Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 131728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
He breaks into a broad smile as he stands under the water. The only time he’s really happy is when he talks about Mom and me. “My wife is beautiful. A pain in my ass, but beautiful. She’ll be here to collect me soon.”
“Yes. She will.” I smile. “How did you know that you were going to marry her?”
He keeps washing his hair as he thinks. “It wasn’t so much that I knew I wanted to marry her.”
I frown. “What was it, then?”
“I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing her, couldn’t imagine not waking up with her beside me.”
My heart twists as I stare at him. “You love her?”
“Very much.”
I smile softly.
“And my son . . .” He smiles proudly.
“Tell me about him.”
“His name is Henley, and he’s the love of my life.”
His silhouette blurs. “You’re the love of his life too.”
“He’ll be home from preschool soon. Then him and his mom are going to come and get me and take me home.”
“That sounds nice.” I help him rinse the shampoo out of his hair.
I only wish it were true.
I walk into my office with a spring in my step. “Good morning, Jenny.”
“Morning, Henley,” she replies without looking up from her computer. “Vanessa called three times.”
“Tell her I died,” I reply as I walk into my office. I dump my briefcase onto my desk and begin to unpack it.
Jenny walks in and puts my burner phone onto the desk in front of me. “You need to call her.”
“I’m not calling Vanessa.” I throw my phone back into the top drawer. “I told you this already. Take the SIM out of that phone, I don’t need it anymore.”
“Who is she?” she asks again, insistently.
I roll my eyes. “She’s none of your business.”
“She’s all of my business.” She folds her arms and leans onto my desk.
I continue to open my computer.
“I don’t like this,” she says.
I glance up at her. “Like what?”
“This mystery woman you’ve met. Why are you so secretive about her? Who is she?”
“She is a friend.” I widen my eyes. “Jenny, butt out. You are overstepping.”
“I am looking out for your best interest, Henley. How do you know she is not after your money?”
“She is not after my money.” I roll my eyes and open my emails. “Why don’t you get back to work.”
“I want to meet her.”
“No.” I open my first email.
“Do I know her?”
“Go away.”
“I must know her.”
“Why? Because you know everything?”
“About you, yes, I do.”
I point to the door. “Out.”
She scowls and storms out and closes the door behind me. Damn woman.
I really need a new PA.
Chapter 17
Juliet
Henley’s eyes meet mine across the fire. He winks as he sips his beer before casually looking away. I drop my head to hide my smile.
Two weeks in heaven.
It’s Friday night, and the street is gathered for a bonfire at Antony’s house. Rebecca leans in. “You and Henley seem very loved up,” she whispers.
“Not really.” I shrug, but it’s a lie. We are so loved up that it’s not even funny and have not spent a night apart from each other in two weeks.
We kiss and cuddle and laugh, make love and fuck like animals. We pretend to watch Game of Thrones and eat snacks while naked at midnight.
This is it. I’ve found him.
Everything I’ve ever wanted in a man is right here in front of me, and I’ve never been so fulfilled. There’s not one thing I would change about him.
Yes, he’s got baggage, a lot of it. Every now and then he will have an inner freakout and tell me that we’re just friends.
But we both know that’s a lie.
This is something.
Something bigger than either of us can control.
The funny thing is we never make plans, but somehow, someway, without fail, we see each other every day. Even if it’s just for an hour before I go to night shift.
I ended up telling Joel that I wasn’t doing anything with the house for a while. It wasn’t worth the drama with Henley, and I want us to get to safer ground before I cross that bridge.
“There he is,” Taryn’s annoying voice calls from inside. “Henley James, I can see you,” she calls in her singsong voice as she comes floating out the back door.
“Fuck’s sake,” Rebecca whispers under her breath. “Does she have no shame?”
Taryn runs over and plops herself down onto Henley’s lap. “I’ll sit with you, darling.”
Henley’s eyes flick up to me, and I raise my eyebrow.
No.
Don’t you fucking dare let her sit there.
Henley bundles her up. “You’re not sitting on me, Taryn.” He jokingly pushes her off and pulls up a chair beside him and taps it. “Sit here.”
“Oh . . . you’re no fun.” She pretends to pout. “I thought you would like my body weight on yours.”
Blake, who is sitting beside them, laughs in surprise.