Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
We sit on cozy chairs in the library, and I close my eyes for a second to breathe in the scent of books. “This is lovely. I’m not a very fast reader, but I love them. The smell is one of my favorite parts.”
Valentina settles back on a pillow and props her feet up on the coffee table. “I love this room. I’d love it more now if this tiny person would get the fuck out of me, and I could sit comfortably on any furniture in the penthouse. You should see my bed; we are swimming in pillows I use to keep things propped and padded.”
I stare at her belly for a moment. “How are things going with that? The doctor says things will be all right? When are you due?”
“Not for another month, but I feel like I’m as big as a house, so I want it to be now. I’d super love to see my feet again and be able to bend over. My only consolation is that Adrian finds my pregnant state super sexy, which means…” She blushes. “Well, I’m sure you can imagine.”
I shift on the seat. Just as I’m about to ask her what I came to ask, the door opens, and a small man brings a tray with tea and coffee.
Val shifts over but then sinks back into the chair. “Thank you, Max. We’ve got it from here.”
The man—Max—nods once and leaves, closing the door behind him. I wonder what it’s like to have a servant to wait on your every need.
Instead of dwelling, I pour a cup of tea for her, and she balances it on her belly.
With my coffee on my lap, I swallow hard and stare at my feet. “What do you know about Ivan?”
Val studies me. “Why do you ask?”
Another wave of worry hits. Of course, she’d be suspicious. She doesn’t know me or my motivations. So maybe it will help to lay my cards on the table. “I love him. I’m ridiculously in love with him. But he’s not letting me in. When I think we’ve made progress, it’s like the next day, we go backward.”
Val snorts. “That’s not an Ivan thing. That’s a man who grew up in this twisted society thing. All these men are emotionally unavailable.”
I wave at the door. “You seem to have done all right.”
“My relationship started the same as everyone else’s…me running for my life, and Adrian deciding he wanted me instead. That’s how these guys seem to operate.”
I smile. “What about Andrea?”
She shrugs and sips her tea gingerly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the same. She’d probably pick a guy, knock him out, and drag him back to her bed. I suspect he won’t mind when he wakes up, but still.”
Chuckling into my coffee, I relax for the first time since I arrived. “Anything that can help?”
Val shifts uncomfortably. “I mean… of the five, he is probably the one person I know the least about. He keeps to himself. He gets angry a lot but still seems to be able to control himself, which makes him better than most of the men I’ve met in my life.”
“Mine too,” I murmur.
After that, we sit in silence for a moment, drinking. I grab a small shortbread cookie off the tray. Of course, it’s perfect.
I’m lost in thought when Val speaks again. “What are you going to do?”
Blinking, I shake my head. “I suppose I have to tell him. I don’t think he will care, or he might try to push me away sooner. I honestly have no idea.”
“You should tell him. He deserves to know. Even if he doesn’t feel the same way, you will at least know the truth and can stop obsessing over it. Although, if I’m being honest, I’ve never seen him look so happy as the day you married. There was some kind of peace etched into his features that I’d never seen before. I think he cares for you and shows it in other ways that aren’t words.”
I nod, squaring my shoulders. “You’re right. I should just tell him. Get it out of the way, and stop stressing about it.”
She raises her teacup to me. “To love.”
I don’t toast to that. So far, love is the worst. “I’ll tell him,” I repeat to myself.
“Tell me what?” Ivan’s deep voice rumbles through me like a slow rockslide. Fucking hell.
I place my cup on the table. “Nothing, we are just having some girl talk.”
Val lumbers upward. “Right. Periods, pads, girl things.”
He narrows his eyes at her. “Unlike the pussies you seem to have met before, I have no fear of your biological functions.”
Val chuckles and then groans. “I’ll leave you two kids alone. It’s past my nap time. Adrian will hunt me down soon if I’m not in bed resting.”