Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 68576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
“I’m not trying to make things difficult,” I admitted.
He ran one hand through his hair.
“That’s the problem,” he admitted. “You don’t need me. You want me.”
“I don’t want you,” I lied.
His look showed me he didn’t believe me at all.
“I have no clue what I’m doing,” he admitted. “Every woman I’ve dated has been bad. I’ve had seven long-term girlfriends since high school, and every last one of them turned out to be nothing like I thought they were. I’m hesitant to believe what’s right in front of my eyes now.”
I bit my lip. “And what, exactly, is it that is right in front of your eyes?”
He straightened up. “My future. The woman I can see myself spending the rest of my life with.”
My breath caught.
“We need to take this slow. Not because I want to, but because I have a little boy to think about now,” he said. “And, sadly, I know that Sage and Emory aren’t done with us. I know this is about to be a shit storm of epic proportions, and I want you and me to be solid. We can’t let the two of them get in between us. I want this to work. I want this to be so fuckin’ solid that no matter what they throw at us, they can’t hurt what we have.”
I wilted at his words. “That…”
He moved farther into the room, his eyes on me.
He dropped down to his haunches in front of me before he said, “And I don’t want you thinking that the only reason I want you here with me is because I need a babysitter. I have about twenty of them if I really needed it. That’s why I’m gonna give that Montessori school a call in the morning and get him enrolled. That way, I can take him and drop him off. Then all you have to do is pick him up if one of the family isn’t already on the way home and can get him.”
Emotion welled in my throat. “Are you sure?”
He tilted my head up so my eyes could meet his.
What I saw there sent shivers down my spine.
“I’ll take it slow,” he admitted. “That way we don’t get ahead of ourselves.”
“What’s that mean?” I asked. “No, uh…”
“Sex?” he chuckled. “Yes, that means no sex… for now.”
“Until when?” I wondered.
“Until it’s time.” He stood. “Goodnight, Pepper.”
“Until when?” I repeated.
“You’ll know when.”
He closed the door softly behind him, and I spent the night wondering when I would know when it was time.
Which happened to be why I was awake three hours later when I heard the soft thump-thump that had my heart racing.
Grabbing my phone for light, I tiptoed out of the room and down the hall where I could hear the thumping.
When I shined my light into the open space of the living room and beyond that into the kitchen, I blinked at what I saw.
Atlas, in only underwear, was opening and closing the fridge.
Open. Thump. Close. Thump.
Over and over and over again.
Was this what he did when he sleepwalked?
I walked over to him and hurriedly flipped through the knowledge that I had of sleepwalkers which was a whole, whopping zero.
I think I’d seen in a movie once that you weren’t supposed to wake them up?
It was freaky seeing him in front of me, but not aware of his surroundings.
I gently caught his arm and steered him away from the fridge.
He went surprisingly easily, following behind me like a lost puppy just wanting to go home.
I led him into his room, straight to his bed, and gently pushed him over so that he’d get into the bed.
He did, falling face first into it. He dropped like a log and didn’t move.
I backed slowly away, though every single one of my instincts yelled at me to crawl into that bed beside him.
“Ugh,” I grumbled as I backed out of the room and gently closed the door. “Just, ugh.”
I’d just taken a step in the direction of my room, my phone still firmly in hand, when another thump-thump came from the living room.
I hastily shined my light into the corner of the living room and started shaking my head at what I saw.
There was little Forest, walking face first, into a wall.
What were the odds?
I guess with Atlas Carter and Forest Carter? The odds were high.
With Forest, I was able to pick him up and walk with him back to his room.
I didn’t fight the urge to stay in bed with him, however.
I curled up under the soft dinosaur blanket and held him for the rest of the night.
Being lied to really triggers the Michael Myers in me.
—Pepper’s secret thoughts
PEPPER
I peeled my eyes open and found a cute little face hovering over mine.
“Good morning,” I said to the little boy.
He grinned wide. “Hi.”
“You want to go wake up Daddy?” I asked.