Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I should jump on his back. I could strangle him, and maybe that wouldn’t do anything but end with me flat on my back with a concussion, but it might keep him out of her room at least. Except why am I freaking out about this?
He brought her toys. A big box full of them. He must’ve gone to some trouble to pick it all out and carry it here himself when he could have easily sent some staff member to do it for him.
Now he wants to look at his sleeping daughter.
Shit, it makes me like him.
I really, really don’t want that.
He slips into her room. I curse to myself, but I don’t follow.
It really would be awful if she woke up early.
Instead, I linger in the doorway and watch carefully as Mass creeps across the floor and gazes down into her crib.
I can’t see Rosie. The sound machine drowns her breathing. But I can almost see her reflected in Mass’s face.
He seems calm. Happy even. Which is strange since his default expression is usually somewhere between gleefully murdering innocents and brooding on the bleak realities of existence. Looking at his sleeping daughter brings him joy.
No, not his daughter. My daughter.
I can’t make that mistake.
He slips out of the room after a minute. We stand together in the hall. He’s big and very close. I breathe in his smell, and it’s strangely mixed with Rosie now.
I like it. God help me, I really do.
He touches my cheek gently. “She’s beautiful.” I’m not sure if he’s talking about Rosie or about me.
“I love her. I’ll do anything for her.”
“I won’t let anyone hurt either of you. I know it’s hard for you to accept. This new life wasn’t something you asked for. But you’re my wife now and that’s my daughter. I’ll kill for you both. I’ll die for you too.”
It’s strange, but here in this hallway with nobody else around, I believe him.
I get on my toes and reach one hand up. I press it against the back of his neck, drawing him down to me. His lips meet mine softly. The kiss is gentle and deep. There’s nothing needy or impatient about it. I let the touch linger, his lips soft and warm against mine. Tingles run down my arms and into my fingertips. I’ve never reacted this way before to a simple kiss like that.
“Thank you for the toys. That was a really nice gesture.”
He pulls me tighter into a deeper kiss like he’s desperate for this moment to linger before letting me go. “I have to go back to work.”
I slump against the wall once he’s gone. I swear, that man lurches between the most charming human I’ve ever met and an absolute robot.
But he kisses like heaven and that’s the most dangerous thing about him.
MASS
Ican barely sleep that night. I keep wondering who I’ve become. I can barely recognize the man inside my skin.
Since when did I want to linger in a baby’s room just to watch her sleep? And why is that single, tasteful kiss still lodged in my stomach like a stone?
I wake early and slip from bed without bothering Allie. I make espresso and check my messages. There’s a morning briefing created by Lady. The house AI is good at taking all of my various emails and collating them into a single list of important tasks. Mostly they’re minor fires I have to squash, and today’s no different.
Rebels in Yemen are killing my suppliers. A bomb-maker affiliated with our organization is dead in a blast of his own making in downtown Cairo. Problems are scattered all over the fucking place.
And I still can’t think of anything but my wife.
Frustration lingers in my stomach. I stand by the windows and look out at the ocean. Usually, the endless blue calms me. But not today.
“Lady, play something to help me concentrate.”
“Right away, Mr. Cardone.” Her vaguely accent-free voice floats from the hidden speakers. Simple lo-fi piano music follows with a mellow beat and calming strings on top. Probably Lady’s generating everything on the fly. I drink my coffee and try to get back to reading, but that doesn’t last long.
Allie appears in the kitchen. She yawns, stretching up onto her tiptoes. Her top pulls up and shows off her smooth stomach. If she reaches higher, it’ll touch the bottoms of her breasts. My heart rate increases and I feel myself getting half-hard at the sight of her messy hair and her sleepy eyes.
“Why are you staring at me?” she asks, smiling a little.
“You look good.”
“Uh, thanks.” She quickly turns away. “Can I have some coffee?”
“I’ll make you a latte.” I take over in the kitchen. She watches me, leaning against the counter. “When does our daughter wake up?”
“My daughter,” she corrects absently and glances at the monitor. “Not too much longer. What’s this music?”