Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Do I deserve his kindness?
Not for how I’ve behaved so ruthlessly. Does it matter that I was protecting the most important thing in my life? Yes. Now that I’ve witnessed him act so caring toward my son and me, I know he’d never hold that against me.
But keeping Maxwell from him any longer might cause a ripple of anger that can’t be repaired. I don’t want that to happen to us, so it’s in my hands to make sure it doesn’t.
At this moment, I revel in the feel of having him around me again, holding me in a way that no one has in longer than I can remember prior to him in the Hamptons.
When I look up, our eyes meet, and though I know I shouldn’t . . . I really should not kiss him, I’m overwhelmed with the need to be connected to him again. The desire to forget who I am, to feel like Liv again for a few hours takes over. I lift on my tiptoes and kiss Noah with reckless abandon.
And he kisses me right back with just as much passion as if he’s been saving it for years like I have. His hand slides up my back and my shoulder to my neck, then he cups my cheek as the heat between us magnifies. When I pull back, only our lips lose the connection, but I still feel it deep within me.
I’m relieved to see his breathing picked up and that the look in his eyes is wild like mine. With him, I can savor this hunger unabashedly, not giving a damn what the world outside thinks of me.
He leans his head against me and closes his eyes. “Are you sure? Because—”
“I’m sure, Noah.” I caress his face, and when he opens his eyes, I add, “I want to be with you so badly.” There’s a plea to my tone that I don’t recognize. Weak to him? It’s illogical to need him so much right now, but that’s all I can think will make the world disappear before it falls apart again.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that, to want me like I spent so much time wanting you back, even if I could only have one more night?” He kisses me without hesitation and lifts me into his arms, preventing my spinning thoughts from taking over. As soon as my legs wrap around his middle, he turns, pushing open the door to my bedroom as if he lives here.
Setting me on the bed, he crawls on top of me, but I push my hands against his chest. “Wait.”
He stops, his chest rising and deflating under the shirt that was crisp hours earlier. Like his hair, he’s disheveled but so damn sexy. “What?”
“I’ve been sitting in a hospital and riding in cabs. I’m dirty and a mess.”
He runs the pad of his thumb over the apple of my cheek with a small smile. His gaze wanders from my eyes to my mouth, my chin to my forehead, as if he’s searching for something to back my claim. Leaning down, he kisses the scar above my right eyebrow. It’s barely noticeable these days, but his lips are tender against my skin, making me feel loved.
Too soon for that word . . .
Too soon for love of that kind . . .
“You’ve never been more beautiful.” Cared for. That’s how I feel in his arms. Inhaling, he briefly closes his eyes before leaning his head against mine again. Excitement brightens his eyes. “But I’m liking this idea. What if we shower together?” Grabbing me by the hands, I’m pulled to my feet before I can back out. Not that I would. I’ve seen this man naked before. That image has run through my mind many times since, so I’m not upset about seeing him or feeling him all over again.
He says, “Let’s get you clean.” I go willingly. Holding my hand, he leads me into the bathroom and closes the door behind us.
“You afraid someone’s going to walk in on us?”
He leans around me and locks it as if for good measure. “One day, you’ll be glad you got in the habit. Ask me how I know.”
I start to laugh. “I’m thinking that’s a conversation for another time.”
“Probably best.”
Moving to the shower, I reach in and turn on the water to warm it up for us. I was never confident about sex before I met Noah. And although my body has changed from when he last saw me, I feel confident in his presence and kick off my shoes without a thought.
Maybe I shouldn’t be jumping into sleeping with him again after the rough week we had. But tonight, that all changed. I saw him for the man he is instead of the monster who wants to take my baby away.