Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
So, I gingerly untangle myself from her, slip on some swim shorts and a T-shirt, and sneak out of the bedroom, headed for the pool.
I’d like to get a dozen or so laps in before we have anything else to do today.
But when I reach the pool, Christian’s sitting alone, having a quiet cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” he says. “Everyone in the house is still asleep. Well, not your security guys. They’ve been up and about for a while.”
“Are they bothering you?”
“Not at all. They don’t make any noise. And I know it’s important to you that they’re here. I’m all for safety.”
“Thank you.”
I sit across from him and make my own cup of coffee. I prefer tea, but it doesn’t seem to be as much of a staple in American routine as coffee is.
“Did I hear you leave in the middle of the night?” Christian asks.
“You did.” I sip the hot liquid and then tell him about Nina’s regret at the beach yesterday, then about me taking her back and everything that unfolded after.
When I reach the end of the story, leaving it where she finally admitted that she loves me too, he shakes his head and offers me a smile.
“That all sounds like classic Nina. She can be moody, dramatic, a bit over-the-top. She should have gone into acting with me.”
“So this isn’t just because she’s grieving?”
“Oh, that’s a big part of it, yes. She’s not always like this. But her first defense is always a hard one. She’ll say mean things and turn the bitch level up to about a twelve, especially if she’s afraid of being hurt.”
“I know that’s what she was doing last night. I just haven’t seen it quite like this.”
“She’s a lot to handle,” Christian admits. “She can piss me off faster than anyone else, and she can make me go all gooey inside with just a sweet smile. At the end of the day, her heart is in the right place. She just has a hard time showing emotion. And, as you’ve seen, love is the hardest for her. Our mom wasn’t a loving person. I guess we’re lucky we didn’t end up as serial killers.”
“My father isn’t super loving either,” I confide. “But I had my mum, who is, and plenty of others around me who showed me affection. Nina didn’t have that.”
“Aside from me? No. And then you add the fact that her brother’s famous, and she always has to wonder if people want to be with her for her, or because of what she can do for them.”
“It seems we have that in common, as well,” I reply. “Despite it being an emotionally charged night, I think it was good for us. We cleared the air and finally truly expressed how we feel about each other.”
“Well, since you’re married and all, I’d say it’s about time you did that.”
I smile at him. “We did it all backwards. But it’s straightened out now, and she understands that I’m not going anywhere. She’s mine.”
He raises a brow. “I’m glad to hear that. I was concerned that you’d worked out some sort of stupid timeline for this arrangement.”
“That was never my intention.”
“Since we rarely get to have a conversation in private,” he says, pouring another cup of coffee from the silver carafe, “I’d like to take this time to remind you that even with all of her quirks, she’s my sister and I love her. So, if you hurt her—”
“Oh, I’m going to hurt her.”
He stops and narrows his eyes at me.
“I’m a human being, and I’m going to fuck it up. Probably more than I want to admit, but I can tell you this: no one will ever love her the way I do. I will protect her, I will make her feel wanted and safe, and I’ll love her the best I can. I’ll never raise a hand to her in anger, and I’ll ruin anyone who does. I’m not a perfect man, Christian. Neither are you. But I’d say she’s lucky to have both of us in her corner.”
He blinks, clearly unsure how to respond.
Finally, he sips his coffee and smiles. “I guess that’s all I can ask for then, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure there will be other things you think of. But for now, are we good?”
“We’re good.”
“Excellent. What are the plans for today?”
“We’re headed home.” He rubs his eyes. Fatigue is heavy there. “I wanted to leave earlier, but everyone’s exhausted. There’s no harm in letting them sleep. Montana isn’t going anywhere.”
“No, but I’m ready to go.”
We turn at Nina’s voice. She’s padding out, rubbing her still-swollen eyes. Rather than sitting in her own chair, she climbs onto my lap and buries her face in my neck.
“Good morning, darling. Do you want some coffee?”
“Yeah. This is good for now. When are we leaving?”