Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to be possible,” I say in a calm tone even as my pulse races. “We’ll have to think of another solution.”
Tears spring to her beautiful brown eyes.
“Please?” she asks in a quavering voice. “You see, even if you gave me money, it wouldn’t work because I’ve actually already been kicked out of my shared apartment. I couldn’t afford the rent, so my roommates asked me to leave and actually my luggage is out in the hall right now. Also, it takes time to find an apartment in New York. At least two weeks and I have nowhere to go tonight,” she says in a whisper.
I shake my head.
“No, absolutely not. Don’t you have any friends you could crash with? Someone? Anyone?”
The beautiful woman looks absolutely miserable and my heart contracts because I’m the one who’s caused her to feel this way.
“I’ve already tried but no one has any room. Most of my friends are crammed into illegal shares, and there aren’t even any available couches. I begged a couple people to let me use an air mattress in their bathrooms, but they said no. How would they brush their teeth in the mornings?”
I sigh and run a hand through my hair, making the black strands stand on end. “Selena. This isn’t ideal.”
Tears brim in those caramel eyes now, and I have an incredible urge to stroke her cheek and reassure her that everything will be okay. But I keep my expression firm even as her breath hitches.
“It’s not my first choice either, Clancy, but you’re all I have. Please. Rochelle would want you to help me in my time of need.”
Fuck. Even after all these years, she knows that her mother is a weak spot of mine. Rochelle was a wonderful woman whom I adored, and I would have done anything to make her happy. Even more, Selena’s right: Rochelle would have wanted for me to take care of her daughter, without any reservations. After all, her daughter was the most important person in the world to her. More important even than me.
I stare at my loosely clasped hands before nodding curtly.
“Okay, it’s fine then. Just until you find another place though.”
Selena looks surprised, blinking through her tears. “Really?”
I nod.
“You’re right. Your mother would want me to help you in a pinch, and so I will. I am.”
Selena smiles then, and again, I’m blown away at how gorgeous she is. Her plush pink lips beg to be kissed, and her neck is long, slender, and just a little bit flushed. Her brown curls bounce up and down as she nods quickly in her seat.
“Thank you, Clancy,” she murmur. “I really appreciate it.” Then, as she reaches for her bag, she looks up to meet my eyes once more. “You won’t regret this, I promise. I’m really neat and very quiet. You’ll hardly even notice that I’m here.”
Somehow, I doubt that because let’s be honest: my stepdaughter is a ten with a figure that attracts men like bees to honey. But I nod because this is the right thing to do, and besides, Rochelle would have wanted it.
As Selena bounces outside to get the rest of her things, I think about what bedroom I want to put her in. I’m tempted to give her the bedroom furthest from my own so that our chances of running into each other are minimized. But who am I kidding? All the bedrooms are arranged along one long hallway, so we’ll be running into each other no matter where I stash her.
By the time she returns, dragging a huge suitcase, I’ve decided that the best option is to give her the bedroom halfway down the hall from mine. It’s a pretty white room with a four-poster bed and an adjoining en suite. Selena gasps upon seeing it, but then turns to me with a questioning look.
“Clancy, thank you so much. I love the bedroom, but I have to ask. I think I saw a library around the corner? Do you have a library in your penthouse?”
I chuckle at her eagerness.
“Sure do. Come on, I’ll show you.”
We make our way down the hall again and back towards the living room. Sure enough, the library adjoins the main area and as we step inside, Selena gasps and then literally claps her hands with excitement.
“Goodness,” she exclaims, her eyes sparkling. “I never thought a private person could have so many books!”
I chuckle because it’s true. I have thousands of volumes lining the walls in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Some of them are just trade novels like the latest Tom Clancy and J.D. Harlan spy thrillers. But some of them are rare books, and I even have a copy of the first printed Bible on display in an illuminated glass case. Nonetheless, Selena’s stunned as she wanders around, her eyes filled with wonder.