Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
He nodded. “And one of my father’s clients who’d lost a shit ton of money because he refused to take valid advice to sell, broke in and killed her to get back at Dad.”
Charlotte gasped. “That’s awful! I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand.
“I tell myself I’m fine, that I don’t have any residual emotional scars, but seeing your brother was triggering. The man who killed my mom got hooked on meds after he lost everything. When he couldn’t get more benzos, he went to the street for drugs. He was high when he broke in.”
He ran a shaking hand over his face and it wasn’t a trembling one like her brother’s. No, she hadn’t missed that Dan was high, either.
“Dan isn’t okay and I don’t want him anywhere near you, the baby, or the twins.”
She opened then closed her mouth again. On the one hand, she completely understood where his concern was coming from. On the other… Dan was the only family she had in her life. “I wouldn’t let him near the girls. Ever. As for me, my brother wouldn’t hurt me.”
Jared’s frown turned into a fierce scowl. “But the men he owes money to would.”
She shivered at the prospect, acknowledging Jared had a point. But she was more concerned about his emotional torment. And she didn’t want his past to cause him pain because her brother brought back bad memories.
She sought to reassure him. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m in a building with a doorman.”
He blew out a breath and nodded. “It’s a start. Promise me you won’t give Dan full access? That he will have to call up each time he comes by and you can make a decision if seeing him is wise?”
“I promise,” she said, meeting his gaze. “And I’ll be careful. Dan usually shows up for money and disappears again for long periods of time. I’m the one who keeps hoping he’ll change. That he’ll come by just to see me or get sober and care about the girls.”
“Who he didn’t even ask about. He doesn’t know you’re pregnant?”
She shook her head. “There’s never been time to tell him.”
“Because it’s always about him,” Jared muttered.
“I know.” She dipped her head in acknowledgment. “I’m sorry this was all triggering for you.”
“It’s fine. I’m more worried about you.”
She leaned over and pressed her lips briefly to his. “Don’t be. I’ve got the situation under control.”
Nodding, he seemed to accept her at her word.
He placed his hand on the arm of the sofa, prepared to stand. “I hate to say this, but I need to get going. I have to stop home to shower and change for work.”
“Go on. Thank you again for last night.” Her body lit up at the memory of his hands on her skin, his cock inside her, and all the ways he took her hard and fast, leaving her completely satisfied.
“My pleasure,” he said, his voice gruff, and she sensed he was thinking about the same thing.
* * *
It took a while for Jared to shake off the effects of the morning. He took a hot shower and drank two cups of coffee before hitting work.
He walked into his office to find Brooke there waiting for him, an amused smirk on her face. Meeting his gaze, she tapped her Apple Watch. “Thirty minutes late, Mr. Sterling. That’s completely unlike you, so what gives?”
“You’re grinning like you already have the answer,” he said to the woman he’d moved up to vice president status at the company. It wasn’t her place to question his hours but she was talking as his friend, not his employee.
She sat on the edge of his desk while he unpacked his laptop and water bottle. “Well, you’re not the type of guy to spend all night with a woman during the week. Work is too important. On the other hand, you’re going to be a father and you have an obvious interest in your baby’s mother.”
He raised an eyebrow, grateful for the ability to stop thinking about the events of this morning. “How would you know that?”
She shrugged. “I know you well. If you weren’t into Charlie, you’d be a lot more shaken up by the idea of being a father.”
“Do you want to talk about what really happened between you and Aiden that makes things so awkward now?”
“Not really,” she said, her cheeks turning a healthy shade of red. “And touché.” She grinned at his non-subtle way of making his point. Good thing she wasn’t sensitive and understood him.
Both she and Aiden avoided all discussion about each other and their past, leaving Jared damned curious. Knowing he wouldn’t get answers, he focused on his own life.
And considering he’d just spent all night with Charlotte, and he’d admitted out loud that he had feelings for her, and this morning he’d felt completely protective, he wanted to sit with those feelings, and not discuss them. Not even with Brooke, who was like a sister to him.