Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
“But you did say no to her,” Kai prompted.
“Yes. The woman she’s trying to set me up with seems wonderful, but I’m still in love with Kim. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone I date.”
“You can’t go the rest of your life without sex.”
He didn’t see why not. “I can take care of myself in this, Kai.” He did. Often. And every single time he closed his eyes and gripped his own cock, he saw her face, felt her arms around him. “I know you think I’m punishing myself, but I’ve moved past that. I’m making a decision to…I don’t know…hope. I’m making a conscious decision to have some faith that I’ll see her again, that I’ll get a third chance with her. I want to be ready for it.”
“And if she’s moved on?”
“If she’s happy and taken care of, I’ll walk away because she deserves that. But deep in my soul, I think she’s still as alone as I am.” They were soul mates. He was the one who’d broken the pact between them. “I can’t move on until I know she doesn’t need me, until I stand in front of her and apologize and tell her how much I love her. It doesn’t matter what she’s done in the time we’ve been apart. If she took a lover, I’ll hope she got what she needed out of it. I just need to know I did one thing right by her.”
Kai smiled. “And that is why I say you’ve come so far.”
There was a knock on the door, and it flew open a mere second later. Kori Ferguson rushed in, followed by three of the scruffiest dogs he’d ever seen. He’d spent a lot of time sitting and petting those mutts. Kori was Kai’s wife and ran the business side of the clinic they’d built up over the last decade. It had started with Kai in a single room connected to the club Sanctum. Over the years he’d added two more therapists, one who specialized in PTSD and one who ran family and marriage counseling. The Ferguson clinic worked directly with the VA to help Dallas veterans and their families get the help they needed. Kori ran the office and had a side business training therapy dogs.
“Kai, is Beck still…” She caught sight of him. “Good, you’re here. Big Tag’s been calling you.”
“Sorry. I don’t bring my cell phone into the therapy room.” It was the one hour a week that was strictly for him. If he was working out and someone needed him, he dropped the weights and got to work. Sleep could be disturbed. He didn’t even like days off and rarely took vacations, but this hour was sacred.
This was the hour when he felt like he was doing something that would make her proud.
“He wants you to get to the office as soon as possible. He told me to tell you that he knows you still have a couple of minutes with Kai, but he’s got news.” Kori was a bit breathless, her brown and gold hair in a curly halo around her head. “Do you think that means he’s found something?”
He was on his feet in a heartbeat. Tag knew how important this time was. There was only one reason he would interrupt this session. “He’s found her.”
He ran out the door.
* * * *
Fort Saint Angelo, Malta
Kim Solomon took a deep breath and looked out over the Mediterranean. It was late afternoon and in the distance she could see travelers boarding a cruise ship. They’d likely spent the day in Valletta, looking through the quaint shops or taking historical tours and learning a bit about the history of her tiny island home. The gateway to Europe. Sicily was a hundred miles to the north while Africa was three hours south and east.
And Dallas was roughly a full day’s flight away. And another world. Beck was in Dallas. She’d figured that out a year into her sojourn here. It had been a risk to go looking for him, even on the Internet, but she’d felt the need. He was working for Big Tag. Hopefully he was content.
She felt the late afternoon sun on her face as she looked down at the last of the tourists strolling over the ramparts of the fort. This was her favorite time of day because this was the time when she was reunited with the love of her life.
“You are waiting on the boy?”
She turned and smiled at the man who’d tolerated her presence for seven years. “Uncle Francis. You’re back. It’s good to see you again.”
He’d been at the Vatican for meetings for over a week. Her uncle, known in his order as Brother Francis Bruno, was in his early seventies but had the energy of a much younger man. He was THE knight of Malta, officially tasked with keeping the base here in Malta, though the actual order had moved to Rome decades before and now formed one of the smallest principalities in the world. Despite the hefty title of knight, Brother Francis preferred Bermuda shorts, Cuban shirts, and flip-flops. He would say that he could do God’s work while being comfortable. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on each cheek. “And you, darling girl. I’m glad to be back and away from all those Italian fuddy-duddies.”