Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Money always passed hands when it came to marriages, but he’d done no negotiation. He had married her because he wanted to.
He rubbed his eyes. The Zaitsev Bratva had taken so much from her. He’d not intended for this life to truly touch her. He hoped to keep her away from it, but there had only been so much he could do. Standing up, he made his way around the apartment, and blew out every single candle, wishing he’d been able to make it home. He stepped into the bedroom and Chloe was already curled up onto her side of the bed, looking completely out of it.
Roman took a quick shower, washing away the day, as well as the memory of what he’d done. Once he was clean, he dried his body and then walked into the bedroom. Climbing into bed, he stayed on his side, giving her some distance, but that was not how he could sleep, nor how he could settle.
Closing the distance, he slid a hand beneath her and guided her over toward him. She released a sigh and his name spilled from her lips. Gripping her hip, he waited for her to get settled and snuggle up against him and the moment she was, he felt his eyes start to close as peace finally settled over him.
****
Chloe threw up. She just couldn’t keep anything down. Yesterday she had felt incredibly weak. The sickness came in and out all day, and now, at four o’clock in the morning, she hadn’t been able to hold it back. Roman was still home, and he currently held her hair back.
“You’re pregnant,” he said.
“I’m not pregnant.” She held onto the toilet seat as the shivers wracked her body. “I’ll be fine. You might want to stand back in case you catch whatever this is.”
“Pregnant women have morning sickness.”
“Roman, this is not morning sickness. Women wake up and then vomit, they don’t wake up because they’re about to vomit.” She wrinkled her nose and hoped he didn’t answer her because the truth was, she didn’t make a whole lot of sense. She had no idea what the proper protocol was for pregnant women or morning sickness.
She and Roman hadn’t been using condoms and had been married for nearly three months. She hadn’t skipped her period, so she knew she wasn’t pregnant. Pressing her head to the edge of the toilet, she tried to take several deep breaths. Roman still held her hair and was rubbing her back.
“You’re soaking wet,” he said.
Yes, this was a bug. She didn’t know where she had caught it from. Possibly one of his nightclubs. They did go to one on Friday night. It was now Monday morning, and, well, she wasn’t feeling great.
“I can take care of it. You need to sleep, Roman. You’ve got work in the morning.” They had been able to settle into a strange routine. Roman took her to work with him most of the time. She loved to learn what he did on the legal side of things. So far, she didn’t have the first clue what any of his other work was like. He didn’t talk to her about the Bratva stuff, and she was thankful for that.
What didn’t help was the fact she was trying to fall out of love with him, not more in love with him. She wanted to hate him.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’ll be…” She didn’t get chance to finish as her vomit chose that moment to come right up. She made it over the toilet and started to heave.
“I’ve got you, baby. That’s it, bring it all up.”
She kept throwing up, until she was gagging and taking large, deep breaths. “Oh, God.”
Once again, her head was pressed to the toilet and the shivers started to take over.
“Roman, you need to leave.”
“Not happening.” He picked her up and she let out a squeal. He had moved her a little too fast, but she didn’t have to go far.
Roman stepped into the shower and turned on the water. He used his body as a guard, stopping the water from hitting her. She was already freezing cold. She didn’t know if she was going to be able to take much more of it.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
He kept saying that. She wanted to be angry with him, but it was the furthest thing from her mind.
“Roman…” He helped her under the warm water and this time, she moaned. She just couldn’t help it. She’d been so cold and now she felt so warm.
“You’re sick,” he said.
Chloe didn’t even have the energy to come back with a snarky comment. He held her up and her body felt like it weighed a ton. She probably did. Roman didn’t complain, not once.
“I’ve got you,” he said again.
Each time he said so, she felt a huge relief sweep over her body.