Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
Our dinner conversation hangs between us. My fantasy. His knowing. That newfound connection pulls us closer and closer together, charged and breathless.
“They need more time,” he says in a caressing tone, meant to soothe.
Because he loves me. He wants me to be happy.
“Time.” I nod.
I’ll hold onto that. I’ll try to hold us all together, but it feels like we’re unraveling too fast.
Every day is a battle, every moment a test of our bond.
I demand change, and they refuse to admit they need help.
They’re a raging storm, wild and uncontrollable, their love for me a fierce, consuming fire.
I can’t help the feeling that something bad is coming, that something terrible is barreling our way. Not just with the stalker.
With us.
My feelings for Monty…I didn’t want to fall in love with him again. I fought it. I clung to my anger for so long.
But I’m no longer angry.
I’m scared.
No matter how this ends, someone gets hurt.
Someone ends up alone.
Part of me wonders if I’m the terrible thing that’s coming.
Am I the one who will tear us apart?
Can I fight my love for Monty? I haven’t admitted it out loud. Not to him. Not to Leo and Kody.
But how does that help?
I don’t know how long I can fight this battle alone.
43
Frankie
—
Tonight is Kody’s grand opening.
Anticipation thrums through me as I stand before the mirror.
The black knee-length cocktail dress fits perfectly, creating a sleek silhouette that flatters my small frame and modest chest. I styled my hair in red waves down my back, and my green eyes, accentuated by smoky makeup, gleam with excitement and nerves.
For the first time in a long while, I feel genuinely beautiful.
“Frankie!” Monty calls from downstairs. “We’re going to be late.”
“Coming!”
Kody left hours ago with his security team to oversee the final details. He’s put so much into the distillery, pouring his passion into this dream.
I take a deep breath. Tonight is a big deal. The press will be present, as well as vodka critics from all over the world.
It’s his chance to step out of the shadows of his past and into something new. Time to prove how far he’s come and how much he’s survived.
As I descend the grand staircase, the sound of hushed voices accompanies the click of my heels.
“You know what’s bothering me?” Leo whispers. “Where the fuck is Doyle’s body? He could’ve cut off his own hand. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Why would he remove his dominant hand?” Monty asks. “If he’s going to cut one off, wouldn’t it be the one he least used? For that matter, why not just send a finger? A whole hand seems like overkill.”
“Lovely conversation, boys.” I step into view and find them waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
My blood runs hot.
Damn.
Monty and Leo, standing side by side.
Double damn.
What a devastating pair of gorgeous, potent lady-killers.
I wince. Maybe killer isn’t the word I should be thinking, but fuck them and their heart-attack-inducing sex appeal.
Monty looks every bit the regal billionaire mogul in a black tailored tuxedo that fits him like a second skin. With his stormy blue eyes, squared jawline, and arrogant demeanor, he’s a paragon of refined masculinity.
As he holds my gaze, the one-year separation in our marriage fades away. In a fragile moment, I stand before my husband as we once were—devoted, happy, and deeply in love.
I know things about this man, secrets no one else knows.
I know he has a soft spot for classic romantic movies, but he only watches them late at night when he thinks no one’s around.
I know he keeps a collection of vintage toy cars in a hidden cabinet in his office. Each vehicle represents a milestone in his career, and he talks to them as if they’re old friends.
I know he insists on tucking me into bed whenever I fall asleep on the couch. Even now, after everything. Even if it means carrying me to the guest bedroom when Leo and Kody are out of town. It’s a simple act of care and tenderness that he’s never shown another person.
And I know he pines for me as much as I secretly pine for him, and it’s unfair. It’s unfair to him. It’s unfair to Leo and Kody, and I don’t know what to do.
“Fucking hell, love.” Leo’s deep rumble grabs my attention. His gaze crawls over me, making my entire body twitch. “Look at you. Absolutely breathtaking.”
“Breathtaking doesn’t begin to cover it,” Monty rasps. “I think she might be magic.”
Heat rises in my cheeks. While they eat me alive with their eyes, I can’t tear my attention away from Leo.
He’s a revelation. I’ve never seen him dressed up, let alone dressed like this. I try to reconcile the wild, mechanic-scented, arctic Viking with the man standing before me in an expensive black tuxedo.
His shoulder-length brown hair, usually windblown and tangled, is meticulously braided and pulled back into a sexy, savage knot that accentuates his chiseled features.