I want to try for a child of our own. It won’t make up for the one we lost… the one she had to make such a difficult choice with.
“Gregor.” My mother’s voice pulls me from my pained thoughts.
“Daddy,” Chloe sings with her little voice.
She rushes to me, and I lift her into my arms, raining kisses all over her cheeks. She looks happy. Happier than this morning when I dropped in before my meeting.
I look over her head to see Cee watching us. The sadness that’s in her eyes tears a hole in me that threatens to cause me to bleed out. I step forward and she takes a step back, halting my advance.
“Thank you, Eileen. I had a lovely day. The retail therapy went a long way. It was nice getting to know you,” she says.
“Yes, indeed it was. Thank you again for joining us,” my mother replies.
“I’m going to call it a night. I’m suddenly not feeling well,” Cee murmurs.
“I’ll come with you,” I say before thinking.
“No, thank you,” she says emotionlessly.
My jaw works but I don’t reply. I watch as she turns and walks away without a single glance back. Releasing a breath, I lift a hand to run through my hair.
“Daddy,” Chloe coos, placing a hand on my jaw.
I look at my daughter and give her a tight smile. At least one Chloe will talk to me. I kiss my daughter’s forehead.
“You ask a lot of a woman who loves you with the very depths of her soul,” my mother says, pulling my attention.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I reply, swallowing hard with the admission.
“I wish I had answers for you. After spending the day with that young lady, I can see you have your work cut out for you. As a mother, I can only imagine what’s going on in her head,” she says, tilting her head to look at my little girl in my arms.
“Your one saving grace may be the little angel that’s rubbing her raw. I can’t explain it. I thought she…” She clamps her mouth shut. “Be patient, Gregor. You boys have never been patient.”
I nod as I let her words sink in. I’ll be as patient as six months will allow. At least I’ll try.
“Come, let’s get cleaned up for dinner,” my mother says as she takes her granddaughter in her arms.
I watch my mother with Chloe in her hold. I knit my brows as her words play in my head. I would never try to use my child to get my woman back. Especially for the exact reason my mother mentioned.
This is going to rub her raw.
I’ll find a way. I have to find a way. If I can’t reconcile this relationship… that’s not an option. It’s a must. I’ll find a way.
God, help me.
Chapter 24
Time to Heal
Chloe
“You look gorgeous,” Brodi murmurs against my skin before kissing my temple. He runs his hand down my bare back, then pulls my chair so I can sit.
I inhale deeply and regret it. His cologne fills my head and it’s like a punch to the gut. As if sensing I’m ready to fall apart right where I sit, he reaches for the back of my neck and massages it gently before he moves to take his seat across from me.
Goose bumps cover my skin. I try not to look at him until I can get my racing heart under control. I’m having a hard time keeping a lid on my emotions. This is our first date since moving into the house with little Chloe and his mom.
Old feelings have suffered as I see hints of the man I once fell in love with. I chide myself. That’s the man I can’t fall for again. I have zero ability to trust him.
“Did you enjoy the concert?”
I take a sip from my glass of water. It gives me a moment to compose myself, so I don’t gush over the concert he surprised me with.
“It was nice,” I say as calmly as I can. “I didn’t know she would be performing here.”
He took me to see one of my favorite artists. Ash has a sex sound that draws you into her music. I’m not going to lie, her sultry lyrics and sensual vibe didn’t help much as I sat next to Brodi with all that sexual energy he always gives off without even trying. I’m going to order a vibrator as soon as we get back to the house.
Maybe that will help me keep my head. My heart and my body have two different ideas of what should be going on here. He gives me a crooked grin, proving my point.
“She wasn’t. I pulled some strings. She’s a friend of a friend. I was able to get her to detour and come this way for one night.”