Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
“No.” Seth’s answer was swift and firm. “My family. My problem.”
“And it’s our future. Seth—”
“You want to help, I know. I appreciate it. But—”
“A stronger, more united front might be more persuasive. If Grace sees how much we love Heavenly, how happy she is and how much she needs us both—”
“Mom will feel ambushed. She’ll get defensive.” Seth’s gaze dropped to Heavenly sleeping between them, his fingers brushing a curl back from her face. “And in case Mom loses her temper and says something…cruel, I don’t want Heavenly anywhere she might hear. She would die if Mom thought less of her.” His voice roughened. “I won’t put our girl through that.”
Beck hated it, but he couldn’t disagree. Protecting Heavenly came first.
“Besides, I have to consider Hudson,” Seth added. “If this turns ugly, I don’t want him overhearing that. He’s been through enough upheaval. Better to get him on a plane, back to his routine, before I detonate my mother’s world.”
Not to mention your own.
But the quiet conviction in Seth’s voice was unshakable. He’d decided, thought it through from every angle. By every standard Beck could see, Seth was prepared to face the consequences.
“All right. But if you change your mind—”
“I won’t.” Seth’s expression showed nothing but steely determination. “Thanks, but my mind’s made up.”
But Beck also saw the flicker of fear Seth was trying so hard to hide. This was going to cost him. Maybe everything. And he felt a little guilty that he’d pushed to make this happen on his timetable, not Seth’s.
They fell silent then, the weight of the coming storm settled over him like a heavy blanket—and it wasn’t even his mother.
He tightened his hold on Heavenly. Whatever happened Monday, Beck vowed to stand beside him and pick up the radioactive pieces if Grace Cooper’s reaction turned nuclear.
A handful of minutes passed in contemplative silence. He pressed close to Heavenly’s warmth and breathed her in.
Beck knew he should go, slip back across the hall while the house was silent and everyone still slept. Every minute he stayed increased the risk of someone waking up—Grace padding down the hall early with pre-wedding excitement or Carl fetching a glass of water.
But Beck couldn’t make himself move just yet.
Heavenly slept against him, her breathing deep and even. Leaving meant crawling back into that cold, empty guest bed, lying there alone, staring at the ceiling for hours, and counting down until he could see her again. Not that he could touch her.
Beck jackknifed up. “I should go.”
Seth shook his head in the darkness. “Stay. Just a little longer.”
“You sure?”
“No one will be up for a few hours.” Seth’s hand rested on Heavenly’s hip, his thumb moving in slow circles. “And if she wakes up and you’re gone, she might not settle again.”
The big guy had a point. Guilty relief flooded Beck’s chest. “True. I’ll stay for a few minutes.”
He settled deeper into the mattress, careful not to jostle Heavenly.
But a few minutes stretched to ten. Then fifteen.
Her sleep-soft body against his, the steady rhythm of Seth’s breathing, the quiet darkness wrapping around them like a cocoon—it all felt like home. It conspired to pull him under.
His eyes grew heavy. He’d just rest them for a moment...
Beck’s last conscious thought was that he needed to get up. Cross the hall. Get back to his own bed.
His body had other ideas.
Beck didn’t know how much time had passed when he jolted awake. He was still tangled up with Heavenly, her back pressed against his chest, his arm draped over her waist. He opened his eyes and scanned the dark room. Seth lay against her, his breathing deep and steady.
Beck’s heart hammered against his ribs. Shit. What fucking time was it?
His gaze snapped to the clock on the nightstand. 5:07 a.m.
Son of a bitch.
He hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He meant to slip back to his room hours ago, not spend the entire night in Seth’s bed like some kind of idiot courting an avoidable disaster.
Wincing, he pressed a kiss to Heavenly’s forehead—soft, lingering, trying to memorize the feel of her skin against his lips. Then he started extracting himself from her warmth.
On the far side of the bed, Seth stirred and opened his eyes.
“Sorry,” Beck mouthed. “I’ll go.”
“Tonight,” Seth whispered. “Mom and Carl will be gone.”
Beck grinned. “Then we’ll have our little girl all to ourselves.”
Seth’s mouth curled up. “Exactly.”
Looking forward to that, Beck eased out of bed, his insistent cock pressing against his sweatpants. Hours wrapped around Heavenly without being able to do a damn thing about it had left him aching and frustrated.
He wasn’t angry at Seth. He understood why it was necessary now. He was beyond ready to stop sleeping in separate rooms like they had something to be ashamed of.
Tiptoeing across the floor, Beck reached the door. He raked a hand through his mussed hair, trying to look less like a man who’d just spent the night in someone else’s bed. Then, hand on the knob, he took a breath and listened.