Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
She walked toward him as he continued his call.
“Who do I have dinner plans with? None of your business. We’re divorced. And for the record? Whenever you call and whatever you ask me to do? Assume I’m busy.” He disconnected and placed the phone on the cocktail table in front of him with a groan. “Sorry about that. Come sit. How are you feeling?”
“It’s manageable now. You stayed?” She hadn’t meant to blurt that out, at least not right away.
A confused expression crossed his face. “Of course I stayed. I wanted to make sure you were okay. And I ordered us dinner.” He gestured to the bags on the dining room table. “I hope you’re in the mood for Italian. If not, we can get something else.”
Reaching out, he clasped her hand and helped her lower herself to the couch beside him.
“I… I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” She’d eat the Italian because he’d cared enough to think about her needs. And if she’d been craving a Belgian waffle from the diner on the corner, he didn’t have to know. The Italian food sounded much better now. “Was that Celia on the phone? Your ex-wife?”
He nodded. “She showed up on my doorstep the Sunday after the gala, talking about making things right. I’m pretty sure that she’s just upset that I’m moving on in a public way. Much like Theo is with you.”
Jade wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure I understand why either of them would care, considering they caused the break-ups in the first place.”
“You sound like a rational human being. Theo and Celia are not. Which reminds me, there’s something I wanted to tell you. You can’t let Theo get to you the way he did today. He’s not worth it. His opinion, his thoughts, nothing he says to you matters.”
She sighed. “You’re right.” The call had just brought back a lot of bad memories, of feeling not good enough when she’d discovered Theo was cheating on her.
“The other thing you can’t do is let him know he upset you. Once Theo is aware of what veins to slice, he’ll keep on doing it.”
She pressed her palms against her gritty eyes. “Why didn’t I see this in him when we were together?” She glanced up and met Knox’s gaze.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. He knows how to act. He let you see the needy, sad, nobody understands me version of Theo. He’s damned good at playing that role.”
“And I fell for it because I liked being needed,” she muttered.
“Which is not a bad quality to have.” Knox’s mouth lifted in a sexy smile. “Now, before you work yourself up again, let’s eat.”
“Sounds good.”
He insisted on setting out the plates and serving the food. He also refused to let her help him clean up. Instead, he sent her to shower or do whatever she needed to in the bedroom. He was bossy in a way she couldn’t help but appreciate. And she knew that if he was sick, she’d look after him the same way.
By the time he walked into the bedroom, she’d showered and changed into lightweight leisure clothes; a pair of soft elastic waist sweats and a loose but cropped T-shirt. Her headache had eased enough that she thought it would be gone by morning, leaving her with a migraine hangover. She’d be shaky and a bit weak, but it was much better than the pain of today.
“You look comfortable,” Knox said, his gaze landing on the strip of bare skin along her stomach.
“So do you.” He’d ditched his sport jacket when he’d walked into the apartment and he’d rolled up his sleeves, revealing his tanned, toned forearms.
With the pain gone, she was able to focus on other things. Like how, despite their long day, he appeared every bit as sexy now as he’d been earlier today.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said in a gruff voice. “You’re in pain.”
She shook her head. “Not anymore. Someone very special made sure I was well taken care of. And now that I feel better, I want you.”
He stared at her, obviously surprised. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”
She reached for the hem of her top, pulling it up and over her head, revealing her bare breasts. “Does that answer your question?”
He swallowed hard and his hand reached down to adjust his clearly hard cock. “Works for me. I like that we’re making a habit of this, because I always want you.”
Her heart squeezed in her chest, and with the sensation came the realization that she was getting in deep with him. “One more night.”
He stepped forward and cupped her breasts in his hands. “Whatever you say, beautiful.”
Which meant, of course, that he wasn’t buying her words any more than she was. But then his thumbs brushed over her nipples, and for the rest of the night, she thought only of him.