Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“Go look.”
“Hey!” Caroline headed for the bathroom when he stepped back and popped her on the butt to jumpstart her. Wraith winked at her. That slow gesture did crazy things to her inside.
Damn, she’d missed him.
Walking into the bathroom, she noted a huge, clear shower. The image of seeing him through the steamy glass popped into her mind. Oh, yeah. Or it was big enough for two. Even better.
When she turned around, Caroline spotted the large soaking tub. “Four people could fit in that!”
“Only two will ever be in there. A Little girl needs a tub for bath time. I have some toys under the cabinet. Maybe you’d like a bath before bed?”
“I’m really dirty,” she rushed to tell him before realizing what she’d implied. Her cheeks heated, and she slapped her hands over her face to hide in embarrassment.
“Yeah, I’ve figured that out,” he growled.
Caroline peeked between her fingers to find him watching her closely. “Is that a good thing?” she whispered.
“The best. I need to get back to the grill or we’ll eat charcoal for dinner. Do you want to come hang out with me on the porch or would you rather play in your nursery?” he asked.
“Can I stop and get that purple monkey in the nursery? Adam threw out all my stuffies to hurt me. I haven’t been able to buy any more. I didn’t want to be disloyal to my old friends. But he’s already there, and maybe he needs some love?” she asked.
“He definitely does. And if I ever see that jerk ex-husband of yours at Inferno again, he won’t like the new shape of his nose.”
“He’s not important, Wraith. You’re bigger, stronger, and better for me.”
“Still,” Wraith grumbled as he turned to head for the front of the house. “Get your buddy and come sit on my lap. I need to hold you, Precious.”
His butt flexed enticingly as he walked in front of her down the hall, making her almost forget to detour into the nursery to pick up her new friend. Caroline sat on the carpet in front of the crib where she’d spotted the monkey.
“Hi. I’m Caroline. Could we be friends?”
The monkey studied her with big, black eyes. He seemed to consider her request. Caroline sweetened the deal.
“I’ll never let you get dusty, and I’ll give you hugs and kisses.”
I accept.
“You need a name. What do you think of Jam?”
A happy feeling filled her mind. Jam liked his name.
“I like it too. Want to sit on my Daddy’s lap with me?”
I’ve been waiting for you to come. Please give me a hug now.
Caroline rose to her knees and scooped Jam up in her hands. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him so tight. They were instantly the best of friends.
“Come on Jam. Let’s go hang with Daddy.”
Feeling happier than she ever remembered being, Caroline skipped down the hall and out the back door. The setting sun had robbed the air of some of its warmth. She was glad to snuggle into Wraith’s warmth as he enfolded her in his embrace. He fit around her as perfectly as she remembered. Exhaling a sigh of contentment, she laid her head on his shoulder.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered.
His arms tightened around her in a gentle squeeze. “The Devils were considering voting me out. According to them, I’ve been a complete jerk.”
“I don’t think they said jerk,” she teased.
“You would be right. Introduce me to your new friend. Does he have a name?”
Feeling self conscious, Caroline showed him her stuffie. “This is Jam.”
“That is a perfect name!” he praised her. “Hi, Jam.”
After a pause, Wraith asked, “Why did you come now, Precious?”
“This is going to sound weird,” she warned.
“When I’m holding you, I can handle just about anything.”
“I never told you what I do for a living.” Caroline sat up slightly so she could watch his reaction. So much hinged on this. Would he understand why she hadn’t told him? “I’m an author. I write romance novels.”
“Fun. Do you have some published?”
“Yes. I have five already out there. They do well with readers, but I haven’t ever found my niche. The night we met, I was doing research for a new series.”
“Okay. That’s why you were on your phone so much. You were taking notes?”
“Exactly. Inferno seemed like a great place to get a handle on bikers.” She remembered the type of handle she’d gotten on one particular biker and got flustered. “I mean, understand how they operate and see an MC in action.”
His hand patted her bottom. “I understood that. So, how does that affect you deciding to come see me?”
“Yesterday, I finished my first MC romance. It forced me to focus on my feelings and figure out why I panicked. I cried so much as I wrote it. I poured my feelings into the book. It’s probably my best work yet.”