Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Sobering, she holds my face in her hand. “She soothes you. I think a part of you likes that you’ve tamed this wild, dangerous animal and that she practically purrs in your hand. She’s… kind of like your dog. Some people pet their dogs, you pet your snakes. Knowing what I know about you, that’s not terribly surprising.” Her eyes grow a little heated. “You like submissives, don’t you?”
I run my fingers through her hair. “You know I do. And yeah, baby. Thanks for that. I like having Princess with me. I like having you with me, too. How are you feeling today?”
“Oh, Lyam.” I blink in surprise when her eyes water. “You care? You’re asking me how I’m feeling? No one asks me how I’m feeling!” And then she starts crying, right then and there, actual fat tears streaming down her cheeks. I wipe away a tear with my thumb and stare at her.
“You’re crying because I asked you how you’re feeling?” I shake my head and hold her to me while her shoulders heave and she cries harder. “Sweet Cossie. Pretty girl. God, I had no idea.”
“Well. I mean, keep in mind these pregnancy hormones are gonna fuck me up.”
I smile into her mass of golden hair that’s all over me.
“I cry over everything. I was imagining our baby growing up and going away to college and I just sobbed. Like, would they ever even come home again?”
“Okay, so our baby isn’t even here yet. Maybe we can… table that fear for now?”
Jesus.
She nods and swipes at her eyes. “Good point. Okay, so I’m not feeling great. I need to pee, I want a shower, and I could eat a family dinner for four right about now.”
I give her ass a playful swat. “What do you want for breakfast?”
Ten minutes later she’s singing away in the shower and I’m waiting on a tray of croissants, fried eggs, and sliced apples. I sit in the quiet and listen to her. She doesn’t exactly have a stage voice, but that doesn’t stop her and I love that it doesn’t.
I place a call to the bakery again just in case. The baker assures me that he can get whatever she wants whenever she wants it and has specially prepared a new shipment of palmier. I smile to myself when I hear her hit a high note that’s way out of her range.
Fucking adorable.
I stretch and hit the floor. I haven’t been to the gym in a few days and I’m feeling it, but I don’t need a gym to stay in shape. On my hundredth push-up, my phone rings.
I grab the phone and lay on my back and start doing crunches. Thayer.
“Yeah?”
“Lyam, we’re in town. Can you and Cosette come to Maman’s later today?” Our family home, which is also our group headquarters, isn’t far from here. This will work out well. Maman will be absolutely thrilled when I tell her the news, and it will do Cosette good to hear it.
“When? I need to talk to Rousseau first.”
We make a plan to meet for lunch so I can have a chat with Rousseau after.
“Perfect.”
Cosette comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel just as a knock comes at the door.
“That’ll be our breakfast.” I frown at her. “Get back in that bathroom and shut the door.”
“What?” She looks down at herself in the towel.
“Cosette,” I say warningly.
“Alright, alright.” The bathroom door shuts with a bang and I go to get our food. Like hell I’m letting anyone else see her half-dressed.
I lay everything out on a little table by the balcony. They brought everything I wanted, even a small vase with pink carnations.
“You can come out now.”
The door opens and she stands there again in the fluffy bathrobe. I stare at her.
“How did you get even more beautiful overnight?” I ask in a low rumble.
She gives me a soft smile that lights her whole face up and tightens her robe. “Pregnancy glow?”
“Maybe. Lose the robe, baby.”
“Here we go,” she says on a laugh. “Explain to me why you don’t want someone on your staff seeing me in a robe but any skydiver out that balcony can see me naked?”
“Because no one will see you naked. That glass is one way.”
“Wow. That’s incredible.”
I shrug. “Sit. Eat. We’ve got a lot to do today.”
“Yes, Sir.”
I grumble. “Don’t look at me that way.”
“What way?”
“With that come hither face that makes me want to fuck you all over again. We don’t have time.”
She sips a steaming hot cup of coffee and grins at me over the top.
I can almost see her.
Waking up every day beside her.
Cosette, with our baby tucked up against her shoulder. Sitting in moonlight in a rocking chair. Singing her little songs in that voice of hers full of bravado and hope and so much joy.