Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“I married Adler Costa this morning.”
Another silence. I can hear my father’s TV in the background playing some sports talk show. Mom’s breathing gets heavy, and I start to worry I might’ve killed her.
But she’s finally says, “This is a prank, right?”
“No, Mom. I’m sitting in his apartment right now. We’re married. It’s just this—it’s a long story and I can’t get into it right now. But I’m okay.”
She lets out a long breath. “I knew it was too good to be true. You’re pregnant.”
“Mom! I’m not pregnant. Will you stop?”
“Why the hell else would Adler Costa want to marry you?”
“Why is everyone saying that?” I mutter, glaring at the window.
“You’re a piney!” she says, laughing at the stupid name for poor New Jersey folks that live in the pine barrens. “And it’s Adler Costa. How do you even know the man?”
“I don’t, I mean, I do now, but—” There’s no way I can explain this. “Just trust that I’m safe, okay?”
She snorts. “If you’re really married to that Costa gangster, you’re definitely not safe. Not by a long shot. Probably better if you were pregnant.”
I’ll be pregnant eventually. I rub my face, trying to get it together. “It was great talking to you, Mom. You really made me feel better for a second there.”
“Ah, come on, don’t be so fucking sensitive. Why are you pissed? Is it because I can’t imagine Adler Costa would marry a poor girl with small boobs like you? I mean, honey, you’re young now, but—”
“Mom,” I hiss at her. “Okay, conversation over. Goodbye!”
I hang up the phone before she can start insulting me some more.
That’s my mother. It’s rare to catch a glimpse of kindness from her, but criticizing my looks is definitely firmly in her wheelhouse.
I finish eating, send the plates back down to the kitchen, and head up to take a long bath. At least I can get some peace and quiet, light some candles, enjoy a bath bomb that’s probably ten years past its expiration. I soak, trying not to think about my mother and my father back in that tiny house, slowly killing each other.
They aren’t my responsibility.
Even if they have been for years. With my mother working all the time, caring for Dad fell to me.
Now that I’m out of the house, what’s he going to do? The guy can barely walk around without pain and he sure as hell can’t cook. How’s he going to feed himself?
I try not to worry about it. My parents are grown people and they can figure out their own problems, but taking care of them has been so deeply drilled into me over the years it’s like part of my psyche at this point.
After an hour, I get out, dry off, and wrap myself in a big, fluffy robe I find hanging on the back of the door. I’m still thinking about my parents and what they’ll do without me around when I step out into the room—
And find Adler sitting at the end of the bed, unbuttoning his shirt.
Chapter 15
Casey
“What are you doing here?” I say without thinking, grabbing the robe closed.
He doesn’t look back at me. “I planned on undressing, brushing my teeth, and going to bed. What are you doing here?”
“I just took a bath.” My heart’s racing as he pushes off his dress shirt with a sigh. My mouth opens as the light reflects off his tan skin, revealing every curve of each defined muscle and the scrollwork of tattoos that are hidden under his clothes. A serpent eats its own tail in the middle of his back, surrounded by stars, pomegranates, and trees.
He stands with a sigh and starts to unbuckle his belt, and that’s when my panic reaches a fever pitch.
This is a mistake. An enormous freaking mistake.
I can’t be in the same room as Adler when he’s undressing.
Not without feeling this flush of desire washing over me mingled with a keen sense of embarrassment.
I’m mortified that I’m alone in this room with this man—this absurdly gorgeous man, so far out of my league that nobody quite believes he’s my husband.
I barely even believe it, and I was at the wedding.
“You’re staring.” He glances back at me as his pants come down.
He’s in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs.
I whirl around, cheeks burning hot. “You’re getting undressed.”
“That’s what most people do in their bedroom.” His pants hit the floor near me. “I get it, you’re not used to seeing a man as handsome at me, but we’d better get over the shy stuff now that we’re living together.”
“First of all, you’re not that handsome.” Which is a total lie, obviously. “Second of all, I’m not being shy, you just started whipping it out right in front of me—”
“It is firmly covered. Well, barely. I can’t control how thick boxer briefs are. It’s hard to find them with enough… accommodation.”