Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
“Look, it’s just—it’s hard not to.” Michael quickly got up from the ground. “It’s not every day that—”
“It’s common human decency!” Caiden barked. He shoved him toward the door. Christian settled his hands on my thighs, forcing me to stay on my float. “We’re done, you hear me? And you’re fucking leaving.”
The back door slammed shut after them. I cringed. “I knew it,” I whispered. “I knew I would be the one to break them apart.”
“No, my moon,” Christian soothed. He cupped my cheeks in his hands. “Caiden warned him numerous times that you have scars and not to stare at you. That man is even more protective of you than I am. You did nothing wrong.”
I shook my head. “Christian, Caiden actually liked him.” I frowned.
Christian shrugged. “So? Caiden loves you, beautiful. Every time Michael started staring at you, you tensed up, and you started drawing into yourself. You’ve been doing so damn good all day. You’ve been cheerful, and you’ve been happy. Caiden and I? This has been one of the best fucking days of our lives because you’re fucking glowing, baby girl.”
I squeaked in shock when Caiden’s hand suddenly wrapped around my throat from behind. He tilted my head back, forcing our eyes to lock. “I know I don’t hear you doubting yourself again,” he rumbled, his chest vibrating against my back.
I swallowed beneath his rough palm. “I’m sorry,” I blurted.
“For?” he asked me, not removing his hand from my neck. Christian squeezed my thighs. How the fuck was I getting turned on right now?
“For breaking you two up.”
Caiden growled, his hand tightening just a little bit. I bit my lip, barely resisting the urge to moan. His eyes darkened. Christian’s hands slid up a little further on my thighs, his thumbs grazing the sensitive areas on the soft, inner flesh of my legs.
“Don’t,” Caiden warned me. “You are my beginning and my end. No one will ever come before you. Babe, all I want a guy for is some hot anal sex.” My breath hitched in my throat. Caiden smirked, a knowing look flashing through his eyes. “But you, baby? I want it all with you. Michael doesn’t mean shit to me.”
“Anal sex?” I squeaked, still stuck on that.
Caiden huskily laughed before he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. “One day,” he promised.
Oh, boy.
36
TOGETHER
Ally
Dr. Gresham met me in the lobby with a warm smile on his face. I returned it before I stood up from my chair, a yawn falling from my lips. I blushed immediately afterward as I walked toward him.
“Sorry if I yawn a lot through our session,” I apologized once I reached him. We began walking toward the garden out behind the center. “It’s my normal nap time.”
He laughed. “You’re glowing again, Ally.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “You’ve come such a long way these last few months, and I’m extremely proud of you as both your doctor and a friend that you’ve stuck with your treatment plan and continued to stay determined to grow and heal.”
“It hasn’t been easy,” I admitted.
He pushed open the back door, allowing me to slip through. “No, it hasn’t,” he agreed. The door fell back shut behind him as he walked out onto the brick path. “But you persevered, and you continued to stay strong even on the really dark days.” We began to walk down the worn path. “Ally, you’ve come so far from the very first day you ever came to this center.”
“I was a hopeless cause back then,” I muttered. And I really was. There was no helping me back then until I wanted the help. And the first time I was put in this center, I wanted nothing to do with doctors, medication, or family.
“No,” he disagreed. “Because if you were, you wouldn’t be standing here today, preparing to become a mother, and standing strong despite all of the demons in your life that tried to tear you down.”
He stopped near a bench, and I eagerly dropped down onto it, my feet already beginning to hurt and swell. My men were going to have my ass later for not drinking enough damn water so the swelling would stay down.
“When I first met you, Ally, you were a self-destructive mess, and you hated everyone that just wanted to help you. You’ve had your ups and downs since then, but I feel like you’re finally on the right track to being healthy again.” He looked over at me. “But, we need to talk about the trial and your mother.”
I sighed. We hadn’t had our normal sessions the week before due to Randall’s trial. So, we agreed to resume our normal therapy sessions this week.
“I had some bad anxiety attacks last week,” I confessed to Dr. Gresham. I frowned. “They were so bad that I blacked out, and I suffered flashbacks with them. The first time, I was supposed to be eating lunch with my dad, but then my mother showed up.” I rubbed my chest when it began to ache. “She blurted to everyone in that restaurant that I was lying about being raped.”