Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
He nods, but it’s obvious he’s not completely happy with the whole thing. He’s jealous. I don’t hold back. “Are you jealous, Dalton?”
He pulls me up his body and presses his lips to mine. The kiss deepens, and when he moves back, we’re both breathless.
“Let’s see… the idea of men watching you on the Internet makes me crazy. The fact that men probably message you daily, wanting to get to know you, makes me see red. And the comment from the man talking about how perfect you are makes me want to find him and gut him, so yeah, on all accounts, I’m jealous.”
I smack my hand on his chest. “Oh, Dalton…”
He holds my hand to him, and his heart is racing under my palm. “I’m just telling the truth. I know it’s crazy. I know you’re sort of stranded here and I’ve taken full advantage of the situation.”
“I didn’t resist you. I could have said no, but I didn’t want to. I wanted you too, Dalton.”
His hand slides down my back and cups my ass, pulling me against his hard cock. “And now? You still want me?”
I squirm against him, feeling his manhood pressed into my belly. “Yeah, I still want you.”
CHAPTER 16
DALTON
She’s coming back.
That’s what I keep telling myself. We had three days of sneaking kisses and holding hands when no one was around, and at night, she joined me in my bedroom. We made love, we talked, we got to know each other’s dreams, and then we made love again. It was perfect. Every time I held her, I knew that I didn’t want to let her go. I wasn’t sure how to approach her about it, but then I figured I had more time when Hank said it would be a few more days for her car to be fixed, so I lent her my truck. At least then, I knew she had to come back.
She’s been gone, and even though we haven’t talked, I have followed her on the app. She’s been posting videos of her time away, and at first, I was just thankful to be able to see her. But then as life intervened, I started to really think about things, and I started to doubt what I have to offer her.
Her videos all show her having fun, living it up, reminding me that she’s twenty-five and free. She can travel any time she wants to, and if I need or want to go on a trip, I need months to plan it. It seems the more I doubted myself, the more my life tried to show me that I was right. We can’t be together.
“I miss Gia,” Ethan says.
I nod. “Yeah, me too.”
Evan lies back and closes his eyes. “Me three.”
Ethan leans up on his elbows. “Can you call her, Daddy?”
I put my hand to his warm head. Both boys have been sick since Gia left. But at least his fever seems to be breaking. “She’s working, son.”
Evan rolls on his bed toward us. “Yeah, but if she knew we were sick and that we needed her, she would come, Dad. You know she would.”
I sigh. I know he’s right. I’m not sure how to explain the connection between Gia and the twins, but it’s obvious that they are synced with one another. “I know she’d come, but this is her job, boys. I’m not going to ask her to come when she needs to be working. Look, she’ll be home in a few days, and you’ll have Sunday night with her.”
I wait for them to argue, but instead, Ethan leans over and throws up into the trash can by his bed. The stomach bug has hit both boys pretty hard, and I hate seeing them as sick as they are. I’m making sure they get fluids, and they have been able to eat some toast, but that’s it.
I’m holding on to Ethan’s head, murmuring words of encouragement when Evan leans over the bed, misses his trash can, and throws up all over me and the floor. Both boys start to cry, and I do my best to soothe them. When they are done, I know I need to get everyone cleaned up. I put them both in the shower, then strip down the beds, mop the floors, and then put clean sheets and blankets on the bed. I find the boys sitting on my bed, wrapped in towels. “You all right, boys?”
They both nod but don’t say anything.
“Dad, where’s Mom’s picture?”
I clear my throat. I knew I should have explained this to them, but I thought I had more time. “Well, I hung it in the hallway. Is that okay?”
“Yeah,” Ethan says, and Evan nods.
I stand next to the bed and try not to think of the last few nights and having Gia with me. I need to focus on my kids. “I loved your mother, and I miss her every day.”