Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 96833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“I’m gobsmacked that it happened on the first try.”
“Me, too.” She nodded. “It’s strange how we got the call right when you were talking about Britney, when we were looking at the photo. It makes me feel…like she was there.”
My chest tightened. “Perhaps.”
Silence hung in the air for a few moments.
“I know this is hard for you,” Abby added. “I didn’t expect you to be all that excited. You don’t have to pretend to feel a certain way for my sake. You have a right to feel anything you need to, even if that’s sadness right now.”
Abby didn’t give the impression she was saying things to appease me. I believed her words came from the heart. “You make it very difficult, you know.”
“Make what difficult?” she asked.
“Disliking you.”
“Have you been trying?”
“Maybe subconsciously. But there’s nothing not to like. You’re phenomenal. And I’m glad I made the right decision. I’m glad it’s you.”
Not sure what possessed me to be so honest, but she deserved it, especially after the way I’d handled things earlier.
“Well, thank you.” She looked like she might cry. “I’d hug you right now but…well…” She blushed.
I felt my body temperature rise. I’d been aware of the fact that she was stark naked under those suds without her having to remind me.
Fuck.
My dick moved, reminding me just how complicated this situation was—how I could go from fear to sadness to horniness in a matter of seconds.
“We’ll figure this out, Sig.” She reached out a delicate, soapy hand.
I took it. “I suppose we have time.” When I caught myself about to rub my thumb along her soft skin, I released her and stood. “I’d better let you get on with your bath.” But I didn’t move.
“I’m just going to be sitting here for a while. You don’t have to leave.” She scooped suds into the palm of her hand and blew, sending tiny bubbles in my direction.
Why is that so fucking hot? I didn’t want to leave. That was a problem.
This was going to be a very long nine months.
CHAPTER 18
* * *
Sig
Track 18: “Hey Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms
Even after two weeks, it didn’t feel any more real. Abby and I had immersed ourselves in our daily routines, the pregnancy not seeming to change much as of yet. In fact, it was fairly easy to pretend it wasn’t happening.
Abby had told me she was bored on the days she worked from home and much preferred to work in London. She’d asked to work in the office four days a week and be remote on Fridays only. As much as the idea of her being there stressed me out, I wasn’t going to stand in the way, if that’s what she wanted. I had no good reason to ask her to work from the inn.
She’d been taking a car every morning, but rather than calling her a ride in the evenings, I offered to drive her back to the inn most nights before returning to London. Since that was nearly three hours round trip, it got me back to my flat close to 9 PM.
One Thursday afternoon, I was in my office, just about ready to log out for the day when Abby called from her end of the building.
“What’s up?” I asked when I answered. “I was just about to go get the car.”
“That’s why I wanted to catch you. A bunch of people are going to the pub down the street after work.”
“And you’re telling me this because…”
“Well, I’m going. I wondered if maybe you wanted to join us.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Okay, then. Sean has offered to give me a ride back to Westfordshire, so I won’t need to call a car.”
Sean? Another fuckboy from the office. My blood pressure spiked. “He’s going to be drinking and then driving you back?”
“I don’t think so. I mean, we never discussed it. But I doubt he would—”
“I’ll drive you home.” I tugged on my hair. “Just call me when you’re done.”
“That makes no sense. You shouldn’t have to wait around.”
“I’ll drive you,” I snapped.
“If you insist, but that’s really not necessary.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah. Why are you such a grump sometimes?”
“Any serious questions?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
We hung up, and I opted to stay at the office rather than going home. It seemed counterproductive to drive to my place on the other side of London, only to return here later. I certainly had no lack of work to keep me occupied.
But sitting at my desk after hours was quite a miserable experience. I’d worked late before, but I’d never stayed at the office this long after closing, until I was the only person here. A cleaning crew now made their way around the floor, the distant white noise of a vacuum the only sound aside from the muffled traffic outside my window.
My phone chimed with a text from Abby.