Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
“I never assumed you were.” She lifted her feet back onto the sofa and sat there for a moment, rigid as a board, not sure what to do or say next. How did one pass the time with one’s reluctant husband, anyway?
She pursed her lips as she considered the question.
“What’s going on in that complicated mind of yours this time?” he asked, his voice mild.
“Just wondering how we’re going to fill the awkward silence,” she replied honestly and his lips quirked, while humor danced in those beautiful eyes.
“Why does it have to be awkward? Or silent, for that matter.”
She diverted her gaze to her e-reader, absently rubbing a thumb over the screen, as she worked on eliminating the faintest of smudges.
She lifted her shoulders uncomfortably.
“Honestly?”
He nodded.
“You may recall that you said—not too long ago, mind you—that you don’t want to be my friend, confidante, or crutch, which kind of limits any attempts at conversation with you. And if I dare ask you anything about your life or family, you’ll likely consider it prying, which leaves us with nothing to talk about. Which means we’ll be sitting in silence. And how can that silence be anything but awkward after everything else that has happened between then and now?”
She snuck a peek at him, only to find him watching her with an arrested expression on his face. One long thumb stroking the darker patch of stubble that his razor couldn’t quite reach in the shallow indentation below the swell of his lower lip.
“Tell me about your friend,” he invited unexpectedly and her eyes flew to his in confusion. She wasn’t sure what had prompted this invitation.
“What?”
“The one you mentioned earlier. Margaret?”
“Margot.”
“Are you still in contact with her?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
She opened her mouth, ready to reply, then pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“I meant no, I’m not doing this. You don’t want to be my confidante, remember? So I won’t be confiding in you today, only to be shut down when I attempt to talk to you again tomorrow or the day after. You’re feeling generous now because I helped with your headache. Things will be different when you remember that you can barely tolerate me.”
Fern pushed to her feet and wrapped the light throw around her shoulders. She set her e-reader aside and carried her empty glass to the sink to give it a quick rinse, before retrieving her device and facing him again.
He was watching her with hooded eyes, looking wary and a little frustrated.
“Have a good night, Cade.”
“Fern, stay. We don’t have to talk, we can watch a movie.”
She hesitated again and he leaned forward, that intent look still on his face as he watched her closely.
“What kind of movies do you enjoy?”
Her gaze darted to the large screen television which was in a second, smaller, recessed entertainment room, complete with a fireplace and a high-end multimedia set up.
“I’m tired.” She shook her head stubbornly, refusing to be tempted. She hadn’t really watched many movies, it had been discouraged by the school. One of their many draconian rules. And whenever she’d found herself back with the Abernathys, she’d been too busy avoiding her stepsiblings and hanging out with the staff to spend much time watching television.
Honestly, she’d been tempted to see what was available to watch on Cade’s state of the art massive television, but had been daunted by the sheer size and scope of the system. She hadn’t the faintest clue how any of it worked.
She was shocked by a flash of what looked remarkably like disappointment in his gray eyes before he shuttered his gaze and nodded.
“I understand,” he told her. “If you change your mind, I’ll be here for a while. I probably won’t be able to get to sleep for a good couple of hours now thanks to the nap I just had.”
“Good night, Cade,” she said decisively and his throat worked as he swallowed and he nodded.
“Sleep well, Fern.”
Cade stayed up for hours, watching random bullshit, hoping that Fern would join him eventually. Once the clock struck midnight, and it became clear that she would not be venturing out of her room again, he switched off the television. He sat in the dark silence for a few moments trying to sort through his emotions. Disappointment being the pre-eminent feeling. Followed by irrational bitterness and resentment that she’d deprived him of her company.
None of that made sense. Not when her arguments for not staying were absolutely correct. Cade didn’t like having his own words flung back at him, but all of his earlier points remained valid.
Only Cade wasn’t feeling particularly sensible right now. Despite his conviction that they should maintain a healthy emotional distance between them, he’d found himself wanting to spend time with her. Talk to her. Learn more about her.
And it wasn’t just the outstanding sex that had muddled his feelings about this.