Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Aubree
After losing my husband, life was all about taking care of my kids and trying to remain afloat.
Brody and Hayden crashed into my life with the force of an entire ocean.
Five years is a long time to be alone.
Now, I have not one but two sexy and successful men to drown in.
But can I handle the desires, passions, and love they both deserve?
Plus, two men mean double the heartache.
And my heart? It's already mended haphazardly, cracked in multiple places from my loss.
Falling for them could be a disaster.
Choosing between them would be impossible.
But the heart wants what it wants.
And despite my better judgment, I want them both.
Oh, and did I mention that they're best friends—and want to share me?
Things just got a lot more complicated.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
PLAYLIST
Intentions – Justin Bieber
Slow Dance – AJ Mitchell
If we never met – John K
Only Girl – Rihanna
Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
What Ifs – Kane Brown
Fight for You – Jason Derulo
Tell Me It’s Real - K-Ci & JoJo
Die a Happy Man – Thomas Rhett
Better Days – Derot Kennedy
Listen to Nikki Ash’s playlists
You’ll never fall in love the same way twice.
PROLOGUE
AUBREE
“Do you hear that?” I whisper, listening for any sound outside our bedroom. My question forces my husband’s eyes to open. He was already half awake, thanks to me asking him the same question a few minutes ago, but since it’s only five in the morning, he was probably hoping I’d fall back asleep.
Peter shakes his head and smiles as he pulls me toward him. “I don’t hear anything,” he says, giving me a soft kiss. My belly erupts with butterflies, the way it always does when my husband kisses me. It’s been that way since the first time he kissed me ten years ago.
Without breaking our kiss, he rolls us over so I’m on my back as he hovers above. “Merry Christmas, Aubs,” he murmurs against my lips as he pushes his groin against me.
I wrap my arms around his neck, fully on board with some early morning sex, when the noise I’ve been waiting for finally arrives.
“Mommy! Daddy! Santa came!” Evie shrieks. Two seconds later, she and her brother, Miles, burst into our room, both of their faces lit up with excitement.
“There’s a gazillion presents!” Miles says as Peter rolls off of me, groaning even as he breaks into a smile. He’s already switching to dad mode.
“We musta been sooo good,” Evie adds.
“The best,” I agree.
“Go check it all out, and your mom and I will be right there,” Peter tells the kids, who nod and race out, their tiny feet padding across the tiled floor.
“To be continued,” Peter says, kissing me softly.
After using the bathroom, we head out to the living room, where we find the kids attacking their stockings, candy and small toys strewn about, while they wait for us to open presents.
Peter plops onto the couch and pulls me down with him, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my cheek. “All right, who’s opening the first gift?” he asks with a huge smile on his face.
“Me!” both kids exclaim.
We pass the morning with the kids opening present after present. Peter is a culinary professor, and I work at my grandma’s bakery, so we’re not rich by any means, but we love the holidays and always make sure to put money aside to make them special.
“Mommy, this one says your name,” Evie reports, bringing the small gift over to me. “Look…” She thrusts it at me. “It has an M for Mommy.”
“You must’ve been really good,” Miles says. “Rory said mommies and daddies don’t get presents because they’re too old.” Rory is Miles’s best friend in his preschool class.
“Oh, your mom was very good,” Peter says with a knowing smile. “Open it.”
I take the box from Evie and unwrap it, a little giddy since Peter and I agreed not to exchange gifts this year due to money being tight. Inside the flat box are several pieces of paper. “What did you do?” I ask as I read the words over and over again.
“It’s a two-week trip to France to study with some of the top culinary chefs,” Peter says, making me gasp in shock.
“Pete…” My heart thumps wildly in my chest. “How did you…? How can we afford this?”
He lifts his hand and cups the side of my face. “I used my connections at work. You leave in three weeks, and I’m using my time off to stay with the kids.”
I look over at our four-year-old twins. I’ve never been away from them that long. But this opportunity is once in a lifetime. “Thank you. You’re the best husband ever.”
His smile stretches across his face. “I love you, Aubs. I just want—” His words are abruptly cut off, his features suddenly twisting into a pained expression. His eyes meet mine, a strange mixture of shock and…fear?
“Pete, what’s wrong?” I ask, confused.
“I… I think… my… chest… heart,” he stammers.
He clutches his chest as I try to piece together his words. His chest… His heart… “Pete…”
“Daddy, what’s wrong?” Evie asks, toys forgotten.
“Daddy, does your belly hurt?” Miles asks.
“My heart,” Peter repeats, and it finally clicks. His heart! “Something’s wrong…” He looks from the kids to me, and my own heart feels like it’s about to stop beating. This can’t be good.
“Kids, go play in your room for a few minutes. Daddy isn’t feeling well,” I tell them, trying to keep my voice calm so they don’t freak out—which is damn hard to do since on the inside, I’m the one freaking the hell out.