Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
He thought for a moment. “The polycystic ovary syndrome thing?”
“Yes, which comes with a bunch of other fun side effects,” she said wryly. “Like a lack of ovulation. And that causes fertility issues and the possibility of me not being able to conceive a child.” She couldn’t hold in the sigh. “To some men, not having their own kids is a deal breaker.”
She’d never had to bring up the subject with Noah, because deep inside she instinctively knew he wasn’t the right man for her. It hadn’t been a discussion she’d wanted to have, only for him to add that potential obstacle to all the other flaws he saw in her. God, why had she stayed with him as long as she had? And why had she just told Derek her most painful secret?
He studied her, sympathy clear in his eyes, but he didn’t offer any reassurances, not that she’d expected him to. It wasn’t like they were getting married and her possible fertility issues were a concern for him. They weren’t even dating, and he’d made it clear he wouldn’t sleep with her, so . . .
“Well,” she said, ready to change the subject to something less personal and painful. “Now that I’ve gotten my design down on paper, I’m ready to try and get some sleep and you should, too. You have a very busy day around the house tomorrow. You know, yard work, putting up the lights on the back patio, and finishing painting the trim around the outside windows.” She grinned at him.
He narrowed his gaze and feigned a scowl. “Don’t look so happy about it.”
She laughed. “Oh, I am happy about watching you work hard tomorrow. I really, truly am.”
And she was also looking forward to a fun evening at Club Ten29 with Derek as their personal chauffeur. She needed a night of drinking with her girlfriends, letting loose and not thinking so hard for a change. She also looked forward to dancing and flirting with a few guys—and tempting Derek’s jealous streak to come out and play. He’d drawn a line he refused to cross but she hadn’t, and that kiss they’d shared? She wanted a repeat.
Apparently, she had a naughty side. One she was coming to like. A lot.
Chapter Nine
Princess and the fucking pea. Okay, maybe Derek was spoiled with his king-size Elysium organic mattress in firm, but it was one of the few things he’d indulged in that made for a restful night—the opposite of what he’d gotten in Jessica’s guest room bed. The mattress was probably perfectly fine for other physical activities, he thought wryly, but his back and shoulders ached as he rolled out of bed around eight, after finally falling asleep. A good hour after he and Jessica had parted ways around two a.m.
He did a few stretches, groaning as his vertebrae seemingly snapped back into place and his taut muscles elongated. Considering the list of chores that awaited him, he was certain more than his back would be sore by the time he was done. It was going to be a long fucking day, but there was no way he was going to slack off.
Jessica had earned, or rather bought, the right to boss him around, and if that made her happy—and clearly it would—then he was going to suck it up and put in the time and hard labor. But first, a morning run was in order to release the rest of the kinks in his body.
He changed into loose shorts, a tank top, and his running shoes and walked out of the room. Jessica’s bedroom door was closed, and all was quiet inside as he walked by, so he figured she was still sleeping.
Once outside, he started out with a light jog, enjoying the cool morning air and the change of scenery. Her neighborhood was much quieter than the streets of New York City—at any time of the day or night. The houses here were midsized and quaint, with fenced-in yards and well-kept properties, and much homier than his high-rise condo. He saw kids outside playing in their front yards with their friends or dogs, and he waved to a friendly older couple enjoying a cup of coffee on their porch.
He picked up his running pace as he passed by a well-maintained park with a soccer field and marveled at all the family-owned restaurants and unique coffee shops, where people were already gathered for a Saturday morning meal or treat. There was a slow-paced, unrushed, welcoming feel to the area that Derek found incredibly relaxing and tranquil.
It was the complete opposite of what he was used to, and it was . . . nice. Knowing how wealthy Jessica’s family was, and that she’d been set up with a lucrative trust fund from her grandparents as Ben had, she could have bought a place just about anywhere. Yet this was where she’d chosen to live, outside of the rush and urgency of the city. Somewhere low-key and unpretentious, just like her, he thought and couldn’t help but smile.