Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Just like that, the air vanishes from my lungs.
I have no idea how to respond.
My brain is screaming at me to run away, but what choice do I have?
I need a safe place for Nora.
If it were just me, I could figure something else out.
My gaze flicks from his face to my daughter, who is still slumbering in his arms. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that part of me wants to tell him to go to hell. I’ve spent years fighting on my own, and I can continue to do it.
But my heart…
It’s so damn tired of standing alone.
Of continually swimming upstream.
My shoulders collapse as that last thought rings in my head. “Do I even have a choice?”
He leans in, his hand sliding to curve gently around the back of my neck, anchoring me in place. “There’s always a choice, Callie. One is to keep doing it all on your own.” His gaze drops to my mouth before returning to my eyes. “The other is to let me help you.”
“For a price,” I murmur, needing to speak the truth aloud.
He lowers his head, lips brushing the shell of my ear. “I promise it won’t be one you’ll mind paying.”
His voice is low.
Confident.
Intimate.
And just like that, a shiver sizzles through me, setting every nerve ending on fire.
I search his face, every shadow and line, but can’t find a single reason to say no. If I’m being honest with myself, part of me doesn’t want to. There’s no way this respite will last long. River watched Nora once for a few hours before bedtime. He has no idea what living with a toddler 24/7 is like. After a week or two, day in and day out, his tune will change. If I’m lucky, it’ll last a month. Just enough time for me to figure out a permanent living situation.
“Okay,” I whisper.
Relief flashes across his face along with something else.
Something I wasn’t prepared for.
Possessiveness.
Almost as if now that I’ve said yes, he has no intention of ever letting me go.
I have to remind myself that I’ve seen that look before.
Zane wore it in the beginning too.
This time around, I’m older.
Wiser.
I won’t be fooled by pretty words wrapped up in nothing more than empty promises.
“When does this arrangement begin?” I ask.
“Right now. Go inside and pack what you and Nora need for the next few days. I’ll hire a moving company to get the rest on Monday.”
A jolt runs through me at how fast this is happening, and I hesitate. “Are you sure about this, River?”
“I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”
I force out the next question. “What about Zane? He’s your friend and teammate. Won’t this cause problems?”
He swallows up the remaining distance between us until he’s close enough for me to feel the gentle press of Nora against my chest.
“Zane and I haven’t been friends for a long time,” he says in a low tone. “I’ve spent years waiting patiently for you. And now I’m done waiting.”
His words send an undeniable thrill shooting through me.
In this moment, I can’t tell if I’ve just made the best decision of my life…
Or one that will shatter me completely.
16
River
The bed is assembled, and Nora’s sleeping soundly in her new room.
Callie stands beside me with her arms folded tightly, as if she’s bracing for impact.
I don’t blame her for being cautious. After blurting out how much I’ve always wanted her, you could have knocked the woman over with a feather.
And she’s still reeling.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, wanting to turn her attention to something else.
I picked her up this morning and couldn’t help but notice that she hasn’t eaten a single bite all day. Not even when we made a pitstop to grab Nora some nuggets and fries on the way to my place.
I shoot her a sideways glance.
That ends now.
Callie needs to take better care of herself. The woman should be eating well and getting enough sleep. She can’t keep running on fumes.
What she deserves is a man who will put her first.
Every damn time.
Every damn day.
Little does she know that she’s found one.
She might not think there’s a difference between me and her ex, but I’m going to show her exactly how wrong she is about that assumption. Zane and I are nothing alike.
Maybe early in my career, I let the fame and money go to my head. I hung around with players who made headlines every time they stepped onto the ice or walked into a club. It didn’t take long for me to straighten myself out.
All right, fine… if you want to get technical, my twin sister, Willow, might’ve had a hand in knocking some sense into my head. Getting to be a good role model for my niece and nephew were just the icing on the cake.