Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
I walked through the kitchen to the bar and poured myself a scotch. I needed to shower, but I thought I might need the alcohol worse at the moment. The pull to check on Tessa was almost a compulsion but I resisted.
Taking half an hour, I forced myself to my own suite for that shower. There was no reason to rush to the woman. Tessa was likely asleep anyway.
Once I dried and dressed, I padded barefoot down the hallway to Tessa’s room. I started to just open the door, but I didn’t want to do that unless she gave me permission. So I raised my hand to knock. To my surprise, the door opened before I could.
She started, obviously not expecting me to be on the other side of the door. I thought I saw the briefest flash of hurt before her expression blanked. “You’re back.”
I looked up and nodded. “Just got in.”
She looked away from me, crossing to the sink and filling a glass of water. I waited while she took a healthy drink before dumping the rest in the sink. The tension running through her was nearly palpable. “Did you get him?” she asked.
“We’ll see, but I think we got what we needed.”
“Good.” She nodded, jaw tight as she looked away. “I thought you’d leave a note or something.” I paused, the comment catching me by surprise. She must have taken my silence as censure because she tried to smile and wave off her comment. “I didn’t really expect you to do that. I misspoke.” I knew I’d hurt her, but she’d never admit it.
“You’re right,” I said. “I should have left a note.”
She turned back to me, surprise flickering across her face before she could mask it. “It’s fine. Really.”
“No.” I moved closer, keeping my movements slow. “It’s not fine. You needed my reassurance after what we shared, and I should have realized you’d want to know.”
She shrugged, but her gaze dropped to the floor. “We don’t exactly have a relationship, Antonio. You don’t owe me explanations.”
The words stung more than they should have. I wanted to tell her that we did have something, but the exhaustion of the night and the weight of feelings I didn’t fully understand made the words stick in my throat. Instead, I reached for her, my fingers brushing against her cheek. She didn’t pull away, but her eyes remained downcast.
“Look at me, Tessa.” She lifted her gaze, and I saw everything she’d been trying to hide. The hurt. The fear of being forgotten. The way she’d convinced herself she didn’t matter enough to warrant a Goddamn Post-it note. What I saw in her expression now was so far removed from the spitfire I knew her to be it nearly broke my heart. I never wanted Tessa to feel like she was less than the beautiful, brave warrior she was. She should know how important she was and how much she deserved to have everything that made her happy. “You matter,” I said. “To me. You matter.” The words came out rougher than I intended, but I meant every syllable. “I should have told you where I was going. That’s on me.” I stared at her for a long moment, letting her see I meant what I said. “That’s not a mistake I’ll make again.”
She swallowed hard, her throat working around whatever she wanted to say but couldn’t. Her eyes glistened, and I watched her fight back the tears back.
“Don’t do that,” I said, my thumb tracing the line of her jaw. “Don’t swallow your feelings. For any reason.”
“I’m not --” she started, then stopped. Her lips pressed together, and a single tear escaped, tracking down her cheek before she could catch it.
I caught it instead, wiping it away with my thumb. “You are. And it’s bullshit.” She lifted her gaze, and the vulnerability in those copper eyes nearly gutted me. “I don’t know what this is between us,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “But I know it’s not nothing.” I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Go back to bed. I can stay with you if you like, or I’ll see you in the morning.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m good.” She really wasn’t and we both knew it. She paused at her bedroom door before looking at me over her shoulder. “You know, I’m not afraid of you, Antonio Miles. I know I’ve said it before, but I think it bears repeating.”
“I know you’re not. Did you ever stop to consider that maybe I’m afraid of you?”
That seemed to catch her off guard. She jerked, a shocked look on her face. Then she stiffened and turned, retreating to her bedroom. I knew I needed to send her back to her sister once this was all taken care of. But she didn’t want me to. Not really. Tessa didn’t want the power or the money that came with being my woman. And that was the problem. She saw beyond any glitz and glamour and knew exactly what I was. More, I thought Tessa might prefer my ruthless side to any billionaire playboy persona I pretended to have in public. Tess saw the real me in a way no one ever had other than my father.