Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 163089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 815(@200wpm)___ 652(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 815(@200wpm)___ 652(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
“I mean, I’ve wanted to do it for a while, but I thought it’d be a nice way to wake up on your birthday.”
“It’s more than nice.” I lift my head and stroke my nose against his. “But don’t feel the pressure to give me a blowjob.”
“No pressure. I truly enjoyed it.” He rubs his erection on my lower stomach. “Expect to wake up with my mouth wrapped around your cock many times in the future.”
I chuckle. “Give me a second, and I’ll take care of that for you.”
“Mmm. This is enough for me.” He buries his head in my neck and wraps his arms around me.
It’s tight, but not as tight as a year ago. It’s more grounded, more like how Preston has come so far.
It’s not that he’s “fixed” now, but he’s much better at managing episodes instead of drowning in them.
Instead of becoming self-destructive, he’ll call and whisper, “I need a hug.”
To which I abandon everything to be by his side.
And when I hug him, he breathes with me instead of battling through the panic.
He’s no longer hallucinating Dr. Duret or Lenin and, instead, has this Dr. Fenwick, whom he tolerates but still bitches about on the regular.
Dr. Fenwick this and Dr. Fenwick that.
And because he’s stabilizing more, he’s on less destructive meds and no longer goes through the numbing drugs that Julian Callahan used to make for him.
A year ago today, I held him in my arms as he nearly bled out, but now, he’s snuggled in my embrace, breathing steadily, and so very alive.
It’s been only a year, but he’s come so far, I fully trust he’ll never be in that self-destructive mode again.
Not under my watch.
“You should go to practice,” he mumbles in my neck. “Hayes will drive you.”
“I don’t need a driver. Poor Hayes is bored out of his mind with the driving duties.”
“He’ll cope. Besides, you need some protection from those crazy fans, and Hayes is a trained professional. I swear if one of those fangirls tries to throw herself at you, I’ll be out with knives.”
I chuckle. “They already know I’m taken. I’ve said that a hundred times in interviews.”
“Doesn’t stop them, apparently.” He lifts his head. “The NHL sucks. Why do you have to be such a star?”
“You and Dad made it happen, remember?”
Last year, right after that game with the Vipers, I was drafted in what everyone called the top draft class. When the season ended, we moved to New York.
Preston is focusing on therapy and some family duties while being my personal trainer and personal chaos coordinator, as he calls himself.
He’s the boyfriend the team both fears and adores. We’re keeping our relationship mostly on the down-low, partly because of Vencor. For now, it has to remain a secret while the winds shift from the inside.
Kane and his uncle, Jude and his brother, and Preston and his uncle and father are all working on bringing down the ancient regime, so to speak.
It’s only a matter of time before they all go down.
Preston is confident they’re close. “Nothing can beat me and my bros! If only Julian and Serena would join, we’d be invincible.”
But until then, we’re not public. Only those close to us know, and truly, neither of us feels the need to publicize it.
I also don’t want him to be targeted by the superfans.
Not that I should be scared—he’s the menace, not them.
At any rate, this drafting deal had Preston and Dad written all over it.
Dad changed his mind and wants me to stay away from the Osborn drama. I have shares and dividends, but he said it’s not worth it to go against Serena.
And Serena is his favorite anyway. The whole show he put on about me being his heir was nothing more than trying to test her, make her stronger, or whatever they do in the Osborn witch coven.
Besides, they’ve been busy with a different offspring. The one I thought was blown up. Patient X is no longer Patient X. He’s alive and has a name. Cyrus.
Apparently, Serena has known for years. Maybe he was her bargaining chip against Dad. Maybe not. I’m not sure, and I don’t care.
I pulled myself from all that drama when I came to New York. My life is in this bed, with this man, not in the ruins of the Osborn name.
I used to think I wanted to destroy my dad, but I found something better while trying to do so.
But Preston is still pretty much part of the Vencor world, because, as he said, he loves the thrill, and a side of him still wants to make his dad proud. He also would never leave his “bros” Jude and Kane behind.
They’re grown adults. He can leave them behind just fine.
Yes, I’m still salty they were in his life when I wasn’t. I’m also grateful, because I know he would’ve self-destructed a long time ago if they hadn’t been there for him.