Total pages in book: 183
Estimated words: 174715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 874(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 874(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
He turns me to him, dragging my hands from my face. “What are you feeling?”
“I don’t know. I think—I didn’t want to be pregnant, but now that I’m not, I feel—let down. I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
“Me too,” he says softly. “I feel the same. Like, it wouldn’t have been a bad thing.”
“It’s the wrong time,” I say, “and we never talked about this. We never—”
“I do. I do want us to have kids, Lori.”
“You do?”
“Yes,” he says brushing the hair from my eyes. “I do, but do you?”
“Apparently, I do. I hadn’t thought of it and I feel afraid of what I could lose right now. You have to feel the same.”
“Oddly, the moment I thought you were pregnant, that feeling faded. Like new life, somehow, heals the past, but like you said, this isn’t our time.”
“When is the right time?”
“We’ll know. You’ll know. When you’re ready.”
“When I’m ready?”
“You are still establishing your career. We’re chasing your dream and we’re going to enjoy every step of the way.”
“And you’re still establishing the firm.”
“So, we wait. We enjoy each other, but if it happens by accident, let’s not panic. Besides, we’ll make beautiful babies together.”
I smile. “We will, won’t we?”
“Yes,” he says, cupping my face. “And this is you and me. Together. Whatever happens.”
“Together. Whatever happens.”
“No one gets to take that from us. I promise.”
Chapter seventy
Lori
Cole and I exit the bathroom to find Cat and Reese at the kitchen island with a bottle of wine and four glasses they’ve already filled. Cat lifts the one meant for me. “Wine?” she asks, her way of finding out my test results.
“Yes,” I say. “I would like some wine.”
Cat winks. “Told you.”
Cole reaches for his wine. “Why not wash two whiskeys down with wine.”
“Exactly my thoughts tonight,” Reese says. “And that’s why God made car services. I also vote we order pizza, because I’m starving.”
“My pastry butt is never going away,” I declare.
Cole glances down at me. “Pastry butt?”
“I ate too much in Paris.”
“But it was fun,” he reminds me, his eyes warm.
“Yes,” I agree, my cheeks flushing with the memory of him spanking me in that hotel room. “It was—fun.”
He gives me a knowing look, his eyes burning hot. “We should do that again.”
That.
Again.
He means he should spank me.
Reese clears his throat. “All right then. I’ll order the pizza. I know what everyone likes by now.”
Cole gives an evil laugh that has me nudging his leg in warning.
“And I,” Cat says, saving us with a change of topic, “have something to tell you both. Your client connected with my publisher and I’m for sure writing his book. I’m going to make the world see the injustice served him and the heroes that his attorneys really are.”
Cole sucks in a breath and downs his wine. “So we can get more attention.”
“The book won’t be out until next year sometime,” she says. “And you know me. I won’t publish anything you don’t want published. I’ll let you read it. Actually, I’d like you both to co-author with me. I think it will be brilliant, and there’s a couple hundred thousand in it for you to split.”
“And a press tour and attention we don’t need,” Cole says looking at me, and I can see his demons crawling out of the box. I can feel him pulling me close and trying to shelter me. “We don’t need the money.”
“We can donate our portion to the families,” I say. “I can do the work with Cat. I think this book can expose the corruption of the legal system we want to be pure and fair. I want us to talk about it.”
He studies me for several long beats in which I sense his struggle. I can almost feel him shove those demons back into the box. “You really want to do this?” he asks, proving despite his box of demons, he’s still the man who helped me chase my dreams, who is always pushing me forward, not holding me back.
“I think I might,” I say. “Cat and I are good together.”
“We are,” Cat says. “But no pressure. I just couldn’t resist agreeing on that.”
Cole looks between us. “You are. I know you are.” He refocuses on me. “If you want to do it—”
“I want to talk about it,” I say, kissing his cheek, and taking his hand. “With you. Later.”
His eyes warm and before he can reply, Reese announces, “Pizza is on the way.” He grabs the wine. “Let’s move to the living room where we can talk about world domination.”
Reese and Cat head out of the kitchen and I catch Cole’s arm. “Any word from Walker on Ashley’s ex?”
“Nothing,” he says, snatching his phone. “I should text Royce.” He punches in a message. “How was she?”
“Rattled,” I say. “Really, how can she not be? Does she have family or anyone here?”