Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
He’d never met someone more perfect for him than Nico. He knew he couldn’t be as rough with Lottie. She needed a far more delicate touch.
There was nothing delicate about Nico.
As though he sensed where his thoughts had gone, Nico turned back and wrapped his hand around the back of Liam’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss. It wasn’t often he took the more dominant role like this. But every so often, his dominant side pushed through.
“I love you, Liam. We’ve got this. Okay? She needs us. And we need her. It’s going to be the three of us. Forever.”
“Forever,” Liam agreed.
“You know which bedroom is hers?” Nico asked as they quietly moved down the stairs.
Liam just shot him a look over his shoulder. Of course, he did. This was Liam. He didn’t leave much up to chance.
Liam held a finger up to his lips as they moved silently down the hallways. That sense of urgency in Nico’s gut grew.
Suddenly, Liam stopped, and Nico nearly plowed into him. Turning, Liam sent him a scowling look. Yeah, he hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings. He got it.
Bad Nico.
Thankfully, Liam was always hyper-aware. Liam pointed to a door. That had to be her room. Then he raised an eyebrow as though asking Nico what he wanted to do.
If they knocked, then they ran the risk of Regent hearing them. Turning, he looked around. He didn’t know where her oldest brother slept. At least Victor wasn’t here. And Maxim and Jardin no longer lived here.
Liam pointed at a door two down then mouthed a word.
Regent.
Okay, knocking was out. They could walk in, but what if they gave her a fright and she screamed?
Fuck. Too bad he hadn’t thought this out. He didn’t even have her phone number to send her a text, which would have been the sensible thing.
But he needed to see her.
Taking a deep breath, hoping this wasn’t a fucking mistake, Nico stepped up to her door.
Liam didn’t say a word, just turned, keeping an eye out as Nico gently opened the door. If she was asleep, he didn’t want to wake her. He knew that she didn’t get enough rest.
If she was sleeping, he’d just get a look at her and leave.
The door slid open, and he peered in.
“Lottie?” he whispered. The bed was made. No one was sleeping in it. He glanced around but didn’t see her. Had she gone downstairs?
Obviously, his instincts were off. She didn’t need him. But then a sound from behind a door caught his attention. He turned to Liam and nodded his head to indicate that he should follow him in.
Liam silently moved in behind him, shutting the door. Nico wondered if they should lock it. Glancing down, he frowned when he saw there was no lock. The door handle was different than all the others in the house. Either someone had broken this one or taken away the lock deliberately.
Liam gave it a glance too, and Nico could see he was thinking hard. Not much got past Liam.
He heard another noise, a sob. Then the sound of rattling and something being flung. Fuck. What was going on? He moved swiftly over to the door that he assumed led to an en suite bathroom. Like all the bedrooms in this house, this one was enormous. There was a huge bed centered against the opposite wall. It had a white wrought-iron frame with a soft, lavender-colored bedspread. The curtains were cream and light. The whole room was soft and feminine, down to the vases of fresh flowers on the bedside. It suited Lottie.
He and Liam looked completely out of place. Especially Liam, who glanced around the room assessing. He motioned to the door.
Right. Fuck.
Nico had to be the one to go in. Liam took the lead in a lot of things, but he couldn’t with Lottie. Because Nico needed to forge a bridge between the two of them.
Not wanting to second guess himself, Nico walked over and knocked on the door.
There was silence in there.
“Y-yes?”
He heard some noise. Drawers shutting? What was she doing?
“Go in. Now,” Liam commanded.
She might be naked or in the shower. Not that he wouldn’t mind seeing her naked. Nope, he wouldn’t mind at all. But he didn’t want to completely terrify her. Or unravel all his progress with her.
Liam didn’t give him a chance to make up his mind, though. Instead, he opened the door and barreled in.
She wasn’t in the shower or undressed.
Damn it.
Instead, she was sitting on the floor amid a pile of stuff that she was trying to hastily pack away in the cupboard under the sink. Dressed in some sort of billowy nightgown, her hair lay down in soft, gentle waves. She looked almost ethereal.
The bathroom was all white tile except for the wall behind the bathroom counter, which had a pale lavender subway tile. Nico spotted a first aid kit next to her. Then he frowned as he glanced down at the tile. There was something red on the floor next to her. Was that . . .