Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“I am.”
“Thank you for that.”
He holds me tighter.
We stand together quietly, both exhausted from approximately twenty-four hours of traveling. I lost count somewhere over California.
“Renn! Where are you?” A woman’s voice carries through the house.
He kisses me again before releasing me. “That’s Astrid.”
“Oh.”
I hold my breath as he calls to her, and her footsteps sound against the floors. They stop inside Renn’s bedroom.
“Are you decent?” she asks. “And can I come in?”
“Yeah. Come in,” Renn says. He slips his arm around my waist.
A cheery-faced redhead bounds around the corner. Her hair is in a high ponytail, showing off her face full of freckles. I’d guess her to be in her mid-to-late twenties.
“You must be Blakely,” she says, smiling brightly. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“And you must be Astrid. It’s nice to meet you too.”
She turns her attention to Renn. “She’s gorgeous. Don’t fuck it up.”
I snort, covering my mouth with my hand.
“What are you doing here?” Renn asks, feigning annoyance with her.
“Making sure you made it. Hoping to get a look at Foxx Carmichael.” She whistles between her teeth. “If you get security, demand Foxx or Troy. Trust me.”
I giggle at the look on Renn’s face.
“What?” Astrid asks, shrugging. “I’m being helpful. Showing her the ropes.”
“I’m going to cut your rope and set you free,” he says.
“I couldn’t be so lucky,” she says, wrinkling her nose at him. “Anyway, Blakely. I’m here to help out however I can. I’m usually not here physically. I’m often running errands or helping Bianca. But I can be here if you need me.”
What kind of life is this? “Oh, okay. Thanks.”
“My number is in a little notebook on the desk in the kitchen. I left a bunch of notes for you, too.”
Renn makes a face. “What kind of notes are you leaving my wife?”
“Your favorite takeout places. A copy of your schedule. My number. Bianca’s. Ripley’s.”
“Tate’s?” I ask.
Renn looks at the ceiling, making Astrid laugh.
She points at me. “Oh, I like you. A lot. We’re going to be friends.”
“I’m kidding,” I say, tucking myself into Renn’s side. “Come on. Don’t be a grump.”
“I’ve never actually disliked Tate, but I’m getting there,” he says, sighing.
I smack his shoulder. “Quit it.”
Astrid laughs again. “Okay, you two look tired as hell. I’m going to go. If you want me to send dinner over later, let me know. Brock brought some of your things by today, Blakely. There isn’t much. It’s all in two boxes on the table in your closet.”
“Thank you. I … I’m not used to this. So please excuse what I’m guessing is a look of bewilderment on my face.”
She winks at me. “You’ll get used to it.” She walks backward. “Okay, kids. I’m out of here. I’ll lock up behind me. Get some rest, lovebirds.”
“It was nice to meet you, Astrid,” I say.
“I enjoyed this interaction more than you. Trust me.” She laughs. “Bye, Renn.”
“Get out of here.”
Her laughter trails behind her as she leaves.
I spin around and face my husband. Astrid was right. He does look tired.
I’d like to see what Brock brought over. I want to call him, too. Ella doesn’t know we’re back in town, and I promised her I’d let her know as soon as we landed. But as I read Renn and realize what he needs—sleep, and I know he won’t do it if I don’t lie down too—I make a decision.
Yawning, I unfasten the buttons on his shirt. “Let’s get our clothes off and crawl into bed.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
I smile up at him. “I have a good feeling about this. We’ll figure this out and be the best husband and wife team this city has ever seen.” I push his shirt over his shoulders.
He cups my face in his hands and stares into my eyes. “Thank you, cutie.”
My heart flutters. “For what?”
“For being you.” He grins shyly. “For being mine.”
I dip my chin, body flooded with warmth, and remove the rest of our clothes. Renn then takes my hand and leads me to his—our—bed.
Because this is home.
It feels like it, anyway. And I already know it won’t just be hard to leave.
It’ll be heartbreaking.
CHAPTER 21
Blakely
Everything hurts.
Groaning, I roll over and squint against the muted sunlight. The softest mattress in the universe dips as I move onto my side. The bedding smells faintly of Renn and fabric softener, making me smile from ear to ear.
I know he’s gone, but I tap against his side of the bed anyway. My fingers curl against the empty sheets.
“Ugh.”
My brain is foggy. I have no clue what time it is and even less of an idea about the day of the week. Time changes and jet lag, surfing, and three rounds of sex yesterday have left me clueless.
It takes a few minutes to fully awaken and convince myself I can stand without dying.