Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44902 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44902 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Keegan.” I swallow, staring at him intently. “Do you–?”
“We’re moving to my place today,” he interrupts before I can ask if he blames himself for the MC getting their hands on me.
The question flees my mind as I stare at him with wide eyes, panic coursing through me. “Y-your place?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Where it’ll be just…us?”
“Yep.”
I gulp, my heart hammering. “Isn’t it safer here? Maybe we should just stay. I’ll even stop complaining about the gifts…”
Keegan narrows his eyes on me as if he sees right through my weak defenses and protests. But he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he paces toward the crib he put together for Lily and carefully places her inside before cranking her mobile.
When he turns back to me, I’m caught between fleeing and falling at his feet. That look in his eyes—like he’s ready to eat me alive—is deadly.
“We’re moving to my place, Landry.”
I break his gaze, shuffling toward the bags he dropped on the chaise to poke through them. They’re full of more clothes for me and Lily.
His hand on my shoulder has me jumping out of my skin.
I quickly spin away, grabbing for the bags like they’re a lifeline. “I’m just going to put these away.”
“No.” He gently pries them from my hands. Clothes scatter all across the floor, but he doesn’t even look at them. His eyes are locked on my face as he steps over them, stalking toward me.
And I do exactly what I shouldn’t.
I back away.
His eyes darken as he stalks closer, a dangerous growl rumbling in his throat. I’m running again, and he knows it. But I can’t help myself, either. If he gets his hands on me…well, I’ll beg him to keep them there. I’ll spill all of my secrets, all of my fears. I’ll break for him.
I want to break for him so damn bad.
My knees hit the bed and I fall backward onto it.
He doesn’t even hesitate before crawling over me. I whimper, heat flowing through me as he pins me beneath him like I’m prey. After two years of being hunted, I should hate that, but it’s different with him. It’s always different with him.
I’m not afraid of him—not physically. But if anyone in this world has the power to break me into pieces, it’s him. It won’t take his strength to do it, either. It’s his love. It’s him and the way he cares for me. It’s the way he loves our daughter.
Fear, I understand. I’ve lived it most of my life. But love? That’s new. And it’s more terrifying than anything I’ve ever experienced. Because love means having something to lose. So long as I didn’t have that, Garrick couldn’t really hurt me. But now? With Keegan and Lily? He could destroy me entirely.
And I’m helpless to stop it.
“Why are you icing me out, sweetness?” Keegan asks.
“I’m not,” I lie.
“Yeah, you are,” he grunts. “You barely look at me. You get skittish every time I touch you. You talk to my sister and Samara more than you talk to me. You use Lily like a shield, keeping her between us like you’re fucking terrified what’ll happen if she isn’t there to keep me at bay. Why?”
He's right, damn him. I’ve spent the last five days doing all of that.
“I’m afraid,” I blurt.
“Of me?”
“No!”
“Then why? What are you so afraid of, baby?”
I bite my tongue, trying to battle back the truth hovering on the tip of my tongue. I’m afraid to let myself be loved. I’m afraid to need him. I’m afraid every damn minute of the day because he’s becoming vital to me…the one thing on this planet that could break me.
“Tell me,” he growls.
I shake my head desperately, denying him.
But Keegan doesn’t play fair. He doesn’t play by any predefined rules. He breaks them all and makes his own. His hands land against my stomach, his eyes locked on mine. A whimper climbs up my throat as he slowly tugs the fabric up my body, running those big, calloused hands all over me.
Just feeling his skin against mine is electric. His touch slowly erodes my defenses, sending them crumbling bit by bit.
“Lily,” I gasp, clinging to her like a shield again.
“Is already asleep,” he says, his voice softer. “Tell me.”
“I’m afraid to let myself love you!” I cry desperately, my heart tangled in knots as the truth bursts from my lips in a ragged exhale.
He groans, his hands trembling against my ribcage as he leans down, slowly, so damn slowly, and brushes his lips against mine. “It’s already too goddamn late for that, Landry baby,” he whispers. “I know you love me. I see it every time you look at me.”
I whimper because he’s right. It is too late. It was too late a year ago. And every minute since I’ve been here, I’ve just been fighting the inevitable, trying to deny a reality that won’t change. I love him. So damn much it’s terrifying.