Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
I watched the emotion in her eyes and felt powerless to resist it. She didn’t just want me for sex. She wanted us to be a family before the third member arrived. But there was no way I could sleep beside her without taking off my clothes and making love to her between the sheets.
It sounded like a nice picture…until I had to go home and be alone.
“So, you can stay here, or I can stay there. What’s it gonna be?”
When she got like this, I knew there was no arguing. Besides, I didn’t want to upset her when she was already so big, she was about to blow. I wanted her to be calm and relaxed, and if I was what made her calm, then so be it. “Alright.”
She visibly relaxed.
“But what about your mom?”
“What about her?”
“You don’t think that’s awkward?”
“I don’t care if it’s awkward. She lives with me, I don’t live with her. So, she can deal with it.”
I’d prefer if we had more privacy, but Sofia probably would be more comfortable here than at the hotel, so I dropped my reservations. “Alright. I’ll get my stuff, and I’ll be back.”
“Good.” She walked to the front door and opened it again. “Hurry.”
With my bag over my shoulder, I returned to the front door with hesitation in my veins. I knew I shouldn’t do this, but I couldn’t walk away either. When I got sucked into this beautiful connection again, it would just make it a million times harder to go back to my broken life. A few weeks of bliss would pass quickly, and then I would be back with Maddox, sitting across from him and trying to understand who he really was. That was my life now. This was just a glimpse…a dream of what I could have if things were different.
If I were a better man.
The door opened, and Sofia stood there, her eyes immediately going to my bag to make sure I’d followed directions. When it was clear I’d obeyed, she stepped aside and let me in.
I entered her large home and noticed all the old furniture that used to be in her house back in Florence before we got married. It was a nice place, just a little closer to the street than I would prefer. But it was near her work and a good school, so it was a nice spot for Andrew.
Sofia shut the door behind me then faced me. “Thank you.”
She had no idea what I was about to put myself through. If she really understood the depth of this torture, she would never ask such a thing. I’d never considered telling her the truth about the gypsy and the curse. It seemed too ridiculous. But sometimes, I wanted to cave…and hope she would believe me.
Just when we were about to take the stairs, Maria appeared in the hallway. Her eyes moved quickly, spotting the bag in my hand and the tense expression on my face. A smile immediately emerged, and she moved toward me with genuine affection in her eyes. She was always kind to me, even a little clingy, so I knew her enthusiasm was real. “Hades, it’s so nice to see you.” She moved into my chest and hugged me, held me the way a mother held a child. There was a tight squeeze, and when she pulled away, that smile was still there. “I hope you’ll be staying with us for a while.”
She’d annoyed me in the past because she smothered me with her attention, but seeing her was actually nice…made me feel less lonely. “I’ll be here until Andrew gets here. Don’t want to miss anything.”
Her eyes softened. “You’re going to be a good father.” She squeezed my arm before she excused herself.
Sofia watched her go before she turned back to me.
I knew we were having a son together, but it hit me hard that we were having a baby. I was about to be a father. I was about to be in charge of a whole other being. It wasn’t just a son, but a boy who would be named after me.
Now, I felt so ashamed that I’d ever taken out the revolver.
What kind of man was I?
Sofia studied my gaze. “Are you okay?”
Not in the least. Just a few weeks ago, I’d considered suicide. But if I didn’t take that way out, what choice did I have? I would be tortured every day until I was lucky enough to leave this earth. I wanted to be there for my son always…but could I?
“Hades?”
My eyes flicked back to hers. “Yeah…just excited for Andrew.”
The last time I was in her bedroom, we were naked and doing what we did best. I hadn’t had the opportunity to appreciate her bedroom, to notice her things in the space. There were paintings on the wall and a couple necklaces on the dresser. I carried my bag inside and put it on the armchair near the window.