Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
This time, I didn’t close my eyes out of fear that my nightmare would return. I pushed at her hair though, wanting to see her lovely face as she sucked me senseless.
After, I held her in my arms. “I’m sorry,” I began.
“No need to be sorry. Everyone has nightmares.”
“Yeah, but I was talking about yesterday. I wasn’t expecting that news. I shouldn’t have said I’d walk away from you. I wouldn’t. I can’t. This thing between us is bigger than me…” I trailed off, feeling at a loss for words. I’d never truly confessed feelings like this before.
“What are we?” she asked softly.
I could tell she was holding her breath. “I don’t know. But I can’t imagine you with anyone else but me.”
“Same,” she said.
We were silent for a time. When her stomach grumbled, I asked, “Are you hungry?”
“You heard that?” she asked with a laugh.
“I did. What are you in the mood for?”
“Are you cooking for me again?”
I winked. “Don’t get used to it.”
The kitchen was stocked as expected. I’d have to give Griff a hard time about keeping this up forever.
She leaned on the counter and said, “Should we talk about the elephant in the room?”
24
TAYLA
Now more than ever, I had to get my head right. I couldn’t afford to drown in Ruin’s sins. There was a vulnerable individual growing inside me.
As much as I was unsure about Shawn’s reactions, we needed to have this conversation. Though I was distracted by his hair, which nearly covered one eye. It looked like he’d run a hand through it several times.
“What’s there to say? You hold all the cards,” he said while plating fluffy eggs.
“You have a say,” I argued.
He looked up at me as if he didn’t believe I would take his feelings into consideration. “I’d say that the life I live is dangerous. And no child should be subjected to that. At the same time, I knew the risks I took. And I’ll do what I have to do to protect you both.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
His lips pursed, and there was a determination in his eyes that spoke volumes. “They wouldn’t see me coming.”
He slid a plate with piping-hot food over to me. I ate while deciding if I wanted to know the answer to my next question.
“What does this mean for us? You told your parents we were engaged.” I finally asked.
“And I meant it.”
I stopped with my fork inches from my mouth. “You know I can’t marry you just because I’m pregnant.” He quirked a brow, and I elaborated. “We have great chemistry, sure. There is no denying our sexual compatibility. But we haven’t even been on a date.”
A sexy smirk formed on his perfect mouth. “I guess I’ll have to rectify that. Have you been to New York before?” I shook my head. “Good. Today’s a perfect day to see the city. Nobody knows where we are. At least for now.”
The idea of a date, let alone him being my tour guide, thrilled me. “I’ll take you up on that,” I said before diving back into my food.
“We’ll stop and buy you a change of clothes,” he said.
It was my turn to quirk a brow. “You don’t like me in sweatpants?” I joked.
“I prefer you naked, but my parents might not.”
“Your parents?” I asked.
“My mother invited us to dinner. That is if you want to go.”
I blew out a breath. “I think your father would prefer if I didn’t go.”
“My father is an ass, and it’s not up to him. It’s Mom’s birthday.” How could I say no to that? “She really likes you,” he added.
“It’s impossible to say no to that.”
He shook his head. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to go.”
“No. It’s fine.”
“Go get dressed then,” he said with a playful slap on my butt.
I eyed him. “I’m going to shower first.”
He flashed me a wicked grin. “You said the magic word.”
I giggled like a damn schoolgirl and ran. “No, don’t follow me. We’ll never leave.”
But he followed.
An hour or so later, we finally left the apartment, and it felt good not to be confined inside or skulking through dirty below-ground tunnels.
It took me by surprise when, after holding the building door open for me, he took my hand in his and laced our fingers together. I couldn’t keep the cheesy smile off my face.
The sidewalk was busy but not crowded. People walked past without noticing our interlocked fingers. They didn’t notice why my eyes beamed like headlights and my heart beat invisible hearts outside my chest. I couldn’t stop the free-for-all that was my emotions. I shouldn’t read more into his jesters. He hadn’t expressed any more feelings for me than his need to protect us.
Hiding the blush spreading across my face from him, I noticed a store with a dress in the window that captured my attention. “Can we stop in there?” I asked.