Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“You’ll need to bring your overnight bag. Huck and Levi have to go out of town. Trinity is going to stay elsewhere.”
Overnight? That sounded like a terrible idea.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Good night, Shiloh,” he said into the phone before the line went dead.
This was insanity.
Uncle Neil said very little as he drove me to Gage’s the next morning. He had frowned at the overnight bag in my hand, but said nothing.
When we pulled through the security gate, he finally broke the silence. “He’s a dangerous man. You understand that, right?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“And you want to do this? You’re sure?”
As if he could save me if I didn’t.
“I want to. He’s not forcing me. He asked, and I agreed.”
Uncle Neil glanced at me. “I can’t protect you from him. Any of them.”
“I know,” I told him and reached over to squeeze his arm. “You don’t have to.”
He pulled up to a stop outside the house and let out a weary sigh. “Be careful, Shiloh.”
I hugged him. “I will.”
Taking my bag, I opened the door and stepped out into the sunshine. It felt more like spring than winter. Heading for the stairs, I wasn’t surprised when Huck answered the door before I got to the top.
He looked about as happy as Uncle Neil. “You know what you’re doing?” he asked me.
“Yes.”
“How much has he told you about your past together?”
I shook my head. “Not a lot.”
His scowl wasn’t anything new. I thought it was permanent when he looked at me.
“You might want to find out more.”
Noted.
He stepped back and let me come inside. “He just went back up the stairs. He’s been coming down to eat, and he goes to the living room to watch television. He knew you were coming and went back up.”
“Okay,” I replied, then headed for the stairs.
The Gage who flirted and didn’t seem to hate me I’d only really experienced on the phone. Seeing him in person after things had changed had me feeling nervous. What if Wilder was right? What if this was a mistake?
I reached his bedroom door and went inside. The hospital bed was gone, and in its place was a king-size bed with a black iron frame. When I turned my head to the right, I found him watching me. He was sitting up on the sofa with his broken leg no longer in a full leg cast, and it was propped up on an ottoman that hadn’t been here before. It was clear he was doing much better.
“Looks like you’ve made a lot of progress.”
He grinned at me, making me feel light-headed. “Doreen was a drill sergeant.”
That was exactly what he needed.
“She was good for you then.”
“I like her replacement a hellavua lot better. Come here, Shiloh.” His voice dropped slightly.
Walking over to him, I set the overnight bag down and then started to take a seat on the other end of the sofa. He shook his head at me and patted the spot beside him. My nerves were on overdrive now. I sat down.
“Shiloh.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re fucking tense. Relax,” he told me.
I tried, but it was difficult. “Your moods make me nervous. I don’t know what I’m getting with you. This is a new mood, so I need adjustment time. Not to mention, I’m not sure you need a nurse anymore.” I figured being honest was best.
He reached out and squeezed the top of my thigh. “I gave up on hating you. It wasn’t fucking working. I thought that was clear from our phone conversations. And I didn’t need Doreen, but I do need you.”
I laughed softly and looked down at my hands. Wow, okay. Was he saying he needed me sexually? Good Lord, I wasn’t ready for that.
“Yeah, well, the phone and in person are completely different. Like I’ve said before, you’re intimidating.”
He lifted his hand and grabbed my chin between his thumb and finger, forcing me to look up at him. “I don’t want you nervous around me.” His amber eyes held my gaze.
I smiled. “Not sure that can be helped.”
His thumb brushed the single dimple in my cheek. “Fucking love this dimple. Always have.”
It was a strange dynamic. Having had a sexual relationship with a man who was very intense and not remembering any of it. This had never been an issue with Isaac. He’d not made me feel this way. Looking at him didn’t make my stomach flutter or my heart race. Not once had he said or done something to make me need to squeeze my thighs together. A part of me wished I remembered this—us—but then I’d remember what I had done. I didn’t think I wanted that on my chest.
Hearing what I had done and living through it would be two different things.
“I can’t lean forward yet, baby,” he said, looking down at my lips. “Hurts too bad. You’re gonna have to come to me. I’ve waited five long fucking years, and I need this mouth.”