Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Jolene pulled Harper into a one-armed hug. “Hello, sweetheart. Relieved it’s over?”
“So relieved I could cry with joy,” said Harper honestly.
Jolene cackled. “Knox, always a pleasure.”
He nodded. “Jolene, good to see you.” After everyone exchanged greetings, Knox guided Harper to the corner of the eternally long sofa, where she’d be surrounded and out of reach. The sentinels joined them in lounging around the VIP area, but they also watched the crowd closely with shrewd eyes.
Harper glanced around. “Where’s Martina and Ciaran?”
“Martina’s working the crowd,” replied Jolene. Translation: she was pickpocketing. “And Ciaran’s chatting up some girl at the bar.”
At that moment, the server appeared, took Knox and Harper’s orders, and then left.
Raini stirred her cocktail as she spoke to Harper. “God, it’s been super weird not seeing you every day.”
Devon nodded. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I genuinely didn’t expect to miss you this much.”
Harper snorted. “Thanks, I guess.”
Tanner grinned at Devon. “You’ve missed me too. Admit it.”
The hellcat sneered. “Or I could just punch you in the dick instead.”
“So you’ve been thinking about my dick, huh. Don’t worry; it thinks about you all the time.”
Devon turned to Harper, her hand gripping her highball glass tightly. “If you don’t end him, I will.”
Harper sighed tiredly. “Tanner, stop risking your life.” He ignored her, of course, and proceeded to sniff Devon’s hair.
“Come on, we need a picture,” Khloë announced. Keenan literally dashed out of the way, and the imp rolled her eyes. “Chill, Keenan, I just want one of us girls. Larkin, that includes you.”
The she-demons all grouped together and smiled while Khloë snapped a few photos. Raini and Devon then also did the same with their phones.
“I heard about the baby shower,” Larkin said to Khloë. “If Harper were talking about anyone but you, I’d have thought she was kidding when she said that you strapped diapers to your feet and tried skiing down Jolene’s hallway.”
Keenan shook his head in judgement. “She wasn’t kidding. I was there.” He’d been on bodyguard duty with Tanner.
Khloë glared at the incubus. “Don’t look at me like that. As you can see, I have a smartphone with a camera and I ain’t afraid to use it.”
The server neared them, holding the tray high as he weaved through the crowd. Finally reaching their table, he put two square coasters on the artificial ice table and then carefully placed down Harper’s water and Knox’s gin and tonic. Leaving the area, he almost bumped into Mila, who had a group of people with her that Harper didn’t recognize.
Levi only allowed Mila to pass, but the others didn’t appear to take offence.
“Knox, Harper, I just wanted to say congratulations in person.” Mila gave Harper a genuine but reserved smile. “It’s good to see that you’re well. And your hair looks so shiny and healthy.”
See, said Knox. Not everyone will have harsh things to say.
“My breasts went a lot bigger than yours when I was pregnant,” Mila continued. “There’s still time for yours to grow, though. But your backside does seem a little bigger, so at least there’s that.”
“Yeah, at least there’s that,” Harper said.
Told you this would happen.
Knox tactfully changed the subject and, before long, Mila and her guests were gone. Harper gave him a grateful smile. Over the next half hour, he had to do it several more times. It didn’t always work, however. Some people were totally undeterred, such as Raul’s girlfriend who rambled on and on about her friend’s pregnancy and then asked, “Can I touch your belly?”
“Depends if you’re willing to pay the fee,” said Harper, deadpan.
Her brow furrowed. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Raul covered his laugh with a cough. “It was great talking with you both. Hopefully we’ll do so again soon.”
Harper couldn’t bring herself to return the sentiment, which only seemed to amuse Raul more.
Devon shook her head in wonder once they’d left. “Some people can be so rude.”
Khloë snorted. “Says the person who keeps reaching out to stroke her baby bump.”
“Well, at least I pull my hand back.”
It was a good thing that she did, thought Harper, because her demon wouldn’t react well despite the fact that it trusted Devon to an extent. It was currently on edge and wanted to get out of the place, away from all the strangers around it. Soon, Harper assured it.
As the hours went on, more and more people approached to pass on their congratulations and ask after Harper’s welfare. Of course, they were also filled with questions – did she know the sex of the baby? Had they chosen any names? Wouldn’t it be funny if it turned out that Harper was carrying twins? No, actually, it wouldn’t be funny. Not at all.
Her demon tensed when Polly approached – it remembered her from the announcement, and it didn’t like how nosy she was.
Polly’s eyes widened. “Wow, your belly is big.”