Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
I shake my head. “It doesn’t.”
Cassie sighed. “You don’t have to be afraid. It’s good to have feelings, but I think you’re trying to pretend they don’t exist because you’re worried someone is going to take it from you. Dad always did that to you. It’s why you stopped trying to care about anything. Dad is gone.”
“I know.”
“He’s not going to take anything from you. Never again.”
I looked down at the table. “I know he’s gone.”
“What is it?” Cassie asked.
“He has a lot of enemies, Cassie. He’s Volkov. It was a name that even made Dad scared.”
“I remember.”
“What if someone takes him away?” I asked.
Cassie reached across the table. “I wish I could say that’s never going to happen, and believe me, I hope it doesn’t. People die, Charlotte. They get sick. They have accidents, and then of course, people kill them.”
Just the thought of it filled me with fear.
“But there is always that risk. You cannot live in fear, and if you have feelings for Ive, you can’t hide from them. You can’t ignore them, otherwise one day you’re going to wake up and life will have passed you by.”
I didn’t get the chance to respond. Cassie pulled her hand away as Ivan, Rage, Hubert, my husband, and the mystery stranger approached the dining room table. Hubert left to grab the rest of the food. Ive sat at the head of the table, while Ivan took the other seat. I tried not to look at my husband, but felt very much aware of Cassie looking at me.
Lifting my head, I caught Ivan’s eyes, and he stared at me quite intently so I forced a smile to my lips. It was then that I noticed the new black eye Rage was sporting.
I had no idea what was going on, but it must not have been too bad since they all sat around eating food. Turning my attention to my husband, I saw he had an equal shiner on his face. What happened?
After the food, I found out that the mystery stranger was called Vlad, and he worked for my husband. There was no time to get to know him because Ive ordered everyone out, including Hubert.
I stood with Ive as we saw everyone out. Ivan was the first to leave. Rage and Cassie left together, followed by Vlad and Hubert. Once alone, Ive turned toward me.
“It has been a long night.” He stepped toward me and cupped my face. “I think you need to get some rest.”
I nod. I can’t argue with him. He doesn’t let go of my face.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” I asked.
Ive frowned.
“Not sex, I mean, erm, just sleep next to you, if you don’t mind?” How stupid and childish did I sound?
I didn’t want to sleep close to him for comfort. I wanted to sleep next to him so I could keep an eye on him. Ive couldn’t be taken from me. And that felt even more messed up to think so.
“Yes, you can.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ive
Two Weeks Later
Charlotte has slept in my bed for the last two weeks and as I wake this morning, I find her still fast asleep. Most mornings, I wake to find her staring at me.
Anyone else, I might find it a little fucking strange, but not Charlotte. I’d never shared a bed with anyone before. She was the first woman I had slept with all night long. Staring at her now, curled up facing me, she looked at peace. One of her hands was beneath her head, the other laid flat on the bed. Her face tilted downward a little and her mouth was slightly parted. I watched her breathe in, and then out. The sounds and motion seemed to calm me, which I didn’t expect.
I reached out and slowly pulled back some of her hair, tucking it out of the way. She let out a little moan and then groaned. I’d woken her up. Her eyes opened and she looked at me, offering me a smile.
“Morning,” she said.
“Good morning.”
“You’re awake,” she said.
“Yes, so I get to look at you this time.”
Charlotte chuckled. “Please, don’t keep bringing it up.”
“Oh, you mean how you like to look at me, and watch me?”
“How do you make it sound so bad?” she asked.
“I don’t mind.” I rest my hand on her back. I noticed whenever I touched her, at first she tensed up, but then, she’d seem to move into the touch. “Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine.”
Neither of us spoke for several seconds and I just looked into her eyes.
I’d never enjoyed awkward silences with women. I didn’t want to have to read a woman’s mind, which was why in the past, most women knew I was after a fuck. I didn’t have time for their bullshit.
I looked at Charlotte, and I wanted to have all the time in the world to just look at her.