Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
He lets the dress fall once it’s unzipped, and I’m there, in nothing but my bra and panties, holding my breath and praying that he doesn’t do anything, because I’m not entirely sure I’m strong enough to stop him. Or even if I want to after what Delilah did today. Yet, I’m better than her, I’m so much better than her. I’m not scum.
Hugh’s fingers trail over my shoulders and my skin breaks out in tiny bumps, my body reacting way too quickly to him. I close my eyes as he steps forward, his big, hard body pressing against my back as he leans down, his hot breath tickling my neck. I can’t do this. I want to, god, I want to so damned bad. But I can’t.
“Hugh,” I whisper. “I can’t.”
He pauses, his mouth right near my neck.
He exhales and leans down, pressing the longest, most gentle kiss I’ve ever received on my flesh before murmuring, “You’re makin’ this hard for me.”
I take a step forward, and turn slowly, my arms crossed over my chest. “Then I should leave. I can’t be the reason you two don’t work.”
“Trust me, you ain’t the reason. And you’re not leavin’, Star loves you and, regardless of what happens between Delilah and me, I need a nanny. Stay.”
Stay.
Stay.
I stare at him, and his eyes never once move from mine.
“Staying is dangerous,” I whisper.
“Need you, Maggie.”
God dammit.
Star starts stirring, snapping me from the moment. I turn quickly, because if I look at him for a second longer, I’ll break, and I can’t afford to break. I grab an oversized shirt I sleep in, pulling it on, and then I lean down and pick up Star, gently bouncing her as I walk out of the room.
“I’m going to put her down,” I say softly.
Hugh follows me.
I feed Star and then put her down to sleep before walking out of the house and back toward my room. Hugh stops me just past the door, his hand on my arm. “Know you’re still hurt about what happened today. Anything like that ever happens again, you tell me. We clear?”
I nod, and then walk in, shutting the door behind me.
I exhale, close my eyes, and sit on my bed.
I’m about to climb into the shower when my phone rings and I see an unknown number flash on the screen. I know exactly who it is. I don’t need this today. I don’t need Dion and his crap. I just need all the assholes in the world to leave me the hell alone. I wish they’d understand when I say I don’t want to be around them.
I hang up on the call, but it rings again.
Frustrated, I answer. “What, Dion?”
“Maggie, beautiful, what’s wrong?”
What’s wrong?
He can’t be serious.
“What’s wrong is you’re calling me and I told you not to.”
“Not this again. I thought we went through this?”
“We did. I told you it’s over. You’re still calling, why?”
“You sound upset, what’s going on?”
“Dion, I can’t deal with this right now, please.”
“Baby, what’s the matter? You know I’m here. You know I’ve got you.”
When he talks like that, my emotions lose their shit.
I start to cry, today having way too big a toll on my sensitive little soul.
“Where are you, I’m coming over.”
“You can’t,” I sob.
“Maggie, where the hell are you?”
My weakness, the one I’ve fought for so long to keep chained down inside my soul, comes undone. I need someone right now. Someone familiar. And in my emotional state, that someone is Dion. I know, I know I shouldn’t go there, and everything inside me is screaming for me not to, but I can’t stop myself as my address flows from my lips.
“I’ll be there in five.”
The phone hangs up, and it’s only then I realize what I’ve done.
I cry harder, and then I snap out of it, swiping at my eyes as realization becomes more and more bright. I just fucked up. I promised myself that I’d stay away from Dion, that I wouldn’t be so weak, and I just gave him my address in one moment where I needed someone. I have to undo this.
I have to.
Yet something inside of me is horribly attached to that man, and it’s screaming at me to just let him come by, let him hold me, let him make me feel better.
Only I know he won’t. Deep down I know he won’t.
The battle in my mind is fierce.
I get changed and then go outside and around the front so it isn’t Hugh who answers the door when he arrives. A minute later, a truck pulls up on the side of the road and turns off. Dion gets out and starts walking toward me. All my pathetic attempts in the past to stay away from this man come rushing back in as I see him striding with such confidence, such arrogance, it makes my heart pound against my ribcage.