Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
A long time later, I wake to the puppy crying, only to realize I’m naked and lying half on top of Tyler and half on the couch. For just a moment, I remember waking up spooning him in LA and how freaked I was about doing such a thing. It feels like a long time ago. Tyler jolts and says, “The puppy is crying,” as if he’s just realized it. “I’ll get her.”
I intend to tell him I’ve got this, but he’s already up, giving me a momentary perfect view of his magnificent ass as he pulls his pants on. “Where do you take her out?”
“Backyard,” I say, reaching for my robe and eyeing the clock over the mantel. “We have to put her right back to bed to get her trained to a normal schedule.”
“So no playing?”
“No playing,” I say with a smile.
“Then I’ll just keep playing with you.”
A few minutes later, we’re both out back when Molly potties and we praise her wildly. Much later, when she’s worn out and back in bed, we claim the living room floor again, folders from the Allen case files in front of us. I give him a glance and tug on a strand of his hair. “I never thought I’d say it, but you’re kind of a good dad.”
He rubs the back of his neck and there’s an awkwardness to him that in turn makes me awkward. And now I’m awkward. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No. No, not at all.” He pushes himself up and sits on the table and helps me to the couch. “We should talk about this.”
“We don’t have to talk about this, Tyler. It’s okay. You’re good with Molly. Don’t make it deeper.”
“It is deeper. I’ve just never thought of having kids before now because I wasn’t the guy who was going to be with one woman. Not with the example I had at home.”
I touch his cheek. “I know. I wish you could have experienced what I did.”
He scoops my hand into his. “Do you want kids?”
“I do,” I admit. “I have such a great relationship with Dash and my parents had such a great relationship. I guess I want to recreate that, you know?” My brows furrow. “But you don’t, do you?”
“I don’t know. I’ve really never thought of it until this moment with you.” He strokes my cheek again. “We’d make beautiful babies.”
“We would,” I say, my heart squeezing.
“But I think I’d make a shitty father.”
“That’s unfair. You’re not your father. And how you are with Molly is an indication of how you’d be with kids. How you are with me is as well. And I approve.”
“How are so sure? He killed Allison, Bella.”
“He did, but I don’t think he was a serial killer. I think it was an act of desperation.”
“That he had in him.”
“You don’t.”
“I’m a bastard, remember?”
“Allie was right. This thing with your father is messing with your head.”
“Less now that I’m with you, but yeah. I wouldn’t tell anyone else that but it’s fucked with me.” He eyes the clock and shuts down the conversation. “We should get some sleep. I need to deal with Gavin tomorrow.”
I hesitate, wanting to push him to talk, but he’s shared a lot already. I decide he needs to open up on his terms. “Do you know what you’re going to do about Gavin?”
“I need to sleep on it. I don’t want to go home, Bella.”
“I didn’t know that was an option.”
His eyes warm. “Do we dare go to the bedroom?”
“Yes, but the baby is sleeping so no rowdy stuff. Behave.”
He helps me to my feet. “I make no promise other than I’ll help with Molly if we wake her up.”
I laugh and he settles his arm around me, and we walk down the hallway to the bedroom.
Once we’ve slipped under the blankets, I snuggle next to him and I can feel his heart beating.
And just that easily, I fall asleep.
Chapter Forty-Six
Bella
My cellphone rings and I jolt to a sitting position, only to realize it’s already eight am. Molly went out at about six am and we didn’t mean to go back to sleep, but apparently, we did. Tyler shoves to a sitting position, and his rumpled morning hair and shadowed jaw are everything.
His mood is not. “Who the hell is calling you this early?”
I laugh. “Someone needs more sleep.” I grab my phone and find Becker’s number on the caller ID. “Becker. I’m hoping he wants to sign with us today. I should have already been up and ready for him.”
Tyler grunts. “Okay. Fucking Becker.” Molly starts to whine, and he throws away the blanket. “I’ll take her out and make coffee.”
I let the call go to voicemail and ask, “Does the puppy stuff bother you?”
He scoops her out of her pen and she licks him good morning, kind of like I want to right now, too, considering he’s naked. “Not at all. I love this pup. Call that bastard. I want to be there when you sign him.”