Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
He grinned. “I might’ve dog-eared a few pages.”
I chuckled. “What time is it?”
“Almost ten.”
“Wow. I had my alarm set for nine. I must’ve slept right through it.”
“I turned it off. You didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
“I think it’s more like you kept me up half the night.”
Wilder pulled me onto his lap. “You didn’t seem to object.”
“I couldn’t. Your tongue was in my mouth.”
He buried his face in my neck. “My tongue was a lot of other places, too.”
That it was. My belly fluttered, thinking about the way he’d made me feel last night. “How long have you been up?”
“A few hours. I went to the grocery store to get some things for breakfast. Your fridge was pretty bleak.”
“I haven’t been hungry lately.”
Wilder ran his nose up and down my neck. “I’m starving.”
I got the feeling we’d just changed subjects. “Is that so?”
I would’ve been happy to go back to bed. Surprisingly, it was Wilder who put the brakes on things. He kissed the tip of my nose. “I saw your brother this morning.”
Uh-oh. “Which one?”
“Will.”
“Sorry.” I closed my eyes. “I should’ve warned you that I told him. How did that conversation go?”
“Same way it would’ve if I had a little sister who got knocked up by a guy with a reputation, and he didn’t do the right thing off the bat.”
“Shit.” My shoulders slumped. “That well, huh?”
Wilder brushed hair from my face and smiled. “It’s all good. He’ll come around when he’s ready. I’m glad he’s protective of you. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
I guessed I should be happy no one had a black eye. “I need to tell Travis and my dad still. And Olivia.”
“I’d like to tell my dad when you’re ready, too.”
“Oh God.” I had completely forgotten that Wilder’s dad was Mr. Hayes—the CEO of the company I worked for. “My job. I wasn’t even thinking of that.”
“There’s no rush.” Wilder ran his hands up and down my arms. “But I would like to go with you when you tell your father, if that’s alright.”
“He likes you, but I’m not sure how he’ll take the news. He and my brothers still treat me like I’m twelve in a lot of ways.”
“They need to see that I’m going to be here for you. Telling them isn’t enough.”
I nodded and let out an audible breath. “Okay. We’ll tell him together. He works at the bar on Sundays, and it’s usually pretty busy because of games and races. How long are you staying?”
Wilder looked me in the eyes. “Forever.”
My pulse picked up. “What do you mean? Aren’t you going back to England?”
“I’ll keep an office there, but my life is here. I think it’s time I moved back.”
“Wow. Okay.”
“I think I might have found the perfect place, too.”
“Really? Where?”
He patted my ass. “How about you get dressed while I make breakfast, and I’ll show you. I have an appointment to see the place at eleven.”
I couldn’t believe the last twenty-four hours. After weeks of dragging, I felt like I was floating. I was still scared, nervous that things might turn sour, but at least those feelings were balanced with excitement and happiness. Only time would tell how things would turn out. But I had hope again.
I took a quick shower and got dressed, then stuffed my face with the ridiculous feast Wilder had cooked for breakfast.
“Do we need to get going?” I piled my dish in the sink. “You said your appointment was at eleven. Are we taking the train? The subway has reduced service on the weekends.”
Wilder smiled. “You’ll see.”
A few minutes later, we were out the door. On the street, we turned left, so I assumed we were heading to the C train up the block.
But Wilder stopped a few steps into our walk. “We’re here.”
I squinted. “Here where?”
He pointed to the brownstone next door to my brother’s. I’d noticed the small FOR SALE sign a few weeks ago, but didn’t pay it much attention. A real estate agent opened the front door and smiled.
Wilder laced his fingers with mine. “I need a place to live other than a hotel, and I want to be near you. Eventually, we’ll need more space for the baby. I figured you wouldn’t want to move too far from Olivia.” He shrugged. “Saw the sign this morning, and it seemed like the perfect solution. I know you’re probably not ready to move in with me. I have a lot to do to earn back your trust. Until then, I’ll be close enough to be there when you need me, but you’ll still have your space.”
“You’re really going to move here from London? Your home has been there for ten years. I don’t want you to make any rash decisions.”
“My home is where you are, Sloane. And this decision isn’t rash for me. I’ve wanted nothing but to be with you since the day I met you.”