Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“Already ahead of you. I contacted my interior designer, and she agreed to get started right away.”
I roll my eyes. “Are you serious? I think we can handle decorating for our own child.”
“If that’s what you want.” He shrugs as if it doesn’t matter to him. “I want to make your life as easy as possible.”
“There’s easy and then there’s absurd. I’ll handle the room.”
He leans forward and kisses me on the cheek. “Yes, love.”
I catch him before he can move back. “Say that again.”
“Love,” he whispers, kissing me slowly and deeply.
One kiss turns into two kisses, which inevitably leads to us tumbling back into bed together, breakfast forgotten. When we finally come up for air, sated and sweaty, we’ve lost a couple hours, although it doesn’t seem to matter to him at all. Finn seems so much more relaxed today, like the weight of the last few weeks is suddenly lifted from his shoulders.
Now that we’re doing this for real.
We take a bath together. He tells me stories about his childhood rivalries and fights with his brothers, and I talk about high school and college, which eventually leads to the ugly tale of Lucas.
Finn scowls. “I still can’t imagine a man that would sit across from you with his mistress and still have the nerve to drain your bank account.”
“He wasn’t always like that,” I say, stretching my neck, feeling content for the first time in a while. It’s easier not to hate Lucas now that I have Finn, but I’d be crazy to say there’s no resentment. “Back before the homewrecker, he was an honest, dependable guy.”
“Some men have no self-control.”
My eyebrows raise. “And you do? You can’t keep your hands off me.”
“That’s true,” he admits. “But I’d never treat you the way that piece of shit did. If you want, I can have him tracked down and beaten to within an inch of his life. Or just beyond. Your call.”
I snort, shaking my head. “I believe you’d really do it.”
He’s not smiling. “I would.”
“Lucas dug his grave, let him go roll around in it.” I lean my head on Finn’s shoulder. “I’m not interested in revisiting that nightmare.”
“That’s good to know.” He puts his arm across my shoulders. “There’s so much I want to show you. I’ll have to take you to the beach house soon. I think you’ll love it. We can spend a few weeks there this summer.”
“You can get away for a few weeks?”
“For you, I’ll make it happen.”
I grin at him, not sure how we managed to find ourselves here, but I’m practically floating with how happy he’s making me.
After another round of him exploring every inch of my body in the bathtub, his phone starts ringing out in the other room. He ignores it at first, but it keeps on ringing, insistent and shrill.
“That’s Genna’s tone,” he says with a frown, climbing out. “Do you mind?” He checks his watch and grimaces. “Ah, shit, we missed the vote. It happened a half hour ago.”
“No, it’s fine, go get it.” I lounge in the tub. “I’m going to rinse off and I’ll come out to meet you soon.”
“Don’t bother getting too clean,” he says with a grin.
“Don’t be gross,” I answer with a happy sigh.
Finn disappears into the other room. I close my eyes, leaning back against the edge, my neck supported by a blow-up pillow. I’ve got that fuzzy feeling in my hands and toes, the one where I’m buzzing with contentment, like I’ve slept in late on a lazy Sunday morning and I don’t want to get out of bed.
We should’ve made this decision a long time ago, from the freaking start.
There’s muffled talk. His tone sounds strained and he’s pacing back and forth across the doorway. Finn only paces when he’s upset. I sit up, frowning as Finn’s voice grows louder. I can hear the tension in his voice. He curses sharply then speaks too quietly for me to hear, but I’m already starting to feel a sudden pit of horrible dread open in my stomach.
I climb out of the tub, grab a towel, and wrap it around myself as Finn appears in the bathroom door.
He looks pale, his eyes haunted. “The vote,” he says.
“What?” My hands grip my towel tightly. My heart’s racing. “I thought things were okay.”
“He swore to me. We had a fucking deal—” His teeth clamp down. “We have to go see my father.”
“Finn? What happened?”
“The vote failed.” He turns away. “Something went seriously fucking wrong.”
Chapter 38
Finn
For nearly twelve hours, my life was good.
I have a wife that I adore. I have a future I actually want. I’m planning vacations, trips abroad, thinking about baby names, picturing long walks through Boston Commons with my family. I’m thinking about movie premieres, charity galas, potluck fucking dinners, all the shit I have to put up with as a Crowley, but all made easier with Dara on my arm.