Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
She was being ridiculous.
She’d known that she would see him at the wedding dinner rehearsal tonight. Lacey had made her swear that she’d come to the rehearsal and even though it had been hard, she’d known she had to do it.
Lacey had done so much for her. More than she would likely ever know. This was something small that Caren could do for her in return.
Her friend had always held onto her secrets. Lacey had listened when Caren had contacted her a while ago, even though she hadn’t heard from her in years. She’d taken her in when Caren had turned up on her doorstep seven months ago.
Seeing Travis today had stirred up old memories.
They can’t hurt you anymore.
You’re a grown woman not a scared little girl.
Caren forced herself to stand, and, turning, she locked the door. It had three deadbolts and was made of a thick wood. Her apartment was on the tenth floor and this building had a doorman.
Thankfully, Grammy’s money meant that she could afford to live somewhere like this. Her parents had tried to come for the money after her death, but Grammy’s Will had been ironclad. That was the first and only time her mother had attempted to contact her since she’d left when she a teenager. Probably wanting a share of the money.
Not happening.
Grammy left that money to her and she’d be upset if Caren let her parents have any of it.
They deserved nothing.
She hadn’t wanted to talk to that woman. She hadn’t felt strong enough back then.
And you are now?
She really wasn’t sure.
Moving into the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water with hands that shook. Her breathing was still too fast and the room was starting to spin slightly.
Breathe. Just breathe.
Her skin itched and she found herself scratching at it.
A shower. She needed to be clean.
Stop.
You don’t need a shower.
She should have stopped at the grocery store and stocked up. There wasn’t enough food in the apartment. What if something happened and she couldn’t go to the grocery store?
She was going to go hungry . . .
Stop.
Stop it.
There’s plenty of food. You’re not going to starve.
She took several sips of water, hoping that the coolness would clear her cluttered brain. What she really needed was a session. With her therapist or at the club. Going to the club was one of the few things that helped her keep focused and calm. That would wipe away all of the fear and worries that threatened to overwhelm her.
But the Twisted Thorn was off-limits to her while Travis was in town. No way did she want to go there and risk seeing him. She knew that he owned a club in New York. So she wouldn’t be visiting that one while she was there, either.
What she had to do was stay away from Travis Andrews. He wasn’t good for her stress levels. And they were something she really had to keep under control. She could go into dangerous situations where she had zero control over anything and stay calm and collected.
Yet she saw the guy that she’d had a crush on all those years ago and her blood pressure had skyrocketed.
Deep breaths.
She willed the shaking to stop, but her body wasn’t listening and the glass slipped from her hand, landing on the floor with a smash.
Shit!
Caren knew she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to pick the pieces up.
Leave it.
Instead, she walked over to the pantry and took stock of all the food in it. She wasn’t hungry. She didn’t need to eat.
She had this.
Although maybe she’d just sit on the floor in the pantry and keep watch over her food. Sitting, her eyelids grew heavy so she closed them and lay down.
Yeah, this was fine.
Maybe she would be living in the same city as him, but that didn’t mean anything. New York was huge. Plus, she wasn’t that skinny, scared, weird teenager anymore.
She was a woman with a successful career. She’d traveled the world. Been in terrifying situations and come out of them whole.
Yeah, she could handle living in the same city as Travis Andrews for a few months.
She hoped.
4
Travis stared at the woman across the table from him and wondered why the fuck he wasn’t attracted to her.
She was gorgeous.
Smart and successful.
She was also submissive in the bedroom. Although she’d made it clear from the start that her submissiveness didn’t go past the bedroom door.
Something he had thought he’d be okay with. But now . . . he wasn’t so sure.
Just like he wasn’t so sure about her.
Maybe it was because she was just . . . too polished.
Too perfect.
But wasn’t this what he wanted?
Someone who wouldn’t add to his stress. Someone who he could come home to after they’d had a normal day in a normal life. Where he wouldn’t have to constantly worry about them.