Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
He would normally have left by now, but he couldn’t bring himself to move just yet. He swept a lazy hand up and down the slender, silky expanse of her back, fingers discovering the shallow indentations along her spine. The other was buried in her hair, protectively cupping the base of her skull.
He considered the events of the last couple of hours.
He wasn’t one for regrets. He owned his decisions and his actions. But his feelings about this development were ambivalent at best. This should not have happened. It was bound to complicate matters. It was an uncharacteristically stupid move. He’d never lived with any of his previous lovers, he wasn’t even sure how that would work.
He nuzzled the hair at her temple, enjoying the clean scent of her shampoo and the silky slide of her hair against his skin.
He should leave.
His arms tightened around her for a second, as if in protest of his decision, and then he painstakingly shifted her to the side. He winced when his half-mast cock slid from her pussy, and instantly yearned to be back inside of her snug, welcoming warmth.
He ruthlessly quashed that weak longing, and—once she was curled up on the dry side of the bed—didn’t allow himself a moment’s further hesitation.
He got up. And he left.
Without a backward glance.
Chapter
Eighteen
Waking up alone after the most remarkable night of her life, didn’t do much to dampen Fern’s spirits. Her body ached and throbbed in places she hadn’t previously known existed, and she desperately needed a shower… but she still thrummed with energy.
Everything about the night before had been wonderful. And yes, she was aware that for Cade it had about rectifying a mistake, appeasing his ego and showing her exactly how sex should be, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the knowing.
She was unable to contain her smile as she bounced out of bed—wincing only slightly when her much-abused muscles protested the movement—and padded her way to the bathroom. It was probably like that for him with every woman. That first time with her had been the terrible exception. She knew that. No wonder he’d been so appalled. She laughed at the memory of his horror upon discovering that her first experience with sex had been so bad. No wonder he’d felt honor bound to rectify that mistake.
She giggled, getting shampoo in her mouth, but she didn’t care. She felt ebullient, as if she could conquer the world today. She didn’t even care that Cade would likely revert to his non-verbal grumpy self today. She was just happy it had happened. And she had zero regrets.
Well, she did have one regret.
It could never happen again. She knew that. It was too intimate. And made her too vulnerable. Cade had shown her a different side to his personality last night. A gruffly tender, generous, almost playful side… and Fern was concerned that if she spent too much time with that guy, she’d lose herself very quickly.
That gentle, unguarded man was dangerous to her emotional well-being. She needed to protect her heart from him. Because it would be very on brand of her to fall in love with a man just because he was a considerate, generous lover. A man who would in no way ever find himself reciprocating whatever blown out of proportion feelings she’d developed for him.
That thought was the one that finally killed her bright smile. She was happy last night had happened and grateful she could take that experience into future relationships with her.
But it was all that could ever happen between her and Cade. They both knew that.
Cade had found himself unable to sleep after leaving Fern alone in her room five hours ago. Instead—feeling restless—he’d gone out for a run. After returning, he checked his emails and messages. Mitch—evidently eager to prove that he could manage without Cade’s supervision—had sent only a brief text informing him that the finalized Greenleaf contract had been emailed. Nothing more, nothing less. And aside from the actual email—which Mitch had cc’d him on—there was no other work correspondence.
That left Cade at loose ends for the rest of the morning.
He wished he’d taken the time to have some of his latest amateur horology projects boxed up and sent to this apartment, but he hadn’t expected to be here this long. He wouldn’t have minded the distraction of the vintage pocket watch restoration he’d been working on for the last few weeks. No point in having them sent now, he and Fern would be leaving here soon.
He made an energy boosting berry smoothie—setting some aside for Fern—and then retreated to the patio with the drink and his laptop.
He reclined on one of the loungers and did more reading on the physical and emotional changes and challenges pregnant women faced.
He was just learning about the disgustingly, but accurately, named—as he’d discovered thanks to some images he would never, ever be able to unsee—mucus plug, when his phone pinged.