Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Running my nose along his, I utter sleepily, “I’ll hold you to that.”
Chapter Eighteen
The eye of the storm
Lily
Waking with a smile, I bury my face deeper into the crook of Nox’s neck.
“Mornin’, babe,” he mumbles, “Feelin’ okay?”
Not really sure how I feel yet, I clench between my legs and hiss, “Ow. Not ready for another round just yet, I’m afraid.”
Wrapping his arms tighter around me, he suggests, “You should have a nice warm bath. You do that and I’ll bring you some breakfast.”
Raising my head, I look at him through sleepy eyes. “You do that and I’ll never go home.” And as soon as I say it, I want to eat the words while they’re still in the air. But it’s too late.
Both our faces fall. An awkward silence follows.
I move to roll out of bed, but his hand closes around my wrist. Pulling me back to him, he tucks me into his side and sighs, “We knew it was gonna get brought up eventually, princess. We can’t pretend forever.”
The bridge of my nose tingles and I whisper, “But I like pretending with you.”
He kisses the top of my head and murmurs into my hair, “Me too, baby. Me too.”
***
This morning flew by.
First, Nox started a bath for me. I climbed into said bath and spent around half an hour relaxing my sore muscles. Some of those muscles I didn’t even know I had. Secondly, we ate breakfast together. Today was not an oatmeal kind of day, so I made pancakes and much to Nox’s obvious disgust, I drenched them in butter and syrup before wolfing them down. Mostly without chewing. Thirdly, after my sugar rush, we worked out. Today was a rare occasion where all four of us did our sessions together.
And Boo. Oh, Boo.
The entire time, she kept her eyes on me. Squished face and smiling like a freakin’ dork. It got to me so badly that I threw a padded baton at her.
Talk about awkward.
And lastly, after our session was done, Boo pulled me into her room for the four-one-one on last night. And it went a little something like this:
Bouncing on the spot, she squeaked, “Sooo. How did it go?”
It’s a total bummer on her behalf, after all the time she took explaining things to me, but I have to be honest. “It was awful.”
Her bouncing slowed. Then stopped. Her face bunched in confusion. “What?”
Nodding, I explained, “Yep. Totally sucked. It was bad. Like bad bad. And painful. And seriously awkward.”
Boo’s mouth gaped.
But then I added, “But it was perfect.”
Looking even more confused, she mouthed, “What?”
Smiling, I uttered, “Nox. It didn’t matter how it went. It mattered that it was him. And he was so good to me. So gentle and super sweet. Saying the right things when I needed them to be said. He was so perfect that it didn’t matter how it went. I was with him. So it was perfect.” Looking up at Boo, I smiled a genuinely happy smile, trying to convey just how perfect it was.
Her lips quivered and her eyes misted. She whispered, “That’s awesome, Dee.” Clearing her throat, she added, “It gets better though. Way better. And you get better at it, too.”
Leaning back, I pursed my lips. “Shit, Boo. It couldn’t get worse.”
A bark of laughter burst out of her and I smiled.
…It better get better.
***
Smiling to myself, I all but skip down the hall to Nox’s office. Not bothering to knock, I open the door and step in. Nox stands with his back to me, looking out the window, talking on the cell phone. I hear one side of the conversation.
“No, sir. It’s not that complicated.” Pause. “I understand. I assure you when the time comes, I can let her go.”
My heart skips a beat.
Obviously not having heard me enter, he continues, “She’s just a girl. She’ll get over it. We knew it wouldn’t last anyway. We were stupid to start it.”
My heart shrinks. Then shrivels. Then dies.
My throat thickens. I try to swallow the lump but can’t. My eyes blur with unshed tears.
“Yes, sir. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. It was a moment of weakness and it won’t happen again.”
Oh God. No.
***
Nox
Mitch’s voice sounds into the cell, “Listen, Nox. I know it can be lonely in this life, but you’re better off finding one of your own. I’m not sure if I want you working this anymore. You’re in too deep. I think it might be clouding your judgment. Hell, you took her off site! That isn’t like you.”
I should’ve known he would find out about me and Lily at the beach.
The door to my office opens. I know it’s her. But I need to steer Mitch the other way.
My eyes shut tight and my chest aches as I say, “No, sir. It’s not that complicated.”