Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
My brow furrows. “Your publicist?”
“Yeah.”
“Why aren’t you answering her calls?”
He chuckles. “I don’t know.”
“Renn, talk to me.”
“I really don’t know. I’m pissed at her for taking my dad’s calls. I’m tired of hearing the same shit.” He blows out a hasty breath. “I get that I have a reputation for being a troublemaker, and God knows I perpetuate that. But everyone seems to think that means I’m incapable of making my own decisions, and it eats away at me after a while.”
There’s a vulnerability in his voice, a rawness that eats away at my heart.
“I’d like to tear my father a new asshole,” he says. “That’s what I’d like to do. The man doesn’t care about me, anyway. He’s only concerned about how I impact his public persona. And Frances—she cares about the paycheck. There’s no loyalty to me. Sometimes, that bothers me more than it should.”
“I think it should bother you,” I say carefully. “No one likes to be surrounded by people who don’t value them for who they are, Renn. This isn’t a you problem. You’re not wrong.”
“It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m stuck in this role of being the bad boy. It sells tickets. It pays bills. Even if the league reprimands me for my behavior, they win. They’re in the papers. There are new eyes on the sport.”
I squeeze his thighs. Oh, Renn. “You feel like everyone uses you.”
“Yeah. I guess I do.”
My chest constricts at the hollowness of his voice. It’s a sound I can’t take—not from a man who I know doesn’t deserve it.
“Let’s post something on Social,” I say, hoping he takes my suggestion correctly.
“Like what?”
I hold my hand out and inspect my beyond-beautiful wedding ring. “Please keep it. I bought it for you. I hoped you’d like it.”
The pride on his face, the tentative hopefulness in his words that I would appreciate his efforts, sweep through my mind. And I do.
Let’s show the world I’m on your side, Renn Brewer.
I wiggle my fingers. “Well, a picture of this gorgeous ring with the bubbles in the background would be nice.”
“True. I wouldn’t have bought that if our marriage wasn’t real, right?”
A sad smile slips over my lips. “Right.”
He leans over the edge of the tub and grabs his phone.
He takes my hand and moves it around until he finds an angle he likes. It has the bubble bath, wineglasses, and the moon in the background. Click!
“Let me see,” I say, peering at the screen. “Oh, that’s a good one. Look at how pretty it is. The light is hitting the ring perfectly.”
He holds his phone in front of me and opens his Social app. He clicks the search bar, types my name in, and follows me.
“Ooh,” I say, teasing him. “I get a follow and don’t even have to pay you.”
“I’m taking it out of your ass later.”
“Why wait?”
He shakes his head, his chuckle making me smile, as he returns to his profile. The picture is uploaded. His fingers fly across the keyboard. The biggest win of all time. He tags me, hits post, and then closes the app.
I nestle against him, pressing a kiss to his chest. “That was a nice caption.”
“I’ve been thinking about it all evening.”
A giggle escapes my lips. “You’ve been thinking about a social media caption all evening?”
“No. I’ve been thinking about how true that statement really is.”
I lean up and turn to look at him. His eyes sparkle.
“If we have to cut this honeymoon short, I only have one request,” I say.
“What is it?”
“I want to come in every room of this house.”
He palms the back of my head and brings my mouth to his, grinning. “Your request is granted.”
And it was … over and over again.
CHAPTER 17
Renn
Blakely’s soft breathing fills the air.
I stopped being able to feel my left arm an hour ago, but I can’t force myself to move. Her head is curled in the bend of my arm with her face against my chest. An arm is draped over me and one of her legs is thrown over mine like she’s afraid I might get up.
Little does she know that if I could press pause on this night and stay here forever, I would.
My affection for this woman has only grown since we’ve been here—since we got married. I expected to grow frustrated or bored with her like I typically do after being with someone for more than a day or two. But with Blakely, it’s the opposite.
She’s kind and sweet. Funny as hell. Every time I’m inside her, it’s better than the time before. And that, in and of itself, is unsettling.
It kills me a little to leave Australia early. Here, we’re perfect. Once we go home, all hell could break loose, and life has a chance to wedge itself between us.
I quite like where we are. Glancing down, I brush a strand of hair off her cheek. I like it here a whole hell of a lot.