Total pages in book: 224
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
“We’ll go find her there,” I say, giving her a nod, and guiding Carrie in that direction.
We enter the room to find my sister, looking as blonde and beautiful as ever, standing next to Reese behind the granite island, a chocolate cake in front of them. “I say we cut it now,” Cat says. “Don’t you want cake?”
“I’d rather have you,” he says, at the same moment he looks up to find us entering. He clears his throat, alerting Cat to our company. “Reid,” he greets.
“Reid?” Cat asks, blinking as if she can’t believe she really sees me.
I urge Carrie forward again, my hand on her back as we step to the island. I’m across from Cat, and Carrie is across from Reese, who I look at now. “Happy birthday, man.”
“Thanks,” Reese says. “Glad to have you here and with a date.”
“This is—” I begin but Cat cuts me off.
“Carrie West,” she supplies.
“I told them about Carrie,” Gabe says, entering the kitchen and walking to the fridge.
“I’m a huge fan, Cat,” Carrie says. “And Reese. I’m following your case through her column. I missed today’s.”
Cat and Reese look at each other and laugh. “Today was—loaded. I don’t like the DA any more than Reid does.”
“What about the DA?”
Cole walks into the room and joins us at the endcap. “He’s a piece of shit,” I say, and then quickly introduce Carrie. “Cole, meet Carrie West. Carrie, this is Cole Brooks, Reese’s partner. His wife, Lori, works at the firm as well. Cole’s the one—”
“Who sued the DA and gave up the settlement. Congratulations on the settlement.”
“Thanks,” he says. “News conference Monday.”
“And I can’t wait to write about it,” Cat says as Lori, a pretty brunette, joins us.
“Reid,” she says, stepping to Cole’s side. “Thank you for kicking the DA’s ass.”
From there, we fall into conversation and Cat and Carrie end up on the opposite side of the island talking while Reese, Cole, and Lori stand with me, talking about the press conference. Somewhere in the process, I grab a whiskey sour from the bar, and Carrie ends up with a glass of champagne. We both munch on some sort of taco a waiter brings us, and while we both chat with other people at a distance, we catch each other’s eyes. I have never been as present with another person in my life.
“What about the cake?” Cat says. “We need to cut the cake.”
Cole is wrangled into carrying it to the living room to a special table that’s set up and everyone gathers around. “Birthday wish!” everyone shouts.
“That Cat gives me her birthday surprise she’s been teasing me with for weeks,” Reese says.
“After the party,” Cat says, linking her arm with his. “When we’re alone.”
“Everyone leave,” Reese calls out. “Party over. No, no, just kidding. Kind of. Everyone eat cake. My wife is going to give me my gift now. Lauren!” He grabs her where she stands next to him and places her in front of the cake. “Give the people cake.” He then scoops up my sister and starts walking.
Carrie laughs. “They seem very much in love.” Her eyes meet mine as they have so many times tonight, but never with the fierce awareness that pulls us together at this very moment.
Love.
Marriage.
Those two words are in the air between us and I cannot say that I have ever had them in the air with anyone else. And I know, I know in that moment that if I don’t stop this now, I’ll fall in love with Carrie. I know all the reasons that’s wrong and can’t work, and yet, I don’t want to stop.
I pull her to me. “Carrie—”
“Cake?”
We look up to have a waiter hand us each a plate. I stroke Carrie’s hair behind her ear. “Later.”
“Later,” she whispers.
We both accept a plate, and neither of us are shy about digging in. “I love Cat,” Carrie says. “And Lori, too, but Cat, just—we connect. Really connect.”
I reach up and wipe chocolate from her lip and lick it from my finger the way I’m going to lick her tonight. She seems to read my thoughts, pink flushing her cheeks in one of her demure moments, which contrast the many bold. I’m hot and hard, and ready to get her out of here when Cat and Reese return and Gabe steps to our side.
“What do you think?” he asks. “Was the gift what we think it was?”
Reese is now standing behind Cat, arm around her hip, hand on her belly. “Look at his hand,” I say. “Yes. She is.”
“Pregnant?” Carrie asks.
We both look at her. “How did you guess that?” Gabe asks.
“A gut feeling,” Carrie says, “But the hand on her belly, on top of the fact that she refused champagne, also makes it a good guess.”
It’s right then that Cat catches our attention and motions us to the kitchen. “We’re about to confirm,” I say.