Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 109976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Now I looked her in the eye and watched them widen. I wanted to say so much to her. To ask her why she didn’t leave, but now was not the time. “What did the cops say?” I changed the subject and gave her time to settle down again.
“They just wanted me to give them a timeline of sorts. And to ask if there was anything wrong in the marriage.”
“And was there?” She didn’t answer, which was answer enough in itself. I decided to save the rest of my questions for Marcus later on.
I helped her out of the elevator and with her hand still held firmly in mine, took her to my place overlooking the park. She stopped close to the door once we were inside, looking ready to bolt, before I took her hand again, pulling her along behind me.
I was stuck. Now that I had her here I didn’t know what to do first. In all my time imagining I never once thought up this scenario, that she’d be here after a night like the one she’d just had. What am I thinking? It’s easy; just take care of her needs.
I turned and looked down at her with all the love I’d kept hidden finally exposed for her to see. When the first tear fell from her eyes I pulled her into my arms and held her close with one hand gently holding her head, and the other around her waist keeping her in place. “Go ahead baby, let it out.”
She fisted the back of my jacket and cried her heart out with her face buried in my chest while I stood there feeling helpless. All I could offer was the comfort of my arms as her body shook uncontrollably.
“I was…so…so…scared.” Her voice broke on the words and she gripped me even tighter as she soaked my shirt. I closed my eyes and fought back the rage that threatened to escape. I wanted to plant my fist into something, but because I didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was, I reined it in and held it.
I was mad at her ex, and mad at myself for not getting her out of there before it came to this. “I’m sorry, I fucked up.” I rested my head on hers and rocked her comfortingly until the tears subsided and she all but wilted against me.
“No need to be afraid I won’t let anything happen to you.” I held her face between my hands and looked into her eyes. “Do you believe me?” She nodded her head after a while and this time it was she who leaned into me, resting her cheek on my chest. “Good girl!”
I don’t know how long we stood there but it was long enough for her tears to dry and the anger to leave my gut. “Why don’t I run you a bath to help you relax?” I didn’t wait for an answer, but instead led her upstairs and into my bedroom, leaving her there while I headed into the en suite bathroom to do just that.
I could’ve given her one of the two guestrooms for the night but why pretend? I’d waited all this time to have her with me and now that she’s finally here there’s no way I’m going to have her sleeping anywhere else but next to me.
I found my first smile and breathed easily again for the first time in hours as I stood stock still in the middle of the room. She’s here, she’s really fucking here. Those words kept repeating themselves over and over again in my head. I was almost in disbelief.
It isn’t a dream, not something I’m going to wake up from to face dreaded regret the way I always do when I awaken from a night spent in her arms in the dream world, this is real.
And now that the rush to get to her and make sure she was safe was over, a new reality was beginning to set in. I rubbed my hand over my heart where the pain of its erratic beating could be felt. What did I come in here for again? Oh yeah, to run her a bath.
I ran the water hot and added some aromatic bath salts before going back for her. She was standing right where I’d left her, still looking lost and I wondered how long it was going to take to get that look off her face. She’s too beautiful to look that worried about anything, especially in regards to the fucktard.
“Come.” I held out my hand and was pleased when she took it and allowed me to lead her into the bathroom. I grabbed a fresh towel from the cupboard and my robe from behind the door before leaving her to head back downstairs.