Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Every time I’ve trusted someone to stay, they found the nearest exit.
His eyes flash with heat, hurt, and maybe something darker before he drops to his knees in front of my chair. The movement stops me cold as I stare down at him.
“Our baby, Rina. Yours and mine.”
“Oliver…”
His hands slide up to grip my thighs, fingers firm but not punishing, as if he’s trying to anchor me in place.
“I will never let you do this alone. Not now. Not ever. I swear it.”
His voice cracks around the word never, and it hits me that this isn’t just about me. It’s about a man who values family above everything, who looks at the people he loves and sees something worth protecting.
It would be so easy to believe him.
To sink into the warmth filling his gaze, into the sheer force of his certainty.
But easy is dangerous.
Easy ends.
“You have no idea what you’re promising.” The brittle laugh that slips out sounds nothing like me. “How many relationships have you been involved in? Real ones.”
A stubborn light enters his eyes. “Why does that matter?”
“How many?”
He goes still, jaw working like he’s grinding down on a truth he doesn’t want to admit. “None.”
The response hangs between us for a second before something in me wilts.
“Exactly.” My hands fly up, palms open in exasperation. “You don’t even know what this takes. Or what it means.”
He leans in, the space between us shrinking until I can feel the heat of his breath feather across my skin. “All I can say is that none of them were you.”
Something sharp lodges in the middle of my throat. It’s so sudden, it’s almost painful. Because God help me, I want to believe him.
I want to believe in him.
The silence continues to stretch, taut as a wire, until the sudden buzz of my phone on the desk breaks it. The vibration rattles through the metal and then through me. I don’t have to peek at the screen to know what’s waiting.
Consequences.
The ones that end careers.
36
Oliver
Rina’s face drains of all color as she stares at her cell, fingers clenching around the slim device as if it’s the only thing keeping her upright. “It’s from Hugh. He wants to see me in his office.”
Even though she’s trying to hold herself together, her voice is small and tight, each syllable strung with tension. Barely restrained panic flickers in her eyes as her throat works around a hard swallow.
I reach out and gently slip the phone from her hands, setting it on the desk with deliberate care. “I’m coming with you.”
Her head snaps up, eyes flashing as she shoots me a hard look. “No. I can handle it myself.”
“The hell you will,” I growl, already pushing to my feet. “You’re not walking into that room without me at your side. We’re a team now, babe. You and me.”
Her lips part as if to argue, but I don’t give her the chance.
Instead, I reach for her hand, threading my fingers through hers. The contact is grounding. She resists just enough to make something pull tight in me before finally letting me guide her toward the door. Her hand trembles against my palm. It’s a quiet echo of everything she’s trying to hide, and only hardens my resolve to protect her at all costs.
We walk down the corridor in silence. She chews her bottom lip, worrying it until the delicate skin turns pale. I can almost see her thoughts spinning out of control, moving faster than she can catch them. Every part of me wants to stop, tip her chin up, and make her see she belongs with me.
That she’s safe.
But words won’t convince her.
Time will.
Actions will.
And when she’s ready to believe me, she’ll finally understand I meant everything I said.
As soon as we step into Hugh’s office, the atmosphere shifts. The space smells of rich leather and wood polish. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in muted light that glints off the bookcases. Evelyn is already here, poised with perfect composure on one of the worn leather chairs, her legs crossed elegantly to the side. Hugh sits behind his antique desk, tension drawn around his mouth as a storm brews in the furrow of his brow.
I guide Rina toward the nearest chair before settling beside her. Only then does my palm find her thigh. My grip isn’t hard, but it’s firm enough to hopefully steady her. When she shifts like she might pull away, I tighten my hold just a bit.
Not to restrain, but to remind her she’s not alone in this.
She wanted to keep us hidden.
And for a while, I played it her way.
But now that’s over.
As we sit in the team owner’s office with everything about to crumble, I’m done pretending.
Hugh steeples his fingers, elbows braced on the desk as his gaze flicks between us.
His expression gives nothing away. “Oliver, this is a surprise. I wasn’t expecting you to join us.”