Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 151044 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151044 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
“I’m here, Hale. Yours.” It was what he needed to hear. What he desired me to say.
“Yes, baby. Mine. Only mine.”
“Forever.”
Our whispered words were a consummation of our love. We understood each other’s needs and we worked hard to fulfill them. Equally.
Before Hale, I had no idea relationships could survive on mutual respect. I always thought one person was inevitably a giver and the other was a taker, but that wasn’t true. Hale and I both gave and we both benefited. It was the only explanation I had for how two extremely opposite people could share such an all-encompassing love.
Pulling my hands free, I wrapped my body around his, holding him tightly. My nails dug into his back and his shoulders flexed and bunched as the hard muscles of his stomach clenched tight. He trembled through his release, sinking his weight into me without crushing me.
“I love you so much, Rayne.”
Our mouths dueled in a passionate kiss as our bodies remained connected. “I love you too.” Looking into those gunmetal grey eyes, I realized I’d always love him a little more than he’d ever know.
Were there other things he’d never know? Was my avoidance possibly robbing us of closeness? No matter how much I disagreed with Remington, I worried he might be right about one thing. Constantly peaceful marriages were unrealistic.
If it was a choice between messy and fake, I’d take the messy every time. Was that what he meant about healthy fighting keeping the passion hot in a relationship?
What if confrontation was necessary? I would never fight with Hale just to get him hot. But what if secrets were hurting us in the long run?
How to Suck at Seating Charts
The following days were peaceful. Maybe because Hale wasn’t scheduled to travel for a while, or maybe because I was finally “trying” to come to terms with the fact that life was unpredictable and sometimes that was a good thing.
I liked uncertainty about as much as I liked commitment, so I was trying this new thing where I took life one day at a time. I was doing okay, considering that today was Day One of my new staying present philosophy. I might not be so accepting as the week went on and new challenges arrived.
Remington’s health remained on my mind, so I scheduled a physical with his primary doctor and requested a full workup of his blood just to make sure everything was okay. When I asked Myles if he noticed any strange behavior, he confessed Remington had been smoking again.
Poor Myles. I had no choice but to throw him under the bus when I confronted Remington for such stupid behavior. “Are you kidding me?” I had burst into his office. “You’re smoking again?” I ordered him to quit immediately. “Hand them over.”
“This is my office, not an arena, Meyers. Lower your voice.”
His avoidance wasn’t going to derail my purpose. Angling my body over his desk, I lowered my voice to a chilling whisper. “Are you trying to give yourself another heart attack?”
“Why should I try when you seem set on doing that yourself? What are you thinking bursting in here like that?”
I flipped open his breast pocket and frisked him. “Hand them over, Remington.”
He swatted me away, but not before I found his stash. “Meyers—”
“Don’t Meyers me. You should be thanking me. I seem to be the only person in the room who gives a crap about your health.”
He sighed. “You’re a royal pain in my ass.”
“The lighter too.” I waited until he dropped it into my palm.
I pocketed the paraphernalia and planted my fists on my hips. “Don’t you dare send anyone to the store to buy more.” I turned in the direction of the hidden figures I knew were eavesdropping from the next room. “Do you all hear me? Anyone who buys him cigarettes or offers him a light will answer to me!”
In the kitchen I opened the trash and snapped every black Russian filter and crumbled the tobacco into dust.
“You should not let him get you so worked up, niña,” Marta said, her attention on watering the house plants.
“He thinks he’s invincible and he’s not. He deserved to get yelled at.”
“But now he will be a bear to deal with. One or two a day can’t be that bad for him.”
I glared at her. “Marta, do not let him smoke.”
She sighed and nodded, but then she muttered something in Spanish as she left the room.
Myles appeared and smirked. “That was impressive.”
“If you catch him smoking, I expect you to yell at him, too.”
He laughed. “Not a chance, Meyers. I’m not family.”
“Neither am I…” My claim wilted as I realized how soon those words wouldn’t be true. “Okay, fine. Then you call me and I’ll handle it.” I slapped the gold zippo on the counter. “Hide this where he won’t find it.”