Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
She sat up. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe we should talk.”
He didn’t want to talk. He wanted to find a way to use all the adrenaline that had coursed through his body. “We’ve had a stressful morning. If we talk, we’ll likely argue. I know we’re due a really good argument and we’ll have it, but can we have some peace for now?”
Her hand came up to brush his jaw and she stared in his eyes for a moment as though trying to figure out what to say. Or how honest to be. “I don’t want to fall in love with you again.”
When she looked at him like that he remembered what it felt like to like himself. “You never fell out.”
She’d chased after him and he’d treated her like crap. He’d been angry and felt betrayed, but hadn’t he owed her more?
“But I wish I had because I think you’ll break my heart again. I worry I won’t be able to put it back together. If you break it this time, it’ll die.”
He seriously doubted that. Her heart was a mighty thing. “If it helps, I don’t think I ever truly fell out of love with you.”
“You did a good job of convincing everyone.”
He actually chuckled at the thought. Maybe he’d convinced her, but he hadn’t convinced a lot of the people who knew him. Now that he was here with her, he had to wonder how much he’d fooled himself. “Did I? I think I was good at focusing my anger on you. I know we need to talk about it, but I’m tired. I don’t want to hash it out. I want to pretend like it didn’t happen for one afternoon.”
“But it did happen, and what do I do if you can’t forgive me?”
He asked the only question he could. “Did you mean to get my brother killed?”
She frowned up at him. “Of course not.”
“You were young and arrogant.” He’d had years to think about it and he’d come to this conclusion. “You thought you could prove you knew more than I did.”
She’d always been competitive. Even with him when it came to the job. She could be reckless. At least she had been back then. And she’d had a deep desire to prove that she wasn’t merely the rich girl in the group. She’d wanted to belong, and that had led to a tragedy. Did he have to be angry with her for the rest of his life?
She sighed. “You’re right. I don’t want to fight either.”
She would probably never admit why she hadn’t followed his advice that day, and he might have to live with it. He didn’t know what was going to happen when they got out of this place, but he knew what he wanted while they were here. He wanted her. He needed this time with her without the influence of anyone else. It was the two of them for now, and maybe that was what it would take to rebuild their relationship. “Then kiss me.”
She only hesitated for a moment and then she raised her lips to his.
He stood up, lifted her into his arms, and carried her to the bedroom. Levi wasn’t going to occupy another second of his time.
But later that night, after he’d finished spending the whole afternoon with her, Levi showed him that he would not be denied.
* * * *
Kim glanced at the clock and wondered how long it would be before the light came on and they could go downstairs and play. The club wasn’t open this evening according to Rene, but he worked out of an office upstairs and had a late call. Outside it would already be dark and the city would be bustling with couples going out to dinner and workers heading home. Her own apartment wasn’t far from here, and the lights would have come on. They were on a timer connected to the security system. The soft lights would be on and anyone who didn’t know better would think there was a family inside.
She wanted to walk outside with Beck’s hand in hers. The last time they’d been in Paris together they’d only been married for a few weeks. They’d taken a long weekend and stayed at the tiny flat she kept near the Louvre. They’d walked the length of the Tuileries Garden and talked about the future.
It was fitting they were here again. Starting again.
She moved out of the bedroom where she’d been making some notes about dates and places she could remember. Putting together her schedule from years before would be a hard task, but she was determined in a way she hadn’t been before. Being with Beck made her want a future more than she had in years. She realized now that she’d been drifting. It was good to want again.