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)
I count to sixty.
Sixty full seconds before tiptoeing after them and pausing outside the doorway. I peek around the corner and find them sitting in the armchair. Nora is wrapped in a blanket and tucked into his lap. River’s voice is low and soothing as he reads Goodnight Moon, turning each page with care. Every so often, my daughter gazes up at him with eyes that are full of wonder, as if he’s her whole world.
And maybe he is.
It’s getting harder to keep telling myself he’s not.
I step back and swallow down the lump of emotion welling within me. My hand presses to the center of my chest, as if that’ll be enough to physically hold my unsettled feelings in place.
Unsure what to do with myself, I wander into River’s bedroom and pause just inside. My gaze drifts around the space, taking in the details, looking for clues as to who he really is.
I’m not sure if I know anymore.
He’s not the man I originally pegged him to be.
He’s deeper.
Gentler.
Kind in a way that feels effortless.
And when it comes to my daughter, he’s so patient and attentive, it brings tears to my eyes. If there’s a way past my defenses, it’s through her.
Whether he realizes it or not, every day he’s chipping away at the walls I’ve spent years building around myself. Not with big, dramatic gestures. But with quiet, consistent moments that sneak in when I’m not paying attention.
A silver-framed photo on the nightstand catches my eye, and I gravitate in that direction before picking it up and studying it. River’s with a beautiful blonde, both mid-laugh with their arms looped around each other. There’s no mistaking the resemblance. This must be his twin sister. She’s a delicate, more feminine version of him, with the same strong features and warm blue eyes.
Does she know he invited a woman and her toddler to shack up in his home?
Would she judge me for not being able to keep a roof over my daughter’s head?
Or think I’m a clout-chasing gold digger looking for a meal ticket?
I cringe at the thought, and gently set the photo back in its place before backing cautiously away.
In all likelihood, I won’t be here long enough for it to matter.
Still, the thought remains as I move toward the bathroom and close the door behind me. My gaze lands on the massive soaking tub in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. I can’t remember the last time I took a real bath.
Who has time for that with a small child, a business, and a never-ending mountain of responsibilities waiting for them?
Not this girl.
I tilt my head and listen for signs of Nora’s distress. Anything that’ll tell me I’m needed. That he’s not as capable of handling her as he’d assumed. A handful of seconds slip by, and still, the penthouse remains silent.
Peaceful.
I chew my lower lip as a silent war rages inside my head.
Duty versus exhaustion.
Just fifteen minutes.
That’s all I’ll allow myself.
If River needs me, he’ll figure out where I am.
Decision made, I turn the tap and begin filling the tub. The water steams as I strip off my clothes and slide into the heat, letting it cradle me. Once I relax against the smooth curve of the porcelain, it doesn’t take long for my eyelids to flutter shut and the tension in my shoulders to melt away.
For the first time in forever, I exhale.
It should feel like a release.
Instead, it feels like a trap.
I know better than to believe this break from reality will last. It’s just an interlude. A moment of quiet before everything changes again.
A knock at the door is what pulls me from the tangle of my thoughts. I sit up slightly as the water sloshes against the rim of the tub. “Yeah?”
The door creaks open and River steps inside with a glass of wine in his hand.
“Nora’s asleep,” he says quietly. “She didn’t even make it to the second book.”
His eyes find mine and stay locked there. As tempting as it is to cross my arms over my breasts, I don’t. Instead, I hold his steady gaze, letting him see me.
When I don’t ask him to leave, he closes the distance between us before setting the glass on the edge of the tub. “I thought you could use this. Do you need anything else?”
“No,” I murmur. “I’m good.”
The air between us grows heavy with something I can’t quite name.
River lingers. “Should I leave?”
It’s a fair question.
The kind that demands honesty.
It’s almost a shock to realize I don’t want him to go.
I shake my head once.
That’s all it takes for his eyes to darken. Now that I’ve given him permission, his gaze dips over my naked body. There’s nothing rushed or lewd about his silent appraisal. It’s the look of a man who is savoring something rare. Something he waited a long time to have and wasn’t sure he’d ever get.