Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“She’s right,” my man says from beside me, his voice deep and husky, emanating a warmth that shrouds me and wraps me in loving arms.
Loving arms, the thought strikes me hard.
I can’t let myself get carried away with thoughts like these, but seeing the way he spun into action to defend us – the way the beast inside of him unleashed and turned him into a whirring weapon – I can’t help but feel hope that he feels the same.
“Derrick is clearly a lunatic. He’s clearly got some very serious issues. You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”
Kayla leans back with a sigh, taking a sip of her sparkling water and then aiming a mischievous gaze at us, first at me and then at her son.
“What?” I laugh, and it feels so good to let out that short breath of air, to not let fear rule me like Derrick would’ve tried to do if he’d gotten his hands on me.
“Mom, you know you’re just staring at us like a weirdo, right?” Miller says good-naturedly, his voice bantering and kind.
“I know this may seem like a crazy thing to say considering the circumstances,” she murmurs, “but seeing the two of you together is making me one very happy lady indeed. I can see how much you want to be together. I can see how right this is.”
“Are you sure that’s just sparkling water?” Miller chuckles, and then he grabs my hand and holds it tightly. “But you’re right. I want to be with Macie more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”
My chest blooms at his words and I squeeze his hand, the same way I squeezed his shoulder back there to let him silently know what I was planning. Relief thundered through me when he got my message. When he silently knew I was planning something because there was no freaking way I was going to let Derrick keep twisting Kayla’s arm like that.
I turn to find Miller staring down at me, a subtle smirk on his lips, his eyes alight with carnality and belonging and the future we’re going to build together.
“I’m going to go back to my apartment,” Kayla says, laying her glass down.
“Mom, you don’t have to,” Miller says. “I’ve got more than one spare room. You’re welcome to stay here.”
“I know I am,” she says with a wry smile. “But the last thing I want to do is get in the way of you two. And a woman my age needs her own space. Don’t fuss, Miller. You know my apartment’s security is the best money can buy. Plus Derrick and his friends are in jail now.”
“Are you sure?” I say, stunned by the confidence in her voice considering everything that’s happened. “We really don’t mind if you want to stay here.”
She stands, brushing down her dress in a dignified manner. “The police have offered to give me a ride home, remember? And they’ve even offered to put a car outside my building if I deem it necessary. I’m going to be fine.”
“You have to take them up on that offer,” Miller says, fierce protective passion in his voice. “I mean it, Mom.”
She rolls her eyes. “You worry too much.”
“Mom.”
She nods. “Very well. Yes, if it will make you feel better. I’ll take them up on the offer. And I’ll call you the moment I get home. I shan’t be leaving the apartment for a while, anyway. All this excitement has made me terribly tired.”
We all stand as she makes her exit, Miller and I following close behind her. She pauses at the door, turning and regarding us with another of her wry smiles, her eyes glinting in a playful way that reminds me of Miller.
She places her hands on my shoulders and leans close, whispering in my ear. “Thank you, dear. Thank you so much for what you did back there.”
She pulls me into an embrace, and I hold her, clasping tightly onto her and silently willing her to be okay. I know she will. The police are driving her home and she’s got trained security – a lot of them ex-SEALs – guarding her apartment.
“Let me know the second you get home,” Miller says. “Even if it’s just a text.”
“I promise,” she says, and then leaves us with a dainty wave, all fingers.
Miller closes the door behind her and turns to me, his face tight.
“Shall we wait on the balcony until she calls?” I ask. “I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on anything else until I know she’s safe.”
His eyes light up and he pulls me into an embrace, kissing the top of my head and moving his hands around my hips. He grabs onto me hard and I do the same, sliding my hands around his waist and gripping firmly onto his back.